Winners to be Announced at Gala Ceremony June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza

The Fourth Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards will recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

The annual event returns to an in-person ceremony and gala this year, taking place on June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Bob Bain and Joey Berlin will serve as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen also executive produces the show. 

Hosts are The Sklar Brothers (Randy and Jason Sklar), St Louis natives, are actors, comedians and television and podcast hosts. The brothers notably hosted and produced History Channel’s “United Stats of America” and created and starred in the ESPN cult hit series “Cheap Seats,” besides being guest hosts on “Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle.” The Sklars can next be seen on “The Nose Bleeds,” a hilarious deep dive into UFC’s history that will launch this summer on UFC’s Fight Pass streaming service.

Presenters include Alan Tudyk, Amir Mathis, Carrie Ann Inaba, Chris Hardwick, Chrishell Stause, Chelsea Lazkani, Christine Chiu, Dashaun Wesley, Derek Hough, Garcelle Beauvais, Judge Mathis, Kandi Burruss, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Kreider, Linda Reese Mathis, Michelle Visage, Padma Lakshmi, Rob Riggle, Tracy Tutor, Tyler Henry, and many more special guests.

The Critics Choice Association and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT unveiled the nominees on May 14 for the fourth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

The annual event returns to an in-person ceremony and gala this year, taking place on June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

“Top Chef” leads this year’s nominations, earning nods in five categories including Best Competition Series, Best Culinary Show, and Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, with Padma Lakshmi earning nominations for Best Show Host and Female Star of the Year. Netflix leads the networks, having projects recognized in 20 categories.

“Given its ongoing popularity across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other platforms, it’s clear that unscripted programming is deserving of special recognition by the Critics Choice Association,” said Ed Martin, President of the Critics Choice Association’s TV Branch. “The exciting programs and diverse personalities selected by our five nominating committees represent the best that this multi-faceted genre has to offer. The fourth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards ceremony promises to be our most exciting yet.”

The Sklar Brothers

Said NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, “The amazing depth and quality of unscripted programming is evident in this year’s nominees, and we’re especially excited to be able to pay tribute to them and the entire unscripted community at an in-person gala, after two virtual years. It’s truly an honor to collaborate with the Critics Choice Association to celebrate the excellence and innovation of nonfiction content

The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 as a large-scale awards platform to give the robust (and still growing) unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across 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. Blue-ribbon nominating committees made up of CCA members with expertise in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming determine the nominees. Winners will be chosen by a vote of the CCA membership. NPACT leads the selection of non-competitive discretionary awards and awards for platforms and production companies.

About NPACT

NPACT is the trade association for nonfiction production companies doing business in the U.S. Its members are comprised of production companies of all sizes, as well as allied services companies. NPACT serves as the voice for the nonfiction creative community, providing a forum for producers as they navigate changes in media and tackle business issues. For more information visit NPACT.org.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS

BEST COMPETITION SERIES

Chopped (Food Network)
Making It (NBC)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)

BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Finding Magic Mike (HBO Max)
Legendary (HBO Max)
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime Video)
Next Level Chef (Fox)
The Voice (NBC)

BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES

Couples Therapy (Showtime)
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)
The Kardashians (Hulu)
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
We’re Here (HBO)

BEST STRUCTURED SERIES

Catfish: The TV Show (MTV)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic)
How To with John Wilson (HBO)
Sketchbook (Disney+)

Is it Cake? S1. Mikey Day in episode 5 of Is it Cake? S1. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

BEST CULINARY SHOW

Cooking with Paris (Netflix)
Crime Scene Kitchen (Fox)
Is It Cake? (Netflix)
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Top Chef (Bravo)

BEST GAME SHOW

Family Game Fight! (NBC)
Holey Moley (ABC)
Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Supermarket Sweep (ABC)
The Price Is Right (CBS)
Weakest Link (NBC)

BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW

Alone (History)
Family Dinner (Magnolia)
Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (Netflix)

BEST BUSINESS SHOW

American Greed (CNBC)
Bar Rescue (Paramount+)
Million Dollar Wheels (Discovery+) 
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)
Shark Tank (ABC)
Undercover Boss (CBS)

Crikey! It’s the Irwins

BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW

Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Discovery)
Critter Fixers: Country Vets (National Geographic)
Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America)
Growing Up Animal (Disney+)
Penguin Town (Netflix)
The Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)

BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW

911 Crisis Center (Oxygen)
Cold Justice (Oxygen)
Heist (Netflix)
Rich & Shameless (TNT)
Secrets of Playboy (A&E)
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)

BEST SPORTS SHOW

30 for 30 (ESPN)
Bad Sport (Netflix)
Cheer (Netflix)
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (CMT)
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (Prime Video)

Fixer Upper: Welcome Home

BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW

90 Day Fiancé (TLC)
La Máscara del Amor (Estrella TV)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
My Mom, Your Dad (HBO Max)
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Netflix)

BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW

Celebrity IOU (HGTV)
Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia)
Houses with History (HGTV)
Married to Real Estate (HGTV)
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo)
Rock the Block (HGTV)

BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW

Glow Up (Netflix)
Love, Kam (SurvivorNetTV)
Making the Cut (Prime Video)
My Unorthodox Life (Netflix)
Project Runway (Bravo)
The Hype (HBO Max)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

Abraham Lincoln (History)
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (Netflix)
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix)
Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo (Netflix)
Theodore Roosevelt (History)
We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
The Voice (NBC)
Top Chef (Bravo)

Trevor Noah

BEST SHOW HOST

Mayim Bialik – Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker and Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – Desus & Mero (Showtime)
Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Jeff Goldblum – The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)
Robert Irvine – Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central
Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)

FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated); The Voice (NBC); American Song Contest (NBC)
Joanna Gaines – Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia); Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia)
Selena Gomez – Selena + Chef (HBO Max)
Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo)
Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM

Discovery+
HBO Max
Hulu
Netflix
TLC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION

Bunim/Murray Productions
The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)
Kinetic Content
Raw TV
Sharp Entertainment
World of Wonder

Jeff Goldblum

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the winners of the 2nd annual Critics Choice Super Awards, honoring the most popular, fan-obsessed genres across both movies and television, including Superhero, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Horror, and Action.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” led the film winners this year, garnering three awards overall. The film was awarded Best Superhero Movie, while Andrew Garfield took the prize for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie, and Willem Dafoe won Best Villain in a Movie.

“Squid Game” and “WandaVision” tied for most series wins, earning three awards each. “Squid Game” swept the Action Series categories, with Lee Jung-jae winning Best Actor in an Action Series, HoYeon Jung winning Best Actress in an Action Series, and the show taking home the Best Action Series award. “WandaVision” was named Best Superhero Series, and Elizabeth Olsen was awarded Best Actress in a Superhero Series, while her co-star Kathryn Hahn won Best Villain in a Series.

“This year’s slate of Critics Choice Super Awards nominees and winners represents the absolute best in genre storytelling,” said Sean O’Connell, Critics Choice Super Awards Branch President. “It’s an honor to showcase these incredible accomplishments in Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comic Book films and television. The Super Awards will proudly continue to shine a brighter light on the talented people telling stories in these fields.”

Note: PopLifeSTL.com’s Lynn Venhaus votes for these awards as a CCA member.

FILM WINNERS FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

BEST ACTION MOVIE

No Time to Die (United Artists)

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Daniel Craig – No Time to Die (United Artists)

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Jodie Comer – The Last Duel (Disney)

BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE

Andrew Garfield – Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE

Florence Pugh – Black Widow (Disney)

BEST HORROR MOVIE

A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount)

BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR MOVIE

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Candyman (Universal)

BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR MOVIE

Agathe Rousselle – Titane (NEON)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Dune (Warner Bros.)

BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Dev Patel – The Green Knight (A24)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Rebecca Ferguson – Dune (Warner Bros.)

BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE

Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony)

SERIES WINNERS FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

BEST ACTION SERIES

Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION SERIES

Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION SERIES

HoYeon Jung – Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST SUPERHERO SERIES

WandaVision (Disney+)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO SERIES

Tom Hiddleston – Loki (Disney+)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO SERIES

Elizabeth Olsen – WandaVision (Disney+)

BEST HORROR SERIES

Yellowjackets (Showtime)

BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR SERIES

Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass (Netflix)

BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR SERIES

Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Station Eleven (HBO Max)

BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Daveed Diggs – Snowpiercer (TNT)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Mackenzie Davis – Station Eleven (HBO Max)

BEST VILLAIN IN A SERIES

Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision (Disney+)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8ez5iodnwqwen7n/AADvvgNu3KVSdLS1DKmChE-6a?dl=0

Access TV Series Winner Graphics Here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xxcj9un7gmfox4v/AAClnWUKtmSGW7_3_IIx0-KCa?dl=0

Watch Acceptance Speeches Here:

Best Superhero Movie – Spider-Man: No Way Home:

Best Horror Movie – A Quiet Place Part II:

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Candyman:

Best Action Series – Squid Game:

Best Actor in an Action Series – Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game:

Best Actress in an Action Series – HoYeon Jung – Squid Game:

Best Horror Series – Yellowjackets:

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass:

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets:

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Station Eleven:

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Daveed Diggs – Snowpiercer:

Best Villain in a Series – Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision:

Follow the Critics Choice Super 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 525 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: CriticsChoice.com.

By Lynn Venhaus
On Sunday night, the Critics Choice Awards will air beginning at 6 p.m. CST on the CW (ch. 11 in STL). I promise you, it will be way better than the Golden Globes.

For one, I vote as a member of Critics Choice Association (formerly Broadcast Film Critics Association). Hehehehe. I am one of 400+ members. Secondly, we have a diverse membership and our nominations reflect that, unlike the 87 at HFPA.

As far as the show goes, this is what our leadership reports:

We will have virtually all our nominated performers participating virtually in our show on Sunday night. Our lineup of Presenters includes Kevin Bacon, Angela Bassett, Mayim Bialik, Phoebe Dynevor, Morgan Freeman, Gal Gadot, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Hemsworth, Jameela Jamil, Eva Longoria, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jared Padalecki, Kyra Sedgwick, Yara Shahidi, Courtney B. Vance, John David Washington, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

But once the Critics Choice winner is announced and all the nominees have reacted, we will focus full-screen on the live acceptance speech, without awkwardly returning to the other nominees. And we will offer generous clips showcasing our nominated performances, a treat for audiences who may be inspired to discover movies and series they want to catch up on.

Hosted for the third year in a row by Taye Diggs and with our special See Her Award going to Zendaya, we hope and expect that our 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be our best ever. And as the world starts to return to normal in the coming months, we will continue to shine our light on the best the creative community has to offer at our Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and Critics Choice Super Awards.

Me and Seth Meyers at 2020 Awards

Last month, we brought our 3rd annual Celebration of Black Cinema to a national audience for the first time, reinforcing our commitment to championing the broadest spectrum of popular entertainment. If it’s as fun as it was last year, I will be very proud and happy! (I attended the ceremony in Santa Monica last January 2020).

It was really hard to pick winners this year — so many good nominees.

Enjoy, movie lovers!

(And if you want to read/listen to my reviews, I am in the Webster-Kirkwood Times; KTRS Radio (segment with Ray Hartmann on Sound Cloud — just go to station website, under Shows, click St Louis in the Know, and the list of audio clips is right there; Reel Times Trio podcast (all posted on Facebook page); and my website, www.PopLifeSTL.com, which is a work in progress, but content is growing.)

Me and Awkwafina at 2020 Awards

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced 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. 

Digital assets and artwork can be found HERE

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.  

 The Critics Choice Association has announced the additional honorees and presenters that will join, virtually, the third annual Celebration of Black Cinema on Tuesday, February 2, 2021.  The ceremony will be hosted by author and media personality Bevy Smith

Following its invitation-only digital premiere, the event will be shared with the public on KTLA and offered to all Nexstar Media Group television stations.  KTLA will air the 90-minute Celebration of Black Cinema special in Los Angeles on Saturday night, February 6th.   

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) will receive the Performance of the Year Award for his magnetic and heartbreaking portrayal of Levee, an ambitious musician struggling to earn the recognition he deserves in a world, and a recording studio, built against him.  

A special donation in Chadwick Boseman’s name will be designated to provide scholarships to students participating in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold Program.  The Academy Gold Program is an industry talent development, diversity and inclusion initiative to provide individuals, with a focus on underrepresented communities, access and resources to achieve their career pathways in filmmaking.   

Zendaya & John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie) will receive the NextGen Award for their work on the highly anticipated Malcolm & Marie, which was filmed safely amid the pandemic and became one of the most sought-after projects of the season.  Washington and Zendaya portray a filmmaker and his girlfriend returning home from his movie premiere and awaiting the critical response. 

Shaka King (Judas and the Black Messiah) will receive the Director Award for his visionary telling of the story of American civil rights leader Chairman Fred Hampton, iconic leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party who was ultimately killed in 1969. 

Tommie Smith (With Drawn Arms) will receive the Social Justice Award.  An iconic athlete and activist, in With Drawn Arms, Smith reflects on his iconic fist-thrust silent protest on the medal stand during the nation anthem at the 1968 Summer Olympics, a moment that helped define the civil rights movement. 

The Celebration of Black Cinema honorees will be fêted by a prestigious group of presenters who will celebrate their work and their ongoing commitment to telling Black stories on film, including Nnamdi Asomugha, Lee Daniels, Michael Ealy, Dominique Fishback, Taraji P. Henson, Daniel Kaluuya, Jonathan Majors, Kemp Powers, Aaron Sorkin, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Williams, and George C. Wolfe

As previously announced, the event will recognize Delroy Lindo (Career Achievement Award), John Legend & Mike Jackson (the Producers Award), Tessa Thompson (the Actor Award), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the Breakthrough Award), Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli GoreeAldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom, Jr. (the Ensemble Award),and Andra Day (Special Honoree Award). 

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