Nominees for Critics Choice Awards Announced

The 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards nominations have been announced, and as you probably know, they usually give some indication of what might be on Oscar's mind shortly thereafter. George Miller’s sequel to the wildly popular Road Warrior series, Mad Max: Fury Road, received a whopping 13 nominations including one for Best Picture, Best Director and bad-to-the-bone Charlize Theron was honored for her performance. Also on top of the heap, numbers-wise were Todd Haynes’ Carol, Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant with nine nods each.

Mad Max: Fury Road has been enjoying a most triumphant season so far among critic groups. A big reason for its success with the Critics’ Choice Awards is because they also have categories that recognize the best films and performances in particular genres, such as Best Action Film, Best Comedy Film and Best Sci-Fi/Horror Film.

George Miller/ Photo: EPA

The members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association vote for The Critics’ Choice Awards. It is the largest film critic organization in the United States consisting of some 300 television, radio and online journalists. The winners will be announced three days after Oscar nominations are announced on January 17, 2016 in a ceremony hosted by T.J. Miller. If you are dying to attend the show and the afterparty, visit VIP Concierge. They still have some great seats available. Check out this partial list of film nominations.

Todd Haynes/ Photo: EPA

For Best Picture, the nominees are The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Sicario and Spotlight.

Best Director nominations went to Todd Haynes for Carol, Alejandro González Iñárritu for The Revenant, Tom McCarthy for Spotlight, George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road, Ridley Scott for The Martian, and Steven Spielberg for Bridge of Spies.

Ridley Scott/ Photo: EPA

The Best Actor honors were bestowed on to Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, Matt Damon for The Martian, Johnny Depp for Black Mass, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, and Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl.

The nominees for Best Actress include Cate Blanchett for Carol, Brie Larson for Room, Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years, Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn and Charlize Theron for Mad Max: Fury Road.

Bryan Cranston/ Photo: EPA

Best Supporting Actor nominations went to Paul Dano for Love & Mercy, Tom Hardy for The Revenant, Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies, Michael Shannon for 99 Homes and Sylvester Stallone for Creed.

The Supporting Actress honors were given to Jennifer Jason Leigh for The Hateful Eight, Rooney Mara for Carol, Rachel McAdams for Spotlight, Helen Mirren for Trumbo, Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs.

Matt Damon/ Photo: EPA

Anomalisa, The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out, The Peanuts Movie and Shaun the Sheep Movie received nominations for Best Animation.

For Documentary Feature, the nominations consist of Amy, Cartel Land, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, He Named Me Malala, The Look of Silence and Where to Invade Next.

The Assassin, Goodnight Mommy, Mustang, The Second Mother and Son of Saul received nominations for Best Foreign Picture.

The Best Action Picture nominees are Furious 7, Jurassic World, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Sicario.

The Best Actor in an Action Movie nominees are Daniel Craig for Spectre, Tom Cruise for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Tom Hardy for Mad Max: Fury Road, Chris Pratt for Jurassic World and Paul Rudd for Ant-Man.

Johnny Depp / Photo: EPA

Nominees for Best Actress in an Action Movie include Emily Blunt for Sicario, Rebecca Ferguson for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Bryce Dallas Howard for Jurassic World, Jennifer Lawrence for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and Charlize Theron for Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Big Short, Inside Out, Joy, Sisters, Spy and Trainwreck are the nominees for Best Comedy.

Leonardo DiCaprio/ Photo: EPA

Best Actor in a Comedy nominations were given to Christian Bale for The Big Short, Steve Carell for The Big Short, Robert De Niro for The Intern, Bill Hader for Trainwreck and Jason Statham for Spy.

Tina Fey for Sisters, Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, Melissa McCarthy for Spy, Amy Schumer for Trainwreck and Lily Tomlin for Grandma are the nominees for Best Actress in a Comedy.

Ex Machina, It Follows, Jurassic World, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Martian got nods for Best Sci/Fi Picture.

Michael Fassbender/ Photo: EPA

The Best Young Actor/Actress nominees are Abraham Attah for Beasts of No Nation, R.J. Cyler for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Shameik Moore for Dope, Milo Parker for Mr. Holmes and Jacob Tremblay for Room.