NOMINATIONS UNVEILED FOR THE SIXTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS PRESENTED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILMS
ASCENSION AND SUMMER OF SOUL LEAD THE NOMINATIONS
GALA TO HONOR AWARD WINNERS ON NOVEMBER 14, 2021 IN BROOKLYN, NY
Acclaimed Documentarian R.J. Cutler to Receive The Pennebaker Award
Los Angeles, CA (Monday, October 18, 2021) — The Critics Choice Association(CCA) has announced the nominees for the Sixth AnnualCritics Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA). The winners will be revealed at a Gala Event on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at BRIC in Brooklyn, NY.
The Critics Choice Associationwill once again be honoring the year’s finest achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members.
This year, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards proudly has its first Presenting Sponsor, National Geographic Documentary Films.
Catalyst Sponsors for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Showtime Documentary Films.
Features by two first-time documentarians, Ascension and Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) lead this year’s nominations with six each.
Ascension is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Jessica Kingdon for Best Director, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Score.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson for Best Director, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary.
Recognized with five nominations each are Becoming Cousteau and The Rescue.
The nominations for Becoming Cousteau are Best Documentary Feature, Liz Garbus for Best Director, Best Narration, Best Archival Documentary and Best Science/Nature Documentary.
The Rescue is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Score.
“This has been and continues to be a fantastic year for documentary storytelling. And the number of first-time feature documentarians in the mix of nominees, alongside proven veterans, shows that nonfiction cinema continues to have a very bright future,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “Our world, from its most amazing wonders to its greatest challenges, is being reflected back on the screen so immediately and creatively by today’s filmmakers, and it’s a tremendous honor for us to recognize all of their achievements.”
Last year at the Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Dick Johnson is Dead took home the CCA’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson.
My Octopus Teacher took home the awards for Best Science and Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography. The film later received many more accolades and awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In addition to the 14 award categories and one honor listed below, a most prestigious honor – The Pennebaker Award (formerly known as the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) – will be presented to esteemed documentarian R.J. Cutler. This award is named for Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The award will be presented to Cutler by Pennebaker’s producing partner and wife, Chris Hegedus.
R.J. Cutler is the award-winning producer/director whose work includes some of the most acclaimed documentaries of the last thirty years. His most recent film, the Apple Original Film cinema verité documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, is nominated for Best Music Documentary.
The nominees for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films are:
Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry – Attica (Showtime) Jonas Poher Rasmussen – Flee (Neon) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
(Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
Edgar Wright – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Jessica Beshir – Faya Dayi (Janus Films) Rachel Fleit – Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+) Todd Haynes – The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+) Jessica Kingdon – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Kristine Stolakis – Pray Away (Netflix) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
(Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
Edgar Wright – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jessica Beshir – Faya Dayi (Janus Films) Jonathan Griffith, Brett Lowell and Austin Siadak – The Alpinist (Roadside Attractions)
David Katznelson, Ian Seabrook and Picha Srisansanee – The Rescue
The Real Charlie Chaplin (Showtime) The Real Right Stuff (Disney+)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (HBO Documentary Films) Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
Val (Amazon Studios) The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+)
BEST HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Attica (Showtime)
A Crime on the Bayou (Augusta Films/Shout! Studios) Fauci (Magnolia Pictures/National Geographic Documentary Films)
Final Account (Focus Features)
Julia (Sony Pictures Classics)
My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios)
No Ordinary Man (Oscilloscope)
Val (Amazon Studios)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (Apple TV+)
Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James (Showtime)
Listening to Kenny G (HBO Documentary Films)
The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
Tina (HBO Documentary Films)
The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY The Crime of the Century (HBO Documentary Films)
Fauci (National Geographic Documentary Films) The First Wave (National Geographic Documentary Films)
The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (Bleecker Street Media)
Playing with Sharks (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Puff: Wonders of the Reef (Netflix)
The Year Earth Changed (Apple TV+)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
The Alpinist (Roadside Attractions) Changing the Game (Hulu) The Day Sports Stood Still (HBO) Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible (Showtime) LFG (HBO Max/CNN Films)
Anthony Fauci – Fauci (Magnolia Pictures/National Geographic Documentary Films)
Ben Fong-Torres – Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres (StudioLA.TV)
Val Kilmer – Val (Amazon Studios)
Ron and Russell Mael – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
Rita Moreno – Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It (Roadside Attractions)
Valerie Taylor – Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story (Disney+)
About the Critics Choice Awards
The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The Critics Choice Awards ceremony will be held on January 9, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA and will be broadcast live on The CW.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing almost 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
For press inquiries and more information, please contact: Laura Danford Mandel LDM|PR [email protected] 917-848-1460
For tickets and table sales, please contact: David Freedman: [email protected]
Perhaps you saw the Friday afternoon news dump from the scandal-ridden Hollywood Foreign Press Association announcing that it plans to present Golden Globe awards on the very day that we will be presenting the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards at the historic Fairmont Century Plaza. This comes despite the fact that we announced the date of our show back in May – and the fact that we had been presenting our awards on the second Sunday in January for several years running (not counting last year, when COVID pushed everyone back a couple of months).
The purpose of this memo is to reassure every CCA member that our 27th annual Critics Choice Awards show is going to be our biggest and best yet and can only be helped by this hostile announcement from the new leadership of this other group. If it is appropriate, I encourage you to share the gist of this message with your viewers, listeners, readers and followers, the louder the better. Our friends in the industry understand all of the above, but it would be wonderful if the greater public did, too.
I believe this desperate move by the HFPA to try and undercut the Critics Choice Awards and the tremendous support we are receiving from all the major studios, networks and streamers is…really good for us! For years we’ve been trying to draw the comparison between the tainted HFPA and the legitimate Critics Choice Association – which has five times as many members and no stink. Our awards are the considered judgment of almost 500 active critics and entertainment reporters who cover film and television and collectively reach virtually every entertainment consumer in the US and Canada every day. While the CCA proudly lists and displays pictures of all its members on our website, the HFPA has long hidden its tiny membership. Only now is it attempting to come clean after having been very publicly disgraced for its prejudice, its crassness, and it’s highly questionable business practices. So, yes, let’s make those comparisons! In fact, in their desperate search for new legitimate members, some of you have been approached about joining them. From their perspective, that makes sense. After all, CCA members are already vetted and proved to be respected working critics and journalists.
From our perspective, we do feel bad for those HFPA members who are legitimate members of the foreign press and are suffering from the fact that so many companies have chosen to stop working with them. We are even more sympathetic with the many members of the foreign press who have been unwelcome in the HFPA for decades, despite the fact that their collective reach is probably greater than the 80-some odd members of the HFPA who blackballed them when they sought membership. This is why the CCA created its new International Branch, to accredit important and influential members of the foreign entertainment press who had been unable to join HFPA.
And please note that while that other group is entirely about their one big television show (and dispensing the riches it has generated), the CCA has long been a diverse and inclusive organization that is true to our mission all year long – to help audiences find the good stuff, and to help the people who make the good stuff find their audiences. That’s why we are presenting the Critics Choice Documentary Awards on November 14, and why we are hosting the Celebration of Black Cinema & Television on December 6 and the Celebration of Latino Cinema on December 9, as well as our other Critics Choice events.
Onward and upward!
Joey CEO CCA —– Joey Berlin Critics Choice Association 9220 Sunset Blvd. Suite 220 Los Angeles, California 90069 (310) 860-2665 (p)
Acclaimed Documentarian R.J. Cutler to Receive The Pennebaker Award
Sunday, November 14, 2021 in Brooklyn, New York Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films The Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards
Los Angeles, CA (Thursday, September 30) — The Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards gala will take place on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at BRIC in Brooklyn, New York. The Critics Choice Association (CCA) will once again be honoring the finest achievements in documentaries, released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members.
In addition to the 14 award categories and one honor listed below, a most prestigious honor – The Pennebaker Award (formerly known as the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) – will be presented to esteemed documentarian R.J. Cutler. This award is named for Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The award will be presented to Cutler by Pennebaker’s producing partner and wife, Chris Hegedus.
R.J. Cutler is the award-winning producer/director whose work includes some of the most acclaimed documentaries of the last thirty years. His most recent film, the Apple Original Film cinema verité documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, which tells the coming-of-age story of the singer-songwriter and her rise to global superstardom, was released to critical acclaim (96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), recently nominated for four Emmy Awards and is currently eligible for honors in this film awards season. Additional credits include the three-time Critics Choice-nominated BELUSHI, the Oscar-nominated The War Room, the Emmy-nominated A Perfect Candidate, the Sundance Award-winning The September Issue, the Peabody Award-winning Listen to Me Marlon, the Grierson Award-winning Thin, and The World According to Dick Cheney. Cutler has also been a pioneer in the area of non-fiction television, having created such landmark programs as American High (winner of the first Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Television Series), Freshman Diaries, 30 Days, and Dear…, which is currently in production on its second season for AppleTV+. Cutler’s scripted work includes conceiving and directing the Emmy-nominated television series Nashville, directing the People’s Choice Award-winning feature film If I Stay, and creating, writing, directing and producing the Webby Award-winning podcast The Oval Office Tapes. Cutler recently launched This Machine, a production company focused on developing and producing documentary projects for film and television.
Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin states, “Throughout his distinguished career, R.J. Cutler has created category-defining films and television series, and we are honored to have him as our recipient of this prestigious award. With his work as a documentarian beginning as a producer of D A Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ landmark 1993 film, The War Room, that collaboration serves as a link between generations, and R.J. has continued to honor Penny’s pioneering legacy in the arena of observational cinema, from his directorial debut, A Perfect Candidate, and his docuseries American Highthrough to his latest feature, the coming-of-age portrait of teenage global superstar, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry. He also continues to explore other directions in documentary, as with the unique archival films Listen to Me Marlon, which he produced, and last year’s BELUSHI, which he produced and directed.”
He added, “For the sixth year in a row, we look forward to shining the spotlight on the outstanding documentary filmmaking of the year. We continue to highlight the importance and cultural value of documentaries and are thrilled to give the creative filmmakers the recognition and acknowledgment that they deserve.”
Stand-alone and two-part documentaries are eligible for awards consideration. To qualify for consideration, documentaries must have a theatrical or television/streaming premiere between
November 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021.
This year, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards proudly has its first Presenting Sponsor, National Geographic Documentary Films.
Catalyst Sponsors for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Showtime.
At the Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Dick Johnson is Dead took home the CCA’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson.
My Octopus Teacher took home the awards for Best Science and Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography. The film later received many more accolades and awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Award Categories at the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards will include:
• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Director
• Best First Documentary Feature
• Best Cinematography
• Best Narration
• Best Score
• Best Editing
• Best Archival Documentary
• Best Political Documentary
• Best Biographical Documentary
• Best Science and Nature Documentary
• Best Sports Documentary
• Best Music Documentary
• Best Documentary Short
• Most Compelling Living Subject Honor
Nomination committee deliberations began on Friday, September 24, with nominations to be announced on Monday, October 18. Winners will be chosen by qualified members of the Critics Choice Association and announced at the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 14, 2021 at BRIC in Brooklyn.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing almost 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About the Critics Choice Documentary Awards
The sixth annual awards ceremony will take place Sunday, November 14, 2021 in Brooklyn, New York. The Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment.
November 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021: Eligibility Period
October 18, 2021: Nominations Announcement
November 14, 2021: Awards Gala
About the Critics Choice Awards
The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The Critics Choice Awards ceremony will be held on January 9, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA and will be broadcast live on The CW.
Contacts
For consideration, please send password-protected digital screening links or site-wide promo code access for forwarding to nominating committee members, to: David Freedman: [email protected]
To request a complete CCA membership list in order to send digital screener links or DVD screeners, please contact: David Freedman: [email protected]
For tickets and table sales, please contact: David Freedman: [email protected]
For talent and bookings, please contact: Carole Propp, Talent Producer: [email protected]
For press inquiries and media accreditation, please contact: Laura Danford Mandel, Publicist: [email protected], 917-848-1460
For sponsorship, please contact: Gary Mezzatesta: [email protected], 323-804-2359
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL“CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS”
ALEX TREBEK RECEIVES POSTHUMOUSCRITICS CHOICE REAL TV IMPACT AWARD
Netflix Led Networks With Six Wins
Los Angeles (June 21, 2021) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT unveiled today the winners of the third annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which recognize excellencein nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
After a record-breaking near-600 submissions, and a stellar year in reality television, there were three ties among this year’s winner’s pool – “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1) and “The Great British Baking Show” (Netflix) tied for Best Competition Series, “The Masked Singer” (Fox) and “The Voice” (NBC) tied for Best Competition Series: Talent/Variety, and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food Network) and “The Oprah Conversation” (Apple TV+) tied for Best Structured Series. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1) was the only series to take home multiple awards, also winning for Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series.
In the fan voted categories, Phil Rosenthal – “Somebody Feed Phil” (Netflix) was awarded Male Star of the Year, while Sandra Lee – “Dr. Pimple Popper” (TLC) was named Female Star of the Year.
Netflix, which led the networks in nominations, also led in wins, with a total of six.
Alex Trebek was honored posthumously with this year’s Impact Award, which recognizes an outstanding individual for career excellence and the positive impact they have made on the world of nonfiction content. Mr. Trebek and his legacy epitomize what the Impact Award was created to honor. His longstanding commitment to the pursuit of excellence, his continual encouragement of curiosity, and his unfailing charm made Mr. Trebek one of television’s most respected and beloved figures. He was an inspiration to the nonfiction community that selected him for this award, and to the vast audience that welcomed him into their daily lives. Alex’s children Matthew and Emily Trebek accepted the award on his behalf, with a heartfelt speech that can be viewed HERE.
Though this year’s ceremony was not held in person due to the ongoing pandemic, special acceptance videos from the winners can be found linked in each category below. To view/download ALL of the acceptance videos, please click HERE.
For the Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Bob Bain and Joey Berlin served as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen was Executive Producer for NPACT.
The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 when the CCA and NPACT joined forces to create a large-scale awards platform dedicated to giving the robust, ever-evolving unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, and also recognize industry leaders with special awards highlighting career achievements.
The Critics Choice Association monitors all awards submissions and selects the nominees in all competitive categories. NPACT leads the selection of non-competitive discretionary awards. A blue-ribbon nominating committee made up of CCA members with expertise in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming determines the nominees. Winners were chosen by a vote of the TV branch of the CCA membership.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing close to 500 television, radio and online critics. It was organized in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit CriticsChoice.com.
About NPACT
NPACT is the trade association for nonfiction production companies doing business in the U.S. Serving as the voice for the unscripted creative community, NPACT advocates for the advancement of nonfiction production across all genres of unscripted, and provides resources and information to help improve business conditions for its member companies whose programming airs across all linear TV and streaming platforms. For more information visit npact.org.
“RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” LEADS THIRD ANNUAL“CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS” NOMINATIONS WITH FIVE POSSIBLE WINS
ALEX TREBEK TO RECEIVE POSTHUMOUSCRITICS CHOICE REAL TV IMPACT AWARD
Netflix Leads Networks With 22 Nods
Critics Choice Real TV Awards Winners to be Announced on Monday, June 21
Los Angeles (June 2, 2021) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT unveiled today the nominees for the third annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
Alex Trebek will be honored posthumously with this year’s Impact Award, which recognizes an outstanding individual for career excellence and the positive impact they have made on the world of nonfiction content. Mr. Trebek and his legacy epitomize what the Impact Award was created to honor. His longstanding commitment to the pursuit of excellence, his continual encouragement of curiosity, and his unfailing charm made Mr. Trebek one of television’s most respected and beloved figures. He was an inspiration to the nonfiction community that selected him for this award, and to the vast audience that welcomed him into their daily lives.
All Critics Choice Real TV Awards winners will be celebrated via a special press release and announcement on Monday, June 21. Winners in two categories – Female Star of the Year and Male Star of the Year – will be chosen by fan voting, which is now open at criticschoice.com.
After a record-breaking near-600 submissions, and a stellar year in reality television, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1) once again had a very strong showing, racking up nominations for Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series, Female Star of the Year for Michelle Visage, and two for RuPaul himself – Best Show Host and Male Star of the Year. Several other programs received multiple nominations, notably “Queer Eye” (Netflix), “Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy” (CNN), “Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi” (Hulu), and “Top Chef” (Bravo) each earning three. Netflix leads the networks once again with the chance to take home 22 trophies. HBO/HBO Max follows close behind with 14 possible wins.
“As the number of platforms continues to grow, the quality of unscripted television programming has skyrocketed, and we are thrilled to be able to recognize so much great work, especially at the end of a year when this content was needed more than ever,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s winners, and our most deserving Impact Award honoree Alex Trebek, later this month.”
Said NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, “Throughout the unprecedented challenge of the last year, nonfiction content was a touchstone for audiences around the globe. From documentary to reality, competition to game shows, nonfiction provided much-needed connection and entertainment. We are immensely grateful to the family of Alex Trebek for allowing NPACT and the CCA to honor him this year, and to celebrate the positive impact he made on our industry.”
Alex Trebek was an American game show host, best known as the longtime host of the television quiz show “Jeopardy!,” becoming host upon its 1984 revival in syndication.
Trebek began his broadcasting career in news with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), where he covered national news and special events for both radio and television. Prior to “Jeopardy!,” Trebek hosted such game shows as “The Wizard of Odds,” “Double Dare,” “High Rollers,” “Battlestars,” “Classic Concentration,” “The $128,000 Question,” and “To Tell The Truth.” He also frequently appeared as himself in many films and television shows.
Trebek hosted more than 8,000 “Jeopardy!” episodes, setting a Guinness World Record. He received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host seven times, and was presented with the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He and Jeopardy! received the Peabody Award in 2011. Alex Trebek passed away on November 8, 2020.
For the Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Bob Bain and Joey Berlin serve as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen is Executive Producer for NPACT.
The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 when the CCA and NPACT joined forces to create a large-scale awards platform dedicated to giving the robust, ever-evolving unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, and also recognize industry leaders with special awards highlighting career achievements.
The Critics Choice Association monitors all awards submissions and selects the nominees in all competitive categories. NPACT leads the selection of non-competitive discretionary awards. A blue-ribbon nominating committee made up of CCA members with expertise in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming determines the nominees. Winners will be chosen by a vote of the CCA membership.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics. It was organized in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit CriticsChoice.com.
About NPACT
NPACT is the trade association for nonfiction production companies doing business in the U.S. Serving as the voice for the unscripted creative community, NPACT advocates for the advancement of nonfiction production across all genres of unscripted, and provides resources and information to help improve business conditions for its member companies whose programming airs across all linear TV and streaming platforms. For more information visit npact.org.
* * *
NOMINATIONS FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Top Chef (Bravo)
Tough as Nails (CBS)
BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY
American Idol (ABC)
Legendary (HBO Max)
The Masked Singer (Fox)
The Voice (NBC)
World of Dance (NBC)
BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES
Crikey! It’s the Irwins (discovery+)
Deaf U (Netflix)
Lenox Hill (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)
The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)
BEST STRUCTURED SERIES
A World of Calm (HBO Max)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
History of Swear Words (Netflix)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)
BEST BUSINESS SHOW
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)
Shark Tank (ABC)
Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis (CNBC)
Undercover Billionaire (Discovery Channel and discovery+)
Wahl Street (HBO Max)
BEST SPORTS SHOW
30 for 30 (ESPN)
Defying Gravity (YouTube Originals)
Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix)
Peyton’s Places (ESPN+)
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)
Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix)
Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)
The Ripper (Netflix)
The Vow (HBO)
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
American Masters (PBS)
Dear … (Apple TV+)
Frontline (PBS)
POV (PBS)
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth (Showtime)
The Vow (HBO)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV+)
Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix)
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)
Love Fraud (Showtime)
Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)
Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)
BEST SHORT FORM SERIES
First Person (Snapchat)
Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines (MasterClass)
Lady Parts (ellentube)
OWN Your Vote (NowThis and OWN social channels)
Ready Jet Cook (Food Network Kitchen)
BEST LIVE SHOW
A special winner will be announced on June 21.
BEST CULINARY SHOW
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook (Food Network)
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (discovery+)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
Top Chef (Bravo)
BEST GAME SHOW
25 Words or Less (Fox/Syndicated)
Jeopardy! (CBS Television/Syndicated)
Supermarket Sweep (ABC)
Weakest Link (NBC)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW
Men in Kilts (Starz)
Running Wild with Bear Grylls (National Geographic)
Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network)
BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW
Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix)
Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)
That Animal Rescue Show (Paramount+)
The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo WILD)
Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)
BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW
Haute Dog (HBO Max)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Shine True (Fuse)
Skin Decision: Before and After (Netflix)
Stylish with Jenna Lyons (HBO Max)
BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW
90 Day Fiancé (TLC)
Couples Therapy (Showtime)
Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
My Love: Six Stories of True Love (Netflix)
BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW
House Hunters International (HGTV)
Martha Knows Best (HGTV)
Property Brothers: Forever Home (HGTV)
Rock the Block (HGTV)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES
Top Chef (Bravo)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Crikey! It’s The Irwins (discovery+)
The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)
BEST SHOW HOST
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Oprah Winfrey – The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)
Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
MALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
Guy Fieri – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Nicole Byer – Nailed It! (Netflix)
Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)
Michelle Visage – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM
Discovery+
Disney+
HBO Max
Hulu
National Geographic
Netflix
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION
The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)
Jigsaw Productions
Renegade 83
Sharp Entertainment
NOMINEES BY PROGRAM FORTHE THIRD ANNUAL
CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV+) – 1
Best Limited Documentary Series
25 Words or Less (Fox/Syndicated) – 1
Best Game Show
30 for 30 (ESPN) – 1
Best Sports Show
90 Day Fiancé (TLC) – 1
Best Relationship Show
A World of Calm (HBO Max) – 1
Best Structured Series
Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix) – 1
Best Limited Documentary Series
American Idol (ABC) – 1
Best Competition Series: Talent/Variety
American Masters (PBS) – 1
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook (Food Network) – 1
Best Culinary Show
Couples Therapy (Showtime) – 1
Best Relationship Show
Crikey! It’s the Irwins (discovery+) – 2
Best Unstructured Series
Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series
Deaf U (Netflix) – 1
Best Unstructured Series
Dear … (Apple TV+) – 1
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
Defying Gravity (YouTube Originals) – 1
Best Sports Show
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network) – 2
Best Structured Series
Male Star of the Year
Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC) – 1
Female Star of the Year
First Person (Snapchat) – 1
Best Short Form Series
Frontline (PBS) – 1
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) – 1
Female Star of the Year
Haute Dog (HBO Max) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show
History of Swear Words (Netflix) – 1
Best Structured Series
House Hunters International (HGTV) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO) – 2
Best Crime/Justice Show
Best Limited Documentary Series
Indian Matchmaking (Netflix) – 1
Best Relationship Show
Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines (MasterClass) – 1
Best Short Form Series
Jeopardy! (CBS Television/Syndicated) – 1
Best Game Show
Lady Parts (ellentube) – 1
Best Short Form Series
Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix) – 1
Best Sports Show
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) – 1
Best Show Host
Legendary (HBO Max) – 1
Best Competition Series: Talent/Variety
Lenox Hill (Netflix) – 1
Best Unstructured Series
Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix) – 1
Best Animal/Nature Show
Love Fraud (Showtime) – 1
Best Limited Documentary Series
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) – 1
Best Relationship Show
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (discovery+) – 1
Best Culinary Show
Martha Knows Best (HGTV) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show
Men in Kilts (Starz) – 1
Best Travel/Adventure Show
Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix) – 1
Best Crime/Justice Show
Murder on Middle Beach (HBO) – 2
Best Crime/Justice Show
Best Limited Documentary Series
My Love: Six Stories of True Love (Netflix) – 1
Best Relationship Show
Nailed It! (Netflix) – 2
Best Culinary Show
Female Star of the Year
OWN Your Vote (NowThis and OWN social channels) – 1
Best Short Form Series
Peyton’s Places (ESPN+) – 1
Best Sports Show
POV (PBS) – 1
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
Property Brothers: Forever Home (HGTV) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show
Queer Eye (Netflix) – 3
Best Structure Series
Best Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show
Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series
Ready Jet Cook (Food Network Kitchen) – 1
Best Short Form Series
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO) – 1
Best Sports Show
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) – 1
Best Business Show
Rock the Block (HGTV) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show
Running Wild with Bear Grylls (National Geographic) – 1
Best Travel/Adventure Show
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) – 5
Best Competition Series
Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series
Best Show Host
Male Star of the Year
Female Star of the Year
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1) – 1
Best Unstructured Series
Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic) – 2
Best Limited Documentary Series
Best Animal/Nature Show
Selling Sunset (Netflix) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show
Shark Tank (ABC) – 1
Best Business Show
Shine True (Fuse) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show
Skin Decision: Before and After (Netflix) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show
Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) – 2
Best Travel/Adventure Show
Male Star of the Year
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN) – 3
Best Travel/Adventure Show
Best Show Host
Male Star of the Year
Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis (CNBC) – 1
Best Business Show
Stylish with Jenna Lyons (HBO Max) – 1
Best Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show
Supermarket Sweep (ABC) – 1
Best Game Show
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu) – 3
Best Culinary Show
Best Show Host
Female Star of the Year
That Animal Rescue Show (Paramount+) – 1
Best Animal/Nature Show
The Amazing Race (CBS) – 1
Best Competition Series
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth (Showtime) – 1
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) – 1
Male Star of the Year
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix) – 1
Best Competition Series
The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network) – 1
Best Travel/Adventure
The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo WILD) – 1
Best Animal/Nature Show
The Masked Singer (Fox) – 1
Best Competition Series: Talent/Variety
The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+) – 2
Best Structured Series
Best Show Host
The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+) – 2
Best Unstructured Series
Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series
The Ripper (Netflix) – 1
Bets Crime/Justice Show
The Voice (NBC) – 1
Best Competition Series: Talent/Variety
The Vow (HBO) – 2
Best Crime/Justice Show
Best Ongoing Documentary Series
Top Chef (Bravo) – 3
Best Competition Series
Best Culinary Show
Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series
Tough as Nails (CBS) – 1
Best Competition Series
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic) – 1
Best Crime/Justice Show
Undercover Billionaire (Discovery Channel and discovery+) – 1
May 12, 2021 (Burbank, CA) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today that the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards will air LIVE on The CW Network on Sunday, January 9, 2022 from 7-10pm ET (delayed PT). The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. Location and additional details for the January 2022 ceremony will be announced at a later date.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with The CW again and looking forward to gathering in person to celebrate the finest work of this upcoming season,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “The 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards will mark a return to the glamorous, star-studded revelry that make these nights absolutely unforgettable.”
CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most-accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
27TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS TIMELINE:
Monday, October 4, 2021 – Submissions open for CCA TV categories (submissions are not required for film categories)
Monday, November 15, 2021 – Submissions close for CCA TV categories (submissions are not required for film categories)
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – NomComs begin deliberations
Monday, November 29, 2021 – NomComs render official recommendations
Monday, November 29, 2021 – Nominating ballots go out to Film Branch members
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 – Critics Choice Awards TV nominations announced
Friday, December 3, 2021 – Midnight (PT) deadline for final Film ballots
Monday, December 6, 2021 – 9 a.m. PT Film nominations announced
Thursday, January 6, 2022 – Final CCA ballots emailed to all members
Friday, January 7, 2022 – 9 p.m. (PT) Deadline for returning final ballots
Sunday, January 9, 2022 – 27th annual Critics Choice Awards presented live on The CW
The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig. Follow the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com
About The CW THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK launched in 2006 as America’s fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, broadcasts a six-night, 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday. The CW’s primetime programming is also available to stream for free, without authentication, on the ad-supported cwtv.com and The CW app, now available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers original short-form digital content as well as past seasons of fan-favorite television series. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
“NOMADLAND” AND “THE CROWN” LEAD WINNERS AT THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
EACH EARN FOUR AWARDS AT TAYE DIGGS HOSTED CEREMONY
(Los Angeles, CA – March 7, 2021) – Tonight, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the winners of the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards LIVE on The CW during an in-person/virtual hybrid ceremony hosted for the third time by acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs. The full list of winners can be found below.
“Nomadland” led the winners in the film categories, taking home four awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Chloé Zhao, and Best Cinematography for Joshua James Richards. Zhao is the first Chinese woman to win as either director or writer.
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” followed closely behind, winning three categories including Best Actor for the late Chadwick Boseman, Best Costume Design, and Best Hair and Makeup. Best Actress was awarded to Carey Mulligan for “Promising Young Woman,” which also earned a Best Original Screenplay win for Emerald Fennell. Best Supporting Actor went to Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and Best Supporting Actress to Maria Bakalova for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”
In the series categories, “The Crown” took four categories, the most of the night, winning Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series for Josh O’Connor, Best Actress in a Drama Series for Emma Corrin, and Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Gillian Anderson. In the comedy genre, “Ted Lasso” won all three categories for which it was nominated: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Sudeikis, and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hannah Waddingham. “The Queen’s Gambit” took the prize for Best Limited Series, and its leading lady Anya Taylor-Joy won Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
The race for “Best Comedy Special,” which was dominated entirely by Netflix nominees, resulted in a tie between “Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill” and “Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia.”
As was previously announced, John David Washington presented this year’s SeeHer Award to his “Malcolm & Marie” co-star, Zendaya. The SeeHer Award recognizes a woman who embodies the values set forth by the SeeHer movement, to push boundaries, defy stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape.
After leading the nominations, Netflix also won the most awards of any studio/network with a total of 14. Amazon Studios and Searchlight Pictures each won four.
Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television
achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show was produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig.
Follow the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoice and #CriticsChoiceAwards.
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About The CW
THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, launched in 2006. The CW is a multiplatform network that broadcasts a six-night 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday and streams its ad-supported content, free, without login or authentication on CWTV.com and The CW app which is available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers beloved limited-run series, as well as past seasons of recent fan-favorite television shows. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
Winners of Awards Honoring Nonfiction and Reality Content to be Announced June 21
(February 22, 2021) – LOS ANGELES – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT have today opened submissions for the third annual “Critics Choice Real TV Awards.” Submissions will be accepted through May 14, with nominations announced on June 2. Winners will be announced on June 21; the format of the awards presentation is still to be determined.
Deadline for early submissions (with fee discount): Monday, March 22
Deadline for submissions: Friday, May 14
Nominations announced: Wednesday, June 2
Critics Choice Real TV Awards winners revealed: Monday, June 21
Bob Bain and Joey Berlin will serve as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen is Executive Producer for NPACT.
Said Van Kempen, “Over the past year, producers, networks and streamers across all genres of nonfiction banded together to keep our industry going and audiences engaged and entertained through unprecedented times. Now more than ever, the achievements of our community deserve to be celebrated.”
Added Berlin, “We may not have clarity yet on what our awards show will look like, but what’s crystal clear is how this segment of entertainment not only survived the pandemic, but rose to new heights of prominence and popularity. Reality and nonfiction television provided solace, connection and a pathway to different worlds, delivering vital entertainment when it was needed most.”
The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 when the CCA and NPACT joined forces to create a large-scale awards platform dedicated to giving the robust, ever-evolving unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, and also recognize industry leaders with special awards highlighting career achievements.
Shows are eligible for nomination if at least six (6) episodes premiered between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 to at least 50% of the total potential U.S. television market.
The Critics Choice Association will monitor all awards submissions and select the nominees in all competitive categories. NPACT will lead the selection of non-competitive discretionary awards. A blue-ribbon nominating committee made up of CCA members with expertise in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming will determine the nominees. Winners will be chosen by a vote of the CCA membership.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics. It was organized in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About NPACT
NPACT is the trade association for nonfiction production companies doing business in the U.S. Serving as the voice for the unscripted creative community, NPACT advocates for the advancement of nonfiction production across all genres of unscripted, and provides resources and information to help improve business conditions for its member companies whose programming airs across all linear TV and streaming platforms. For more information visit npact.org.
ZENDAYA TO BE HONORED WITH 5TH ANNUAL SEEHER AWARD AT 26th ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
Taye Diggs Will Host the CeremonyAiring on The CW on Sunday, March 7
(Burbank, CA – February 17, 2021) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today that award-winning actress and activist, and current Critics Choice Award nominee, Zendaya will receive the fifth annual SeeHer Award at the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. The honor will be presented by her “Malcolm & Marie” co-star John David Washington during the live ceremony on Sunday, March 7, 2021 from 7-10pm ET/PT hosted by Taye Diggs.
The SeeHer Award recognizes a woman who embodies the values set forth by the SeeHer movement, to push boundaries, defy stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape. SeeHer is the leading global movement for accurate portrayals of women and girls in media. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer is a collective of leading marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and media content that portrays women and girls as they truly are. Previous award recipients are Kristen Bell, Viola Davis, Claire Foy, and Gal Gadot.
“We are so proud to be a part of the Critics Choice Awards, and celebrating our fifth SeeHer Award,” said Nadine Karp McHugh, President, SeeHer. “We are delighted to be presenting the award to Zendaya, who is such a strong representation of what it means to be a woman in 2021. One of the busiest rising stars in Hollywood – with a generation of Disney Channel fans, Marvel devotees and ‘Euphoria’ evangelists – she is a role model and leading voice of her generation. From being the youngest actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series to using her platform to advocate for Black women in Hollywood, she is showing the next generation that you are never too young to use your voice to make a difference. Inspiring girls everywhere to see themselves in their full potential, Zendaya represents everything SeeHer is.”
Emmy Award-winning actor Zendaya is one of the most prominent and influential names in the entertainment industry today. Born and raised in Oakland, California to two teachers, Zendaya grew up performing, having spent a lot of her time at the local theater where her mother worked. She is currently starring in Netflix’s “Malcolm & Marie,” now available to watch globally, for which she also serves as a producer. Her role as Marie earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Actress this year.
Zendaya launched her career as an actress on the Disney Channel starring in the hit series “Shake It Up” for three seasons and Disney’s “K.C. Undercover” for three seasons, which she also helped produce.
Zendaya moved to the big screen in 2017, when she played the role of MJ in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” followed by its sequel “Spider-Man: Far From Home” that premiered July 2019. She recently starred in the HBO and A24 hit series “Euphoria” for which she won the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
She can next be seen in Warner Bros. highly anticipated movie “Dune” which will be released in October 2021.
Other film projects have included “The Greatest Showman” in which she played trapeze artist Anne Wheeler opposite Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman. The film was released in 2017 and instantly became a cult classic. In 2018 Zendaya played the voice of Meechee, a young yeti in the animated musical film “Smallfoot.”
Zendaya is currently a beauty ambassador for Lancôme, as well as an ambassador for Bulgari and for Valentino.
Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig. The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be an in-person/virtual hybrid, with Diggs and some of the evening’s presenters filming from a stage in Los Angeles, and nominees appearing remotely from various locations around the world.
Follow the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoiceAwards.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About SeeHer Despite strides made in recent years to accurately portray women and girls in media, unconscious bias persists throughout advertising and entertainment. The average age, race, body type, and other aspects of women depicted in media today still represents only a small fraction of the female population. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer is a collective of marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and supporting content that portrays women and girls as they really are. It launched in June 2016 in partnership with The Female Quotient (The FQ) in Washington DC at the United State of Women. To help marketers benchmark success, the group developed Gender Equality Measure® (GEM®), the first research methodology that quantifies gender bias in ads and programming. GEM® shows that content portraying females accurately dramatically increases both purchase intent and brand reputation. In 2017 GEM® won the prestigious ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Award. The methodology quickly became the industry standard, which led to a global rollout in 2018. In 2019, the movement expanded into new verticals: sports (SeeHer In Sports) and music (SeeHer Hear Her). Visit SeeHer.com and follow @SeeHerOfficial on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About The CW THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, launched in 2006. The CW is a multiplatform network that broadcasts a six-night 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday and streams its ad-supported content, free, without login or authentication on CWTV.com and The CW app which is available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers beloved limited-run series, as well as past seasons of recent fan-favorite television shows. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
FILM NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
“MANK” LEADS WITH 12 NOMINATIONS, “MINARI” FOLLOWS WITH 10
Netflix Earns a Total of 72 Nominations Across Film and Series Categories
Taye Diggs Will Host the Ceremony Airing on The CW on Sunday, March 7
(Burbank, CA – February 8, 2021) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the film nominees for the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed LIVE on The CW on Sunday, March 7, 2021 from 7-10pm ET/PT, with acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs returning to host for his third consecutive time. The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be an in-person/virtual hybrid, with Diggs and some of the evening’s presenters filming from a stage in Los Angeles, and nominees appearing remotely from various locations around the world.
This year’s film nominees are led by Netflix’s “Mank,” which earned an impressive 12 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gary Oldman, Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried, Best Director for David Fincher, Best Original Screenplay for Jack Fincher, Best Cinematography for Erik Messerschmidt, Best Production Design for Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale, Best Editing for Kirk Baxter, Best Costume Design for Trish Summerville, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, and Best Score for Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. “Minari” (A24) followed closely behind with 10 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Steven Yeun, Best Supporting Actress for Yuh-Jung Youn, Best Young Actor/Actress for Alan Kim, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director for Lee Isaac Chung, Best Original Screenplay for Lee Isaac Chung, Best Cinematography for Lachlan Milne, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Score for Emile Mosseri.
With her nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Father,” Olivia Colman becomes the only artist recognized for their work in both film and television this season, having previously been announced as a nominee for her leading role in “The Crown” (Netflix). Chadwick Boseman also received multiple nominations for his outstanding performances in both “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix) and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix), and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross have two chances to win in the Best Score category with their nominations for “Mank” (Netflix) and “Soul” (Disney).
In the studio/network tally, Netflix leads both film and television nominations with a total of 72 possible wins. HBO/HBO Max carries over their 24 series nominations, and Amazon Studios expands its total to 18 with today’s film additions.
“What a year it has been for film! We are honored to have the opportunity to recognize the tireless work of so many who overcame unprecedented obstacles to deliver these beautiful, challenging, nuanced pieces of art to our screens,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “The stories told by this year’s nominees will continue to resonate and we congratulate each and every one of them for their extraordinary accomplishments.”
As previously announced, two Netflix series lead the series nominations, with “Ozark” and “The Crown” each up for six awards including Best Drama Series. “Ozark” stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney will vie for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series respectively, while Tom Pelphrey, Julia Garner, and Janet McTeer are all nominated for their supporting roles. “The Crown” also saw many of its royal players recognized. Josh O’Connor is nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series, while Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin find themselves together in the Best Actress in a Drama Series category. Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson received recognition for their supporting roles.
Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig.
Follow the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoiceAwards.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About The CW THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, launched in 2006. The CW is a multiplatform network that broadcasts a six-night 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday and streams its ad-supported content, free, without login or authentication on CWTV.com and The CW app which is available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers beloved limited-run series, as well as past seasons of recent fan-favorite television shows. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
