Surprise decisions as winners at Critics’ Choice Awards revealed
Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood has been named best picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards, while British star Phoebe Waller-Bridge continued her awards season clean-up with wins for Fleabag.
Seen by many as a reliable indicator ahead of the Oscars, the Critics’ Choice ceremony recognises the best in TV and film each year.
In a surprise decision in the best director category, filmmakers Sir Sam Mendes and Bong Joon-ho shared the prize for war epic 1917 and South Korean dark comedy Parasite respectively.
Broadcast Film Critics Association voters were unable to split them – similar to their decision in the best actress category last year when Lady Gaga and Glenn Close both took home a gong.
Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger, who both won Golden Globes earlier this month, took home the awards for best actor and best actress – Phoenix for origin story Joker and Zellweger for her portrayal of Judy Garland in biopic Judy.
Also continuing a winning streak were Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, and Laura Dern for Marriage Story, who both won in the supporting categories.
With less than a month to go until the Oscars and the nominations to be announced later on Monday, the wins give a boost to all the contenders.
In other categories, The Irishman stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino appeared on stage together to accept the best acting ensemble award, while Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino picked up best screenplay.
Eddie Murphy’s Dolemite Is My Name was named best comedy film, and the star was also recognised with a lifetime achievement award.
The prize for best foreign language film was awarded to Parasite – which is hotly tipped as a possible Oscar contender for best picture – while Avengers: Endgame won best action film.
Critics’ Choice: The full list of main winners
After Emmyand Golden Globe wins, Waller-Bridge was named best actress in a comedy series for the second series of Fleabag, and described working on the show as “the best experience I’ll probably ever have”.
The show was also named best comedy series, while Waller-Bridge’s co-star Andrew Scott – who plays the “hot priest” – won best supporting actor in a comedy series.
Best drama was won by Succession while best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for TV went to Chernobyl’s Stellan Skarsgard – again, echoing wins at the Globes.
Netflix’s When They See Us was named best limited series, with show creator Ava DuVernay thanking the streaming giant for letting “a black woman do her thing”.
Bill Hader was named best actor in a comedy series for Barry, while Jharrel Jerome took home the award for best actor in a limited series or movie made for television for When They See Us.
Regina King was named best actress in a drama series for Watchmen, winning ahead of British stars Olivia Colman (The Crown) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve).
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In the male category, Succession’s Jeremy Strong beat Game Of Thrones’s Kit Harington and The Crown’s Tobias Menzies.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was named best movie made for TV.
The event, which was hosted by actor Taye Diggs, is one of the final major awards shows before the Oscars.
