2025 Critics Choice Awards winners: Conclave and Ralph Fiennes gather momentum as the film nabs Best Ensemble
The 2025 Critics Choice Awards got off to a strong start on Friday when Conclave earned the first award of the evening for Best Ensemble.
The film’s star, Ralph Fiennes, accepted the award for the film, which depicts the secretive and suspenseful selection of a new pope.
‘We all enjoyed being in our red skirts together,’ Fiennes joked while representing his costars, including Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow.
The win has helped cement the late-breaking Oscars momentum for Fiennes and Conclave.
The Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler, are finally taking place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, after twice being delayed due to the devastating LA fires.
The show was first slated to take place on Sunday, January 12, before being pushed to Sunday, January 26.
The 2025 Critics Choice Awards got off to a strong start on Friday when Conclave earned the first award of the evening for Best Ensemble, with its lead Ralph Fiennes accepting
The early win cements the Oscars momentum for Conclave and Fiennes; pictured in a still from the film
But due to the venue’s close proximity to the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, ceremony officials decided to push the show to February.
Following Conclave’s win, the ceremony switched to television.
Hannah Einbinder and Michael Urie were the dual winners in the best supporting actor and actress in a comedy categories, for Hacks and Shrinking, respectively.
The two gave a hilarious acceptance speech in which they began delivering their speeches at the same time, speaking over each other.
They were followed by the winners in the supporting categories for limited series or movie made for television.
Liev Schreiber won in the men’s category for The Perfect Couple, while Jessica Gunning was awarded for her acclaimed performance in the buzzy series Baby Reindeer.
Shōgun scored two back-to-back wins with supporting actor and supporting actress in a drama series for Tadanobu Asano and Moeka Hoshi.
Hoshi was tearful as she accepted her award after traveling to the US from Japan, though Asano wasn’t able to be at the ceremony.
Hannah Einbinder and Michael Urie were the dual winners in the best supporting actor and actress in a comedy categories, for Hacks and Shrinking, respectively. They gave hilarious acceptance speeches while initially speaking simultaneously
Shōgun scored two back-to-back wins with supporting actor and supporting actress in a drama series for Tadanobu Asano and Moeka Hoshi (pictured). Hoshi shared her thoughts with LA after its devastating fires
She shared her thoughts for Los Angeles in the wake of its devastating fires.
‘I was so shocked to see how much this beautiful city has changed because of the fire,’ she said emotionally. ‘My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes and loved ones. Please remember that you are not alone. Even from Japan, I always think of you and remember you. My thoughts are always with you.’
Wicked, Conclave and Shogun lead the nominations.
Wicked scored the most Critics Choice Awards 2025 nominations, including major nods for its stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, as the musical ties Conclave for the most nominations with 11.
Both Wicked and Conclave are also up for the biggest prize of the night in Best Picture.
The two films will face off against an impressive field including: A Complete Unknown, Anora, The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing and The Substance.
Ariana, 31, is up for Best Supporting actress, and she will take on Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Nickel Boys, Margaret Qualley — The Substance, Isabella Rossellini — Conclave, and Zoe Saldaña –—Emilia Pérez.
Cynthia, 38, will also face stiff competition in the coveted Best Actress category, as she is up against: Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez, Marianne Jean-Baptiste — Hard Truths, Angelina Jolie — Maria, Mikey Madison — Anora, and Demi Moore — The Substance.
Transgender actress Gascon, who has been slammed for resurfaced ‘racist’ social media posts, is not expected to be in attendance with her Emilia Pérez castmates.
Wicked is centered around Elphaba (Erivo), a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda (Grande), a popular girl. The two become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz, but after an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.
Wicked leads the way with the most Critics Choice Awards 2025 nominations, including major nods for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The musical earned 11 tying the film Conclave for the most
Meanwhile, Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes leads the Best Actor field, which includes: Adrien Brody — The Brutalist, Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown, Daniel Craig — Queer, Colman Domingo — Sing Sing, and Hugh Grant — Heretic.
Conclave is centered around Fiennes’ character, Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope. But he soon finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.
Rounding out the top individual honors is the Best Supporting Actor category, which features: Yura Borisov — Anora, Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain, Clarence Maclin — Sing Sing, Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown, Guy Pearce — The Brutalist, and Denzel Washington — Gladiator II.
Both Wicked and Conclave are up for Best Acting Ensemble against Anora, Emilia Pérez, Saturday Night and Sing Sing.
Best Director will be a contentious category, as the field includes: Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker — Anora, Edward Berger — Conclave, Brady Corbet — The Brutalist, Jon M. Chu — Wicked, Coralie Fargeat — The Substance, RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys, and Denis Villeneuve — Dune: Part Two.
Behind the two frontrunners with the most nominations were Dune: Part Two and Emilia Perez, which each landed 10 nods.
The Brutalist had nine while Anora and The Substance trailed slightly with seven nominations each.
The Critics Choice Awards don’t only honor the finest in films, but television as well.
Conclave tied with Wicked for most nominations including a Best Actor nod for Ralph Fiennes
Ariana (pictured), 31, is up for Best Supporting actress. She will take on Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Nickel Boys, Margaret Qualley — The Substance, Isabella Rossellini — Conclave, and Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who has been slammed for resurfaced ‘racist’ social media posts, is not expected to be in attendance with her Emilia Pérez castmates – seen with Zoe Saldaña in the film
FX series Shōgun led the way for TV with six nominations
FX series Shōgun leads the way with six nominations. The show earned a nod for Best Drama Series, while the cast was recognized in multiple categories, including Hiroyuki Sanada for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Anna Sawai for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira are both up for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, while Moeka Hoshi could take home the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award.
Abbott Elementary, Disclaimer, Hacks, The Diplomat, The Penguin and What We Do in the Shadows followed with an impressive four nominations each.
Abbott Elementary, Hacks and What We Do in the Shadows will all face off in the Best Comedy Series category, while Disclaimer and The Penguin are up for Best Limited Series and The Diplomat earned a nod for Best Drama Series.
Abbott Elementary earned additional nods for Quinta Brunson for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Tyler James Williams for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Janelle James for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Disclaimer received nominations for Kevin Kline for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, Cate Blanchett for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and Leila George for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
The cast of Hacks was recognized in several categories, earning nods for Jean Smart for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Paul W. Downs for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and for Hannah Einbinder for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
The Diplomat earned nominations for Rufus Sewell and Keri Russell, who are up for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series, respectively, while Allison Janney garnered a nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Colin Farrell could take home the Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award for his role in The Penguin, while the show’s Cristin Milioti is up for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and Deirdre O’Connell was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
What We Do in the Shadows garnered nominations for Kayvan Novak for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Natasia Demetriou for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Harvey Guillén for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Netflix sensation Baby Reindeer is also up for four awards, including nods for Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning and Best Limited Series.
Historically, the awards are considered the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
Another major change for the ceremony is there will no longer be a Live from E!: Critics Choice Awards two-hour red carpet special ahead of the telecast.
The Critics Choice Awards are presented by the American–Canadian Critics Choice Association, which is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 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.
The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards will air on E! from 7 p.m.–10 p.m. EST/PST.
Critics Choice Awards 2025 nominations
MOVIES
BEST PICTURE
A Complete Unknown
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked
Wicked leads the way with 11 nominations
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic
Ralph Fiennes is nominated in the Best Actor category for his work in Conclave, which also earned 11 nods
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande earned a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role as Glinda in Wicked
BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Elliott Heffernan – Blitz
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass
Izaac Wang – Didi
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Anora
Conclave — WINNER
Emilia Pérez
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked
BEST DIRECTOR
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker – Anora
Edward Berger – Conclave
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Jon M. Chu – Wicked
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sean Baker – Anora
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked
Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing
RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Alice Brooks – Wicked
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys
Dune: Part Two earned 10 nominations, including a Best Cinematography nod for Greig Fraser
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked
Suzie Davies – Conclave
Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu
Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II
Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two
BEST EDITING
Sean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Nick Emerson – Conclave
David Jancso – The Brutalist
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two
Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Lisy Christl – Conclave
Linda Muir – Nosferatu
Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria
Paul Tazewell – Wicked
Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two
Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two
Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance
Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked
Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu
Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II
Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked
Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two
Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man
Visual Effects Team – The Substance
Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
BEST COMEDY
A Real Pain
Deadpool & Wolverine
Hit Man
My Old Ass
Saturday Night
Thelma
Deadpool & Wolverine earned a Best Comedy nod
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Flow
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
BEST SONG
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus
“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez earned a nod in the Best Song category for Mi Camino from Emilia Pérez
BEST SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
TELEVISION
BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Evil (Paramount+)
Industry (HBO | Max)
Interview with the Vampire (AMC)
The Old Man (FX)
Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
FX series Shōgun leads the way with six nominations, including top honor Best Drama Series
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Bridges – The Old Man (FX)
Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who (Disney+)
Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)
Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Antony Starr – The Boys (Prime Video)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz)
Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)
Shanola Hampton – Found (NBC)
Keira Knightley – Black Doves (Netflix)
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Anna Sawai – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Anna Sawai was recognized in the Best Actress in a Drama Series category for her work in Shogun
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tadanobu Asano – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Michael Emerson – Evil (Paramount+)
Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Found (NBC)
Takehiro Hira – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
John Lithgow – The Old Man (FX)
Sam Reid – Interview with the Vampire (AMC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Moeka Hoshi – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Nicole Kidman – Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)
Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)
Anna Sawai – Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Fiona Shaw – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
English Teacher (FX)
Hacks (HBO | Max)
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)
St. Denis Medical (NBC)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Abbott Elementary is nominated for Best Comedy Series
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Brian Jordan Alvarez – English Teacher (FX)
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Asher Grodman – Ghosts (CBS)
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Michael Urie – Shrinking (Apple TV+)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Liza Colón-Zayas – The Bear (FX / Hulu)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Stephanie Koenig – English Teacher (FX)
Patti LuPone – Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
Mr Bates vs the Post Office (PBS)
The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Ripley (Netflix)
True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)
We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu)
Baby Reindeer is up for Best Limited Series
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Great Lillian Hall (HBO | Max)
It’s What’s Inside (Netflix)
Música (Prime Video)
Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
V/H/S/Beyond (Shudder)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Colin Farrell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Tom Hollander – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)
Kevin Kline – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Ewan McGregor – A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+)
Andrew Scott – Ripley (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Cate Blanchett – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Jodie Foster – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)
Jessica Lange – The Great Lillian Hall (HBO | Max)
Cristin Milioti – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Phoebe-Rae Taylor – Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Naomi Watts – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Robert Downey Jr. – The Sympathizer (HBO | Max)
Hugh Grant – The Regime (HBO | Max)
Ron Cephas Jones – Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
Logan Lerman – We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu)
Liev Schreiber – The Perfect Couple (Netflix)
Treat Williams – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Dakota Fanning – Ripley (Netflix)
Leila George – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Betty Gilpin – Three Women (Starz)
Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Deirdre O’Connell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Kali Reis – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)
Jessica Gunning is up for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Baby Reindeer
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Acapulco (Apple TV+)
Citadel: Honey Bunny (Prime Video)
La Máquina (Hulu)
The Law According to Lidia Poët (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO | Max)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Senna (Netflix)
Squid Game (Netflix)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Batman: Caped Crusader (Prime Video)
Bluey (Disney+)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Invincible (Prime Video)
The Simpsons (Fox)
X-Men ’97 (Disney+)
BEST TALK SHOW
Hot Ones (YouTube)
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
The Graham Norton Show (BBC America)
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (Netflix)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC/Syndicated)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix)
Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny (Hulu)
Kevin James: Irregardless (Prime Video)
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO | Max)
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special (Netflix)
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings (HBO | Max)
