Critics Choice Awards: Bong Joon-Ho, Sam Mendes tied for Best Director; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wins Best Picture

TV and film actor Taye Diggs returned to host the 25th annual Critics Choice Awards. Winners were from projects released theatrically as well as on OTT platforms. These included  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Irishman, Marriage Story, 1917,  Watchmen and Succession. Eddie Murphy was honoured with a lifetime achievement award, while Kristen Bell accepted the #SeeHer award for “push boundaries on changing stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. In her speech, the actress, who has voiced Anna in Frozen and Frozen 2 said, “My immediate reaction is always to answer with words like ‘strong’ and ‘brave’ and ‘powerful,’ but if I’m being honest, to me, being a woman is not about being brave or being strong or being powerful. It’s not about being anything specific. It’s just about giving yourself permission to be the things that you already are, which seems very easy, but it is not. Because women have been conditioned to fit into boxes; usually tiny, pretty, sparkly boxes with bows on the them.” There was a tie between Sam Mendes (1917) and Bong Joon-Ho ( Parasite) for Best Director. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor ( Joker) and Renee Zellweger was announced as Best Actress ( Judy). In the TV category, the winners were Regina King (Watchmen), Bill Hader (Barry), Jharrel Jerome ( When They See Us) and Michelle Williams ( Fosse/Verdon). Here is the full list of winners Film Best Picture - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) Best Actress - Renee Zellweger (Judy)  Best Supporting Actor - Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) Best Supporting Actress - Laura Dern (Marriage Story) Best Young Actor/ Actress - Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) Best Acting Ensemble - The Irishman Best Director - Sam Mendes (1917) and Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite) Best Original Screenplay - Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) Best Adapted Screenplay - Greta Gerwig (Little Women) Best Cinematography - Roger Deakins (1917) Best Production Design - Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) Best Editing - Lee Smith (1917) Best Costume Design - Ruth E Carter (Dolemite is My Name) Best Hair and Makeup - Bombshell Best Visual Effects - Avengers: Endgame Best Animated Feature - Toy Story 4 Best Comedy - Dolemite is My Name Best Sci-Fi or Horror Movie - Us Best Foreign Language Film - Parasite Best Song - ‘Glasgow (No Place Like Home)’ from Wild Rose and ’(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ from Rocketman Best Score - Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker)   Television Best Drama Series - Succession Best Actor in a Drama Series - Jeremy Strong (Succession) Best Actress in a Drama Series - Regina King (Watchmen) Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Jean Smart (Watchmen) Best Comedy Series - Fleabag Best Actor in a Comedy Series - Bill Hader (Barry) Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Andrew Scott (Fleabag) Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Best Limited Series - When They See Us Best Movie Made for Television - El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television - Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us) Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television - Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television - Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl) Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television - Toni Collette (Unbelievable) Best Animated Series - BoJack Horseman Best Talk Show - The Late Late Show with James Corden and Late Night with Seth Meyers Best Comedy Special - Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons