After a pandemic pause, the Critics Choice Awards have a new date – and a new venue.
Originally scheduled for January 9, the 27th annual edition of the awards show will be held on Sunday, March 13 at LA’s Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. The show will be hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer and will air live simultaneously on The CW Network and TBS at 7 p.m. ET (tape delayed on the West Coast.)
Diggs, the noted film, television and stage star, has hosted for the past few years, when the star-studded event was held at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar. Actress and comedian Byer will bring her special brand of humor to the co-hosting duties of the three hour show, which will honor the best in cinematic and television achievements during 2021.
Last year, of course, the awards ceremony was virtual due to the pandemic and the Critics Choice Association (CCA) is working closely with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department to ensure that all attendees will be safe and comfortable at the event, which always attracts Hollywood’s best and brightest.
The nominations were announced last month with “Belfast” and “West Side Story” tied as the top film contenders with each earning 11 nominations.
In addition to a Best Picture nod, “Belfast” received nominations for Best Supporting Actor for both Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds, Best Supporting Actress for Caitríona Balfe, Best Young Actor/Actress for Jude Hill, and Best Acting Ensemble, while Kenneth Branagh is up for both the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay trophies.
Steven Spielberg also received a Best Director nomination for his Best Picture contender “West Side Story,” while two of the film’s standout performers, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno, will be vying for Best Supporting Actress and Rachel Zegler earned a nod for Best Young Actor/Actress.
The list of Best Picture hopefuls featured several more films with impressive nomination counts, including “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog” which picked up ten each. Denis Villeneuve earned a Best Director nomination for “Dune,” while Hans Zimmer is up for Best Score, and Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan were nominated for Best Costume Design. “The Power of the Dog” was recognized with a Best Actor nod for Benedict Cumberbatch, a Best Supporting Actor nod for Kodi Smit-McPhee, and a Best Supporting Actress nod for Kirsten Dunst, while Jane Campion was nominated for Best Director.
On the television side, HBO’s “Succession” leads the series nominations with nominations in eight categories. In addition to Best Drama Series the show racked up a slew of acting nods including nominations for both Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong for Best Actor in a Drama Series, while Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen all earned nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and J. Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook are up for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. “Mare of Easttown” (HBO) and “Evil” (Paramount+) also scored multiple series nominations, earning five each.
