Though Oscar pundits debate the weight of smaller award wins in predicting Oscar glory—and even whether we should treat those awards as prognosticators—in all probability, those early belt notches can’t exactly hurt. So when the Gotham Awards shower love on Spotlight—writer-director Thomas McCarthy’s film about the Boston Globe team that brought to light the Boston Archdiocese’s cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests—it’s worth paying at least a little attention. Presented by the Independent Feature Project, the largest independent film organization in the U.S., the Gotham Awards are the first major presentation of the award season, which culminates with the Academy Awards on Feb.