Award season is about to begin, and with it the usual accolades for the most impressive motion pictures and the best programs on broadcast, cable and streamers (though not necessarily in that order). While there are many high-profile award shows, including the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the BAFTAs, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Oscars and the Critics Choice Awards (and, much later in the year, the Emmys), it seems there is never very much room to honor genre content -- that is, movies and television shows in the science-fiction, horror, action, animation, comic-book and fantasy arena. Obviously, certain big-budget break-out shows from this category -- especially on HBO, home of Watchmen, Game of Thrones, Westworld and Lovecraft Country -- and the occasional feature film (think Night of the Parasite) have been singled out for certain of these honors.
That long tradition of general oversight will end this Sunday at 8 p.m. with the telecast on The CW of the first annual Critics Choice Super Awards, which will honor the finest and most popular productions in those genre categories. (It will stream the following day on The CW app and cwtv.com.) Actor, writer, director, podcaster and comic book shop owner Kevin Smith and actress and writer Dani Fernandez are the hosts. The awards presentation was previously recorded and followed strict COVID protocols.
The Hulu and Neon movie Palm Springs leads the film nominees, with a total of five including Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie, Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie for Andy Samberg, Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie and Best Villain in a Movie for J.K. Simmons, and Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie for Cristin Milioti.
The most nominated television series is HBO's Lovecraft Country with six, including Best Horror Series, Best Actor in a Horror Series for Jonathan Majors, Best Actor in a Horror Series for Michael K. Williams, Best Actress in a Horror Series for Wunmi Mosaku, Best Actress in a Horror Series for Jurnee Smollett, and Best Villain in a Series for Abbey Lee. Amazon’s The Boys is close behind with five nominations including Best Superhero/Comic Book Series, Best Actor in a Superhero/Comic Book Series and Best Villain in a Series for Antony Starr, Best Actor in a Superhero/Comic Book Series for Karl Urban, and Best Actress in a Superhero/Comic Book Series for Aya Cash.
During the show the Critics Choice Association will present the Legacy Award to the Star Trek franchise, which marks its 55th anniversary this year. Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Picard) and Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) will accept the award.
Presenters will include Shohreh Aghdashloo, Aya Cash, Mike Colter, Tom Ellis, Courtney Ford, Tiffany Haddish, Sam Heughan, Lennie James, Martin Kove, Caity Lotz, Ralph Macchio, Elizabeth Mitchell, Lindsey Morgan, Genevieve Padalecki, Jared Padalecki, Brandon Routh, Eliza Taylor, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk and William Zabka.
The nominees in the television categories are listed below. Go here to see the complete list of film nominees.
Best Action Series: 9-1-1 (Fox), Hanna (Amazon), Hunters (Amazon), S.W.A.T. (CBS), Vikings (HISTORY), Warrior (Cinemax)
Best Actor in an Action Series: Daveed Diggs – Snowpiercer (TNT), Andrew Koji – Warrior (Cinemax), Logan Lerman – Hunters (Amazon), Alexander Ludwig – Vikings (HISTORY), Shemar Moore – S.W.A.T. (CBS), Al Pacino – Hunters (Amazon)
Best Actress in an Action Series: Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (Fox), Jennifer Connelly – Snowpiercer (TNT), Esme Creed-Miles – Hanna (Amazon), Mireille Enos – Hanna (Amazon), Katheryn Winnick – Vikings (HISTORY), Alison Wright – Snowpiercer (TNT)
Best Animated Series: Archer (FXX), BoJack Horseman (Netflix), Big Mouth (Netflix), Central Park (Apple TV+), Harley Quinn (HBO Max), Rick and Morty (Adult Swim), Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)
Best Voice Actor in an Animated Series: Will Arnett – BoJack Horseman(Netflix), H. Jon Benjamin – Archer (FXX), Nick Kroll – Big Mouth (Netflix), John Mulaney – Big Mouth (Netflix), Jack Quaid – Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access), Justin Roiland – Rick and Morty (Adult Swim), J.B. Smoove – Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series: Kaley Cuoco – Harley Quinn (HBO Max), Tawny Newsome – Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access), Maya Rudolph – Big Mouth (Netflix), Amy Sedaris – BoJack Horseman (Netflix), Aisha Tyler – Archer (FXX), Jessica Walter – Archer (FXX)
Best Superhero/Comic Book Series: The Boys (Amazon), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (The CW), Doom Patrol (DC Universe and HBO Max), The Flash (The CW), Lucifer (Netflix), The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
Best Actor in a Superhero/Comic Book Series: Jon Cryer – Supergirl (The CW), Tom Ellis – Lucifer (Netflix), Grant Gustin – The Flash (The CW), Antony Starr – The Boys (Amazon), Karl Urban – The Boys (Amazon), Cress Williams – Black Lightning (The CW)
Best Actress in a Superhero/Comic Book Series: Melissa Benoist – Supergirl (The CW), Aya Cash – The Boys (Amazon), Diane Guerrero – Doom Patrol (DC Universe and HBO Max), Elizabeth Marvel – Helstrom (Hulu), Lili Reinhart – Riverdale (The CW), Cobie Smulders – Stumptown (ABC)
Best Horror Series: Evil (CBS), The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix), Lovecraft Country (HBO), The Outsider (HBO and MRC Television), Supernatural (The CW), The Walking Dead (AMC)
Best Actor in a Horror Series: Jensen Ackles – Supernatural (The CW), Mike Colter – Evil (CBS), Michael Emerson – Evil (CBS), Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO), Ben Mendelsohn – The Outsider (HBO and MRC Television), Jared Padalecki – Supernatural (The CW), Michael K. Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Best Actress in a Horror Series: Natalie Dormer – Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime), Cynthia Erivo – The Outsider (HBO and MRC Television), Katja Herbers – Evil (CBS), T’Nia Miller – The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix), Wunmi Mosaku – Lovecraft Country (HBO), Victoria Pedretti – The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix), Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: The Mandalorian (Disney+), Outlander (Starz), Raised by Wolves (HBO Max), Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access), Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access), Upload (Amazon), What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Robbie Amell – Upload (Amazon), Travis Fimmel – Raised by Wolves (HBO Max), Sam Heughan – Outlander (Starz), Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Pedro Pascal – The Mandalorian (Disney+), Nick Offerman – Devs (FX on Hulu), Patrick Stewart – Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access)
Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz), Amanda Collin – Raised by Wolves (HBO Max), Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Sonequa Martin-Green – Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access), Thandie Newton – Westworld (HBO), Hilary Swank – Away (Netflix), Jodie Whittaker – Doctor Who (BBC America)
Best Villain in a Series: Tom Ellis – Lucifer (Netflix), Abbey Lee – Lovecraft Country (HBO), Samantha Morton – The Walking Dead (AMC), Sarah Paulson – Ratched (Netflix), Antony Starr – The Boys (Amazon), Finn Wittrock – Ratched (Netflix)
Full disclosure: Ed Martin is President (TV Branch) of the Critics Choice Association.
The Critics Choice Super Awards will be telecast Sunday, January 10 at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleagues.
The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.