The Critics Choice Awards have revealed their 2024 nominations, and two films are leading the pack: Edward Berger's Conclave and Jon M. Chu's Wicked. Both films earned an impressive 11 nominations, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting categories. The nominations set the stage for a highly competitive awards season.
A Look at the Leading Nominees
Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, is a gripping drama centered on power struggles within the Vatican, while Wicked, helmed by Jon M. Chu, is a musical adaptation of the beloved Broadway production. Both films showcase outstanding craftsmanship and star-studded casts, making them strong contenders in this year's awards race.
In addition to Conclave and Wicked, other Best Picture nominees include Denis Villeneuve's highly anticipated Dune: Part Two, Sean Baker's Anora, and Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez.
Key Nominees Across Categories
In the acting categories, Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) stand out as Best Actress and Best Actor nominees, respectively. Supporting categories include Ariana Grande (Wicked) and Isabella Rossellini (Conclave). The ensemble casts of Sing Sing, Wicked, and Conclave also earned accolades for their collective performances.
For Best Director, nominees include Berger, Chu, and Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two), alongside Sean Baker (Anora) and Brady Corbet (The Brutalist).
Expanding the Awards Landscape
The Critics Choice Awards continue to spotlight diverse storytelling, with international films like Emilia Pérez and All We Imagine as Light earning nods. Animated features like Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot round out a varied slate of nominees.
Chelsea Handler will return to host the 30th annual ceremony, broadcasting live on E! on January 12, 2024. Fans can stream the event the following day on Peacock.
The full list of nominees are below:
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 Ass”
- 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 Ass”
- “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”
My Impressions: The Critics Choice nominations reflect a strong mix of blockbuster hits and artful dramas. Wicked's inclusion demonstrates how musical adaptations can resonate across both popular and critical audiences, while Conclave offers a more cerebral, character-driven experience. It's exciting to see Dune: Part Two among the nominees, continuing the legacy of high-quality science fiction in awards circuits.
However, the competition is fierce, with standout performances across the board. Ariana Grande's transition to film in Wicked is particularly intriguing, as is Berger's continued excellence following All Quiet on the Western Front. This year's lineup highlights a wide range of genres and themes, making it a particularly exciting awards season.
Which film do you think deserves to take home Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards—Wicked, Conclave, or another standout nominee?
