The best and worst moments from the 2021 Critics Choice Awards

Jason Sudeikis, Chadwick Boseman, ‘Nomadland’ and all the filters.
March 7, 2021 10:28 p.m. EST
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Taye Diggs was back at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. for the third consecutive year on Sunday night as he once again helmed the Critics Choice Awards. Although this year, of course, the show was broadcast in a semi-virtual format, just like all of the other awards shows that have aired over the past 12 months.

The All American star was there to help unroll this year’s film and TV winners, as voted on by the 400-plus member Critics Choice Association. Considering the Critics Choice Awards aired just a week after the Golden Globes—with all of their controversial choices—Diggs also made sure to remind viewers that this particular voting body is “diverse.” (That’s something the organization’s president also highlighted while taking down the Globes’ voting body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, in an interview with Deadline last week.)

So what were some of the best and worst moments from the show? Let’s have a look, shall we?

WORST: Gillian Anderson needs a better internet connection

Diggs tried to make the presentation as normal as possible, introducing virtual “tables” of cast members and interviewing some of the stars on screen. But that didn’t mean things went smoothly. The first such interview, with Gillian Anderson, was spotty at best. To be fair, The Crown star was in Prague and it was 1 a.m., but that spotty connection was highlighted even further when she won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and her face froze for half of her acceptance speech. Oof.

BEST: The Crown steals the night

While a good portion of the world was tuning into Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan, The Crown was cleaning up at the Critics Choice Awards. The fourth season of the show, which introduces Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher, continues to be the talk of the awards show circuit. Actors Emma Corrin, Josh O’Connor and Gillian Anderson all won Critics Choice Awards for their roles on the show, while the series itself won the award for best drama. For those keeping note, that’s the same number of trophies this crew won at last week’s Golden Globes. Your move, Emmys. Your move.

WORST: (Not so much) fun with filters

When you’re hosting a virtual show, you’ve got to go for the laughs where you can. So you can appreciate why the show writers and Diggs thought it might be a fun bit to use filters. But it didn’t quite work out that way. Diggs kept coming back as different things, eventually appearing as a banana. He made a punny joke about the “appeal” of it all and then called it a slippery slope and… well… just nope.

BEST: Alan Kim bawls through his acceptance speech

Eight-year-old Alan Kim has been gathering lots of critical acclaim so far this virtual awards season, and his popularity definitely swelled just a little bit more on Sunday night when he was named Best Young Actos for his role in Minari. And yes, the job the young actor did on the movie was impressive, to be sure. But what really melted fans’ hearts was the fact that the kid burst into tears midway through his acceptance speech. He could barely get out the rest of his thanks, and there were probably more than a few viewers who just wanted to give the kid a big old virtual hug as a result.

WORST (but also BEST): Comedy special is a tie

No one tunes into an awards show wanting to see a tie. So in that vein, the best comedy special being a tie was… well, the worst. But then fans had the two most opposite reactions from the winners ever, which was the best. Jerry Seinfeld was super chill when he won for his special, 23 Hours to Kill. “That’s fantastic, thank you very, very much, I like critics. I don’t care if the reviews are good or bad. In comedy we need critics…” he began, before ending with a call to his fellow comedians about how they just want to be on stage again.

But then Michelle Buteau also won for Welcome to Buteaupia, and she lost it. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN!” she shouted. “She wasn’t going to get emotional but the dress is tight and I’m feeling feelings.” Buteau then finished her speech with just as much enthusiasm by getting up and running around in a circle while flashing jogging pants under that pretty sparkly dress. Oh yes, she definitely won.

BEST: The Schitt’s Creek lovefest continues

Did Schitt’s Creek sweep the awards show like they did at the Emmys? Well, no. But even though Eugene Levy and Annie Murphy didn’t take home trophies, Dan Levy and Catherine O’Hara did. And speaking of O’Hara, she did a bit with her husband where she put a giant lipstick stain on his face right after winning, and it was 1,000 per cent better than the fake applause bit the couple did last weekend when she won in the same category at the Globes.

WORST: Everything gets awkward with This Is Us

Earlier in the night, This Is Us star Justin Hartley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama, but he lost to Michael K. Williams from Lovecraft Country. All was fine until Diggs announced Hartley and co-star Chrissy Metz to present the best actor in a comedy series, and Diggs congratulated Hartley on his nomination. Hartley verbally reacted at a weird spot and a whole shtick about his not winning ensued. Still, even that was fine, but then Hartley and Metz launched into a bit where they pretended to be rehearsing a scene for This Is Us, and well… basically the entire timing was just off. And awkward as heck.

BEST: Jason Sudeikis redeems himself

Last week at the Golden Globes, viewers decided that a bleary-eyed Jason Sudeikis and his tie-dye hoodie were… a look. Well, the Ted Lasso co-creator and star was up just as late in England this week when he appeared virtually at the Critics Choice Awards. His show won big on the comedy side of things by taking home best supporting actress (Hannah Waddingham), best actor (Sudeikis) and best comedy series. In his first speech, Sudeikis was still sporting a hoodie but he tried to keep things on track, and he even made fun of himself for last week. (“Where do I start? More importantly where do I end?”) But by his second speech? Oh boy…

WORST: Jason Sudeikis rambles again

Not only did Sudeikis start rambling when he accepted the award for best comedy series, but he went well over his time, he started repeating himself, and then he started awkwardly talking about his ex, Olivia Wilde. It could have been a sweet moment, as he wanted to convey that she told him to pursue the project and encouraged him, but because the guy didn’t write anything down in advance it just came out jumbled and slightly sad.

BEST: Zendaya wins the SeeHer award

Zendaya, the youngest actor to win a Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys (despite her continual snubs at the Globes), was given a special honour on Sunday night with the SeeHer award. The award, which has previously gone to actors like Gal Gadot, Viola Davis, Claire Foy and Kristen Bell, honours a woman who is pushing boundaries and breaking stereotypes on- and off-screen. Zendaya appeared in a taped message to say how much the award means to her, and explained that after the year everyone has had, she continues to be grateful.

SOME MORE BEST: Nomadland wins big

Nomadland took home a handful of wins at the show on Sunday night, including a Best Director win for Chloé Zhao and Best Drama. But the happiness was marred by the fact that the crew lost one of their own this past week, sound mixer Michael Wolf Snyder. The 35-year-old died by suicide, and so everyone was still reeling from the news. Zhao and the producers dedicated their wins to Snyder and recalled his massive contributions to the film, which is now poised to win an Oscar after taking home trophies at both the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes.

And last but not least…

MOST TEARFUL: Chadwick Boseman is honoured again

Fans are still getting over Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death, and the legendary actor has been anything but forgotten. Once again, his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, was called upon to accept another award on his behalf—Best Actor for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. She told the audience that her late husband would want to thank God, his parents, and the fans, before telling everyone that even though we live in a far from perfect society, she’s sure that what Boseman did with his life will continue to inspire and improve the lives of many for years to come. Cue the waterworks everywhere.

Click here to read the full list of Critics Choice Award winners.

Before you go: Minari is the little movie that's winning big

[video_embed id='2152800']Before you go: Minari is the little movie that's winning big[/video_embed]


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