2023 Critics Choice Awards Winners

‘RRR’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ were among the other film winners, while ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ took TV honors.

(L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, and James Hong in A24's 'Everything Everywhere All at Once.'

As awards season trundled onward, Sunday night saw the Critics Choice Association Awards handed out at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

The star-studded affair (albeit slightly less star-studded thanks to the super-spreader event that was the Golden Globes, which saw the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell all laid low with Covid) blends film and TV awards, and in an attempt to keep the running time to a strict three hours (successfully, as it stands) weirdly squashed together certain categories, which meant that the likes of ‘Barry’s Henry Winkler and ‘Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph ended up taking the stage at the same time, and taking turns to give their speeches one after the other.

That was still better for those in some other categories, such as Cinematography and Best Animated Series, which were burned through in brief on-screen mentions without any of the recipients coming up to accept their trophies.

Hosted by Chelsea Handler, the show had the usual mix of celebrity presenters, memorably Seth Rogen, who joked that the CW, where the awards show was airing, had zero nominations at the ceremony.

It was another good night for the team behind ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, which won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.

Though the movie’s Michelle Yeoh had been predicted to repeat her run of wins as Best Actress, that award went to Cate Blanchett for ‘Tár’, as the Critics Choice Ceremony had the feel of Everything Wins Something.

Brendan Fraser in director Darren Aronofsky's 'The Whale' from A24.

Brendan Fraser continued his own winning streak, offering up an emotional speech as he accepted Best Actor for ‘The Whale’. Angela Bassett gave a stirring speech as she took home Best Supporting Actress for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. Popular action movie ‘RRR’, meanwhile, was named Best Foreign Language Film along with winning Best Song for “Naatu Naatu”.

Other buzzed about movies made do with one win each, such as ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s effects, and ‘Elvis’ hair and make-up team.

On the TV front, it was a triumphant night for ‘Better Call Saul’, the ‘Breaking Bad’ spin-off enjoying some well-earned respect for its final season as it won Best Drama, Best Actor in a Drama for star Bob Odenkirk and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for Giancarlo Esposito.

‘Abbott Elementary’ continued to do well, winning two awards, while Jennifer Coolidge was back on another stage, offering another funny speech as she won another trophy for ‘The White Lotus’.

Blending first-timers (such as Jeremy Allen White for ‘The Bear’) and repeat winners (Jean Smart for ‘Hacks’ or Winkler for ‘Barry’), the TV categories, like their movie counterparts also spread the love around various shows.

‘The Dropout’, which stars Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, won for Seyfried and Best Limited Series, while ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ landed Best Actor (for Daniel Radcliffe, who wasn’t present) and Best TV Movie.