A funny thing happened last night at the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards in Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar where Monsters & Critics was seated at the Pixar table.
The win for Toy Story 4 had us jumping up and celebrating for our esteemed table mates. The tight and bright award show bucked the norms and it showed.
The audience, the list of nominees and those eventual winners looked to be far more representative of America than award shows like the Oscars. The audience and the people involved were not just the usual suspects, ones that Issa Rae artfully shaded this morning.
It was a more thoughtful, energetic event compared to the bracing Golden Globes where people were called out – rightfully or not – left and right. Desus and Mero were rubbing shoulders with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro.
The Critics’ Choice Awards has finally reached a milestone of clout and the ratings reflected The CW-aired live show where only a few stars were unable to show up, like winner Regina King, and yet the room brimmed with A-list power mixed with living legends (Norman Lear) and outsider critically adored talents like Our Lady J (FX series Pose).
It was a room full of cool people and thoughtful outside-the-rubber-chicken-box food choices thanks to tasty casual dining companies like The Counter, Baja Fresh and low carb wine SmartVine, served up along with tableside champagne.
It was an award show that honored the career of Eddie Murphy and the hard work Ava Duvernay put into her Netflix project When They See Us (Best Limited Series) that had her thank the streamer for letting a black woman just do her thing.
The energy of the room was spot-on, and it was an event that had people staying to the very end instead of bailing after their presenting duties had wrapped. That tells you everything you need to know.
And speaking of Issa Rae, her deadpan delivery of the 92nd Oscars news made a bit of news itself.
The Oscars picked Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once upon a Time… in Hollywood) and last night’s Critics’ Choice winner Bong Joon Ho (Parasite). Rae delivered a perfect little line that summed up the difference between the two award-giving entities: “Congratulations to those men.”
The Critics Choice Association at the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday night saluted Joaquin Phoenix for Best Actor for Joker, Renée Zellweger for Best Actress for Judy, and Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
The organization also saluted Laura Dern for Best Supporting Actress for Marriage Story and The Irishman for the Best Ensemble Cast.
There were ties too. Bong Joon Ho and Sam Mendes (who really should share that award with DP Roger Deakins) tied for Best Director honors for Parasite and 1917.
Quentin Tarantino won for Best Original Screenplay for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and Greta Gerwig won for Best Adapted Screenplay for Little Women.
For TV, it was a good night for streamer Amazon as Fleabag scooped up Best Comedy Series. Succession was tapped as Best Drama Series and Phoebe Waller-Bridge delivered her perfectly charming speeches thanking all who selected her show.
Keegan-Michael Key presented Dolemite Is My Name co-star Eddie Murphy with the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, as Ruth Carter also scooped a Best Costumes award for the same film.
Ted Danson presented his fellow Good Place star Kristen Bell with the #SeeHer Award.
Taye Diggs hosted the show, which aired live on The CW from 7-10 p.m. ET (delayed PT).
The presenters were stellar and included Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Kate Beckinsale, Alison Brie, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Cox, Adam Devine, Sara Gilbert, Walton Goggins, Lucy Hale, Chris Hardwick, Anne Hathaway, Sam Heughan, Nick Kroll, Eugene Levy, John Lithgow, Sebastian Maniscalco, Caleb McLaughlin, Kennedy McMann, Seth Meyers, Ashleigh Murray, Niecy Nash, Lupita Nyong’o, Catherine O’Hara, Edi Patterson, Tom Payne, Michael Sheen, JB Smoove, Bradley Whitford, and Scott Wolf.
The full list of Critics’ Choice Awards winners for 2020:
Best Picture
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (WINNER)
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Parasite
Uncut Gems
Best Animated Feature
Toy Story 4 (WINNER)
Abominable
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Missing Link
Best Comedy
Dolemite Is My Name (WINNER)
Booksmart
The Farewell
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
Best Action Movie
Avengers: Endgame (WINNER)
1917
Ford v Ferrari
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Best Sci-Fi or Horror Movie
Us (WINNER)
Ad Astra
Avengers: Endgame
Midsommar
Best Foreign-Language Film
Parasite (WINNER)
Atlantics
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker (WINNER)
Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems
Best Actress
Renée Zellweger – Judy (WINNER)
Awkwafina – The Farewell
Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (WINNER)
Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern – Marriage Story (WINNER)
Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
Florence Pugh – Little Women
Margot Robbie – Bombshell
Zhao Shuzhen – The Farewell
Best Young Actor/Actress
Roman Griffin Davis – Jojo Rabbit (WINNER)
Julia Butters – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Noah Jupe – Honey Boy
Thomasin McKenzie – Jojo Rabbit
Shahadi Wright Joseph – Us
Archie Yates – Jojo Rabbit
Best Acting Ensemble
The Irishman (WINNER)
Bombshell
Knives Out
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Best Director
Bong Joon Ho – Parasite (WINNER – tie)
Sam Mendes – 1917 (WINNER – tie)
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Greta Gerwig – Little Women
Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie – Uncut Gems
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Original Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (WINNER)
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Rian Johnson – Knives Out
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won – Parasite
Lulu Wang – The Farewell
Best Adapted Screenplay
Greta Gerwig – Little Women (WINNER)
Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony McCarten – The Two Popes
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver – Joker
Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit
Steven Zaillian – The Irishman
Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins – 1917 (WINNER)
Jarin Blaschke – The Lighthouse
Phedon Papamichael – Ford v Ferrari
Rodrigo Prieto – The Irishman
Robert Richardson – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Lawrence Sher – Joker
Best Production Design
Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (WINNER)
Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran – Joker
Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales – 1917
Jess Gonchor, Claire Kaufman – Little Women
Lee Ha Jun – Parasite
Bob Shaw, Regina Graves – The Irishman
Donal Woods, Gina Cromwell – Downton Abbey
Best Editing
Lee Smith – 1917 (WINNER)
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie – Uncut Gems
Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker – Ford v Ferrari
Yang Jinmo – Parasite
Fred Raskin – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Irishman
Best Costume Design
Ruth E. Carter – Dolemite Is My Name (WINNER)
Julian Day – Rocketman
Jacqueline Durran – Little Women
Arianne Phillips – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson – The Irishman
Anna Robbins – Downton Abbey
Best Hair and Makeup
Bombshell (WINNER)
Dolemite Is My Name
The Irishman
Joker
Judy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
Best Visual Effects
Avengers: Endgame (WINNER)
1917
Ad Astra
The Aeronauts
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
The Lion King
Best Song
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures; Neon
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” – Rocketman (WINNER – tie)
“Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” – Wild Rose (WINNER – tie)
“I’m Standing With You” – Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown” – Frozen II
“Speechless” – Aladdin
“Spirit”– The Lion King
“Stand Up” – Harriet
Best Score
Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Joker (WINNER)
Michael Abels – Us
Alexandre Desplat – Little Women
Randy Newman – Marriage Story
Thomas Newman – 1917
Robbie Robertson – The Irishman
Best Drama Series
Succession (HBO) (WINNER)
The Crown (Netflix)
David Makes Man (OWN)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Pose (FX)
This Is Us (NBC)
Watchmen (HBO)
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO) (WINNER)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (CBS)
Paul Giamatti – Billions (Showtime)
Kit Harington – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Freddie Highmore – The Good Doctor (ABC)
Tobias Menzies – The Crown (Netflix)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Regina King – Watchmen (HBO) (WINNER)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Olivia Colman – The Crown (Netflix)
Jodie Comer – Killing Eve (BBC America)
Nicole Kidman – Big Little Lies (HBO)
Mj Rodriguez – Pose (FX)
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO)
Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple) (WINNER)
Asante Blackk – This Is Us (NBC)
Asia Kate Dillon – Billions (Showtime)
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Tim Blake Nelson – Watchmen (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jean Smart – Watchmen (HBO) (WINNER)
Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown (Netflix)
Gwendoline Christie – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Laura Dern – Big Little Lies (HBO)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Meryl Streep – Big Little Lies (HBO)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)
Best Comedy Series
Fleabag (Amazon) (WINNER)
Barry (HBO)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Mom (CBS)
One Day at a Time (Netflix)
PEN15 (Hulu)
Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader – Barry (HBO) (WINNER)
Ted Danson – The Good Place (NBC)
Walton Goggins – The Unicorn (CBS)
Eugene Levy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Paul Rudd – Living with Yourself (Netflix)
Bashir Salahuddin – Sherman’s Showcase (IFC)
Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Amazon) (WINNER)
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me (Netflix)
Alison Brie – GLOW (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kirsten Dunst – On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Showtime)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep (HBO)
Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andrew Scott – Fleabag (Amazon) (WINNER)
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Anthony Carrigan – Barry (HBO)
William Jackson Harper – The Good Place (NBC)
Daniel Levy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Nico Santos – Superstore (NBC)
Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) (WINNER)
D’Arcy Carden – The Good Place (NBC)
Sian Clifford – Fleabag (Amazon)
Betty Gilpin – GLOW (Netflix)
Rita Moreno – One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Annie Murphy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Molly Shannon – The Other Two (Comedy Central)
Best Limited Series
When They See Us (Netflix) (WINNER)
Catch-22 (Hulu)
Chernobyl (HBO)
Fosse/Verdon (FX)
The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Unbelievable (Netflix)
Years and Years (HBO)
Best Movie Made for Television
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix) (WINNER)
Brexit (HBO)
Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
Guava Island (Amazon)
Native Son (HBO)
Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Jharrel Jerome – When They See Us (Netflix) (WINNER)
Christopher Abbott – Catch-22 (Hulu)
Mahershala Ali – True Detective (HBO)
Russell Crowe – The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Jared Harris – Chernobyl (HBO)
Sam Rockwell – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Noah Wyle – The Red Line (CBS)
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Michelle Williams – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Kaitlyn Dever – Unbelievable (Netflix)
Anne Hathaway – Modern Love (Amazon)
Megan Hilty – Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
Joey King – The Act (Hulu)
Jessie Mueller – Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
Merritt Wever – Unbelievable (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Stellan Skarsgård – Chernobyl (HBO)
Asante Blackk – When They See Us (Netflix)
George Clooney – Catch-22 (Hulu)
John Leguizamo – When They See Us (Netflix)
Dev Patel – Modern Love (Amazon)
Jesse Plemons – El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix)
Russell Tovey – Years and Years (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Toni Collette – Unbelievable (Netflix) (WINNER)
Patricia Arquette – The Act (Hulu)
Marsha Stephanie Blake – When They See Us (Netflix)
Niecy Nash – When They See Us (Netflix)
Margaret Qualley – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Emma Thompson – Years and Years (HBO)
Emily Watson – Chernobyl (HBO)
Best Animated Series
BoJack Horseman (Netflix) (WINNER)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Undone (Amazon)
Best Talk Show
The Late Late Show With James Corden (CBS) (WINNER – tie)
Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC) (WINNER – tie)
Desus & Mero (Showtime)
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Best Comedy Special
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons (ABC) (WINNER)
Amy Schumer: Growing (Netflix)
Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (Netflix)
Ramy Youssef: Feelings (HBO)
Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby (Netflix)
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Netflix)
Wanda Sykes: Not Normal (Netflix)