December is here, and the awards race is off and running. This week saw a flurry of awards season announcements, beginning with the Gotham Awards, the New York Film Critics Circle winners, the Independent Spirit Awards nominations, and the Atlanta Film Critics Circle winners. We also got award winners from the National Board of Review, including their Top Ten Films of the Year, along with AFI’s Top Ten list. Now, the Critics’ Choice Award nominations are joining the mix to show us where the season is truly headed. Because CCA has more nomination slots than most other awards bodies, there aren’t often as many missing contenders to discuss, but surprises still abound.
“SINNERS” LEADS WITH 17 NOMINATIONS
“One Battle After Another” may be steamrolling through awards season already, but “Sinners” took the lead among the Critics’ Choice nominations. Ryan Coogler’s film scored nominations in every single craft category, along with Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Young Actor for Miles Caton. The only two possible nominations “Sinners” missed were a second song nomination for “Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” and Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo. Either of these would’ve propelled “Sinners” to tie “Barbie’s” record-setting 18 nominations just two years ago. It’s a strong haul for a film that was once the presumed Best Picture frontrunner before “One Battle After Another” came along. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film was the second-most nominated this year, with 14 nominations. All in all, it was a good day for Warner Bros., despite other news for the major Hollywood movie studio earlier that day…
The other top contenders stuck around as well, with Focus Features’ “Hamnet” and Netflix’s “Frankenstein” at 11 nominations, A24’s “Marty Supreme” at eight nominations, and NEON’s “Sentimental Value” at seven nominations.
JAFAR PANAHI MISSES DIRECTOR, SCREENPLAY
By all accounts, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” has been surging in recent weeks, with many believing Panahi could score a Best Director nomination, and perhaps leapfrog “Sentimental Value” to win Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay. And yet, CCA nominated the film in only one category: Best Foreign Language Film. No Best Picture, Director, or Original Screenplay nominations. It’s a strange shutout for the film in an organization that would typically award it with such a strong narrative. Even so, “Sentimental Value” did not receive a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, thanks to a reported bizarre rule change in which non-English language films nominated for Best Picture are no longer eligible in Best Foreign Language Film. This would presumably make “It Was Just an Accident” the CCA frontrunner in that category, giving it a solid boost at the televised awards on its way towards an Oscar victory. Unless CCA voters feel they have another choice with Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.”
NO CYNTHIA ERIVO, GEORGE CLOONEY, OR JESSE PLEMONS
Despite leading their films to Best Picture nominations, Cynthia Erivo, George Clooney, and Jesse Plemons all missed CCA nominations in their respective lead categories. The middling critical reception for “Wicked: For Good” clearly impacted a crowded Best Actress category. While the musical is still holding on to a Best Picture nomination for dear life, its glow is fading as we inch closer to the Oscar nominations.
“Bugonia,” on the other hand, which was underestimated earlier in the season, has held its own with some strength in recent weeks. It scored CCA nominations for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress for Emma Stone, but Jesse Plemons was left out. It’s a good early start for the film, though it’s presumably in last place in each of its three categories.
Adam Sandler received his third Critics’ Choice Award nomination for “Jay Kelly,” surpassing Jay Kelly himself, George Clooney, who missed in Best Actor. In addition to Sandler’s Best Supporting Actor nomination, the film scored nominations for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Casting, and Ensemble, though it notably missed Best Original Score for Nicholas Britell’s bouncy, classical work.
SURPRISES AMONG THE CRAFTS
Typically, the Critics’ Choice Awards focus their craft nominations on surefire Oscar contenders, rarely avoiding obvious, even if deserving, picks. This year, after utilizing shortlists for many of the craft categories, a few neat surprises made their way into the nominations. Netflix’s “The Perfect Neighbor“ already won Best Feature at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, and is widely predicted to win the Oscar as well. To most people’s surprise, the film received a Best Editing nomination, becoming the first documentary nominated in the category. It’s an inspired pick, to be sure. Elsewhere, Spain’s selection for Best International Feature Film, “Sirāt,” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and also scored a Best Sound nomination, recognizing the power of those intense raves and explosions in the film.
While not quite a surprise, other, less obvious contenders also found their way into the crafts. “Warfare,“ an early 2025 release, made it into the Best Sound and Stunts categories. “Kiss of the Spider Woman“ stuck around in Best Costume Design. “28 Years Later“ landed in Best Makeup & Hairstyling. And “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“ secured a Production Design nomination.
“AVATAR: FIRE & ASH’S” FIRE SIZZLES
“Avatar” received nine nominations back in 2009, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” received six nominations in 2022, with both scoring Best Picture and Director nominations. The tide has turned for the franchise at the Critics’ Choice Awards this year, with “Avatar: Fire & Ash” receiving only a single nomination: Best Visual Effects. The film still landed on both NBR and AFI’s Top Ten lists earlier this week, which is nothing to scoff at, but missing almost entirely from the first televised awards of the season isn’t a strong start. It’s well known that screenings for the film took place a few days after ballots went out, and the only way to vote for the film was by write-in vote, so perhaps that chipped away at the votes it would’ve received. Either way, it’s presumably winning Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, but all other nominations for Best Picture, Production Design, and Sound are now a huge question mark.
“TRAIN DREAMS” BUILDS STEAM
Earlier in the season, “Train Dreams” seemed like it would get lost in the shuffle amidst bigger Netflix priorities, but the independent film from “Sing Sing” filmmakers Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar just keeps on chugging (forgive me). It received a respectable five nominations: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actor (Joel Edgerton), Cinematography, and Song, for Bryce Dessner and Nick Cave’s “Train Dreams.” It’s been a bubble contender for Best Picture in most people’s early predictions, but it’s made it to both NBR and AFI’s Top Ten lists, while also winning Best Adapted Screenplay from NBR. Now, with these CCA nominations, it’s finally time to stop doubting “Train Dreams.”
“THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE” STILL HUNGERS AND THIRSTS
One of the latest contenders of the season seems to be struggling to break into more well-established packs. Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee” has had a tough week, missing out on both NBR and AFI’s Top Ten lists. Amanda Seyfried did receive a CCA nomination for Best Actress, and Daniel Blumberg’s “Clothed By The Sun“ scored a Best Original Song nomination, but that’s it. No Costumes, Cinematography, Score, or, notably, Best Picture nominations to be found. While Seyfried seems to have a secure place even among a crowded Best Actress year, the film’s Best Picture chances seem to be slipping away. All is not lost, however, as “The Testament of Ann Lee“ is likely to score a Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nomination at the Golden Globes on Monday, which will hopefully give the independent film the boost it needs to have Searchlight Pictures in the Best Picture race.
NO SUPPORTING NOMINATIONS FOR “MARTY SUPREME”
While Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme“ performed quite well, receiving eight nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet, there was one notable miss from the film. Despite a large cast, no supporting performers were nominated. Both Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion have been discussed as potential nominees for their roles, but neither appeared today, despite six slots being available. Could this clarify the Best Supporting Actress race a bit? There are already plenty of contenders to fill the category, so this may have made things easier, especially if they repeat these misses at the Golden Globes this Monday. In a film like “Marty Supreme“ that is so focused on its lead performance, perhaps that’s the only acting nomination it’ll eventually get.
The glow of the Critics’ Choice nominations will be short-lived as the Golden Globe nominations are just days away (you can check out our predictions here). Nevertheless, the televised awards will have a significant impact on this race with SAG and BAFTA still to come. We’re just getting started.
What were the biggest misses you noticed from the Critics’ Choice nominations? Do you think anything can unseat “One Battle After Another?” Please let us know your thoughts on our X account. Click here for more upcoming awards season dates, here for the most recent tally of awards season winners, and here for our current Oscar predictions.
