The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards returned to an in-person ceremony Sunday, with Netflix’s The Power of the Dog taking home top prizes for best picture and best director for Jane Campion. Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose were among the other big winners in the film categories. Television stars Jason Sudeikis, Jean Smart, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Coolidge, Murray Bartlett, Melanie Lynskey and Lee Jung-jae also won awards.
Nailed It! host and Grand Crew star Nicole Byer was joined by All American‘s Taye Diggs to emcee the event, simulcast on The CW and TBS.
Originally planned to take place Jan. 9, the show was rescheduled due the omicron variant surge in the United States. To accommodate nominees who also attended Sunday’s BAFTA film awards ceremony in London (which was held earlier at the Royal Albert Hall), the Critics Choice Awards took place at both Los Angeles’ Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel and London’s Savoy Hotel.
CODA‘s Kotsur, who attended the London event and earlier earned a BAFTA Award for his role, picked up his first Critics Choice win for best supporting actor. West Side Story‘s DeBose, who also took home a BAFTA Award, won for best supporting actress and thanked the critics for embracing Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 movie musical. She then offered an inspiring message for “all the young people” watching at home: “It doesn’t matter how you identify who you are, you are unique, you are talented, you are seeing your value, you are loved and you matter. Please don’t ever forget that.”
Minari‘s Alan Kim, who charmed audiences last year when he won best young actor and tearfully accepted his award during the virtual ceremony, walked on stage Sunday to great applause from the audience. “Wow, it’s crazy to look at a video of a younger me,” joked the 9-year-old. “I’ve gotta tell ya, growing up in this business is no picnic.” Kim presented the best young actor award to Belfast‘s breakout star Jude Hill.
Belfast also won the best ensemble award, which star Jamie Dornan accepted on his cast-mates’ behalf. “Critics are usually not very nice to me,” Dornan said of his surprise that the film won.
Following Maria Bakalova, who showed her support for Ukraine ahead of presenting the best supporting actor award, Dornan also vocalized his support for the country and drew parallels to Belfast. “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of telling a story about a place that people don’t really have a vague idea about, and telling you about the real people from that place not seen through a politicized or paramilitary lens, which is often the case in Belfast, [but] seeing it through the eyes of family, something we can all relate to. We need to relate to the people and the families through [this] hardship.”
(Excerpt) Read more and see a Full List of WINNERS in: The Hollywood Reporter