Conclave and Wicked Dominate as Critics Choice Awards Announce Film Nominations
The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards are rolling in hot, with Conclave and Wicked leading the pack at 11 nominations each. The star-studded ceremony, hosted by the ever-acerbic Chelsea Handler, will air live on E! from Santa Monica’s iconic Barker Hangar on January 12, 2025, from 7–10 p.m. ET/PT, and stream on Peacock the following day.
Indie darlings and blockbuster juggernauts alike will duke it out for Best Picture, with Conclave, Wicked, Dune: Part Two, and Emilia Pérez setting the tone for what promises to be an intense awards season. Both Dune: Part Two and Emilia Pérez also scored ten nods apiece, showing that visionary storytelling is alive and kicking.
The Front Runners
- Conclave: Starring Ralph Fiennes (nominated for Best Actor) and Isabella Rossellini (Best Supporting Actress), this drama also snagged nominations for Best Picture, Best Acting Ensemble, and nods for director Edward Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan.
- Wicked: Broadway’s mega-hit turned Hollywood musical brought the glitter and grit, with Cynthia Erivo up for Best Actress and Ariana Grande for Best Supporting Actress. Director Jon M. Chu and cinematographer Alice Brooks are also vying for awards.
- Dune: Part Two: Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic came in strong, with nominations across technical and artistic categories, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hans Zimmer’s score and Greig Fraser’s cinematography added to its impressive haul.
- Emilia Pérez: This genre-defying drama earned a Best Actress nod for Karla Sofía Gascón and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Zoe Saldaña, along with recognition for Jacques Audiard as Best Director and two original songs (El Mal and Mi Camino).
-
Critics Choice 2022 Best Picture Winner: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association.
Other Contenders
The Best Picture category is rounded out by A Complete Unknown, Anora, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and The Substance, proving that the Critics Choice Association doesn’t shy away from showcasing bold, diverse cinema.
Performances from heavyweights like Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) highlight the Best Actor category, while the Best Actress race features powerhouses such as Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) and Angelina Jolie (Maria).
Why It Matters
For the past three decades, the Critics Choice Awards have been a reliable crystal ball for Oscars predictions. With indie titles like Nickel Boys and Sing Sing competing alongside tentpoles like Dune: Part Two, this year’s nominees prove that prestige and passion still have a place in Hollywood’s chaotic landscape.
Where to Watch
Mark your calendars for January 12, and get ready to tune into E! (or catch the stream on Peacock) for all the drama, glam, and unpredictable moments. And don’t forget—Chelsea Handler isn’t pulling any punches, so expect fireworks.
For the full list of nominees, head to CriticsChoice.com.
Full List of Film Nominations for the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards
Best Picture
- A Complete Unknown
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Nickel Boys
- Sing Sing
- The Substance
- Wicked
Best Actor
- Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
- Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)
- Daniel Craig (Queer)
- Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
- Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
- Hugh Grant (Heretic)
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)
Best Young Actor/Actress
- Alyla Browne (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga)
- Elliott Heffernan (Blitz)
- Maisy Stella (My Old A*s)
- Izaac Wang (Didi)
- Alisha Weir (Abigail)
- Zoe Ziegler (Janet Planet)
Best Acting Ensemble
- Anora
- Conclave
- 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)
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 A*s
- Saturday Night
- Thelma
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)
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)
