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Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: Meaning & Definition in Film

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are accolades presented by the Critics Choice Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement as voted by professional critics.

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The Collective Voice of Critics

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards occupy a significant and influential space within the annual film awards ecosystem. The winners are voted on by the Critics Choice Association, the largest organization of film and television critics and entertainment journalists in the United States and Canada. This large voting body, comprising hundreds of members, gives the awards a broad, populist-leaning perspective compared to smaller, more esoteric critics’ groups from cities like New York or Los Angeles. Because of this, their results often align closely with the tastes of the broader film industry, making them a closely watched predictor of the Academy Awards.

An Important Awards Season Stop

Airing in January, the Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony is strategically positioned within the heart of awards season. Occurring after the Golden Globes and after Oscar nominations have been announced, it serves as a key indicator of momentum for the major contenders. A film that performs strongly at the Critics’ Choice Awards often sees its Oscar chances significantly boosted. The broadcast is a major, star-studded event that honors achievements in both film and television in the same evening.

Honoring a Wider Range of Films

One of the defining features of the Critics’ Choice Awards is its expanded list of categories, which allows it to recognize and celebrate a more diverse array of films than the Oscars. A key part of this is their inclusion of dedicated genre awards, ensuring that excellent films in commercially popular genres receive recognition for their craft.

Notable genre-specific categories include:

  • Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie
  • Best Comedy
  • Best Action Movie

In addition to these, the awards also have categories like Best Young Actor/Actress and Best Acting Ensemble, which allow them to shine a spotlight on a wider range of performances. This inclusive approach has made the Critics’ Choice Awards a valuable and respected institution, celebrating the full spectrum of cinematic achievement, from prestige dramas to blockbuster entertainment.

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More Film Industry & Awards Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 835 terms

  • Sponsorship

    A business arrangement where a brand provides funding in exchange for association with a film.

  • IATSE

    IATSE is the dominant 'below-the-line' labor union representing the majority of technicians, artisans, and craftspeople in the entertainment industry.

  • IMAX Enhanced Audio

    IMAX Enhanced Audio is a consumer technology standard that uses a special version of the DTS:X codec to replicate the sound experience of an IMAX theater at home.

  • Product Placement

    The deliberate inclusion of branded products or services within a film’s narrative or visuals.

  • Deal Memo

    Short-form contract outlines key employment terms before long-form agreements are executed.

  • Paper Print

    A paper print is a historical method of copyrighting motion pictures by printing each frame onto a roll of photographic paper.