My Hopes For This Year’s Critics Choice TV Awards
Part 1: Drama
After a perhaps inevitable delay to due the Omicron variant last December, my favorite awards show when it comes to television is back in person and with a vengeance. Yes, the Critics Choice Awards are being given this Sunday and both the CW and TBS are broadcasting it this year.
I’m hoping that with the Golden Globes still on the outs with the powers that be that the Critics Choice can ascend to their level of greatness and this year will give them their best opportunity. They have been my favorite awards show when it comes to TV for the past six years when it comes both to nominees and winners and I’m hoping that they can keep the trend going this year. The Hollywood Critics Association set a pretty high bar this August; I’m hoping they can pass it and perhaps send a message to the Emmys later this year.
So once again I will attempt to select my preferences and the likely winners this year in the television categories. Bear in mind, there aren’t any real terrible choices and the Critics Choice has had at least one tie in a major category every year of their existence. (Part of the fun.)
We’ll start with Drama:
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
My preference for This is Us goes without saying at this point. I’m well aware that Succession should be the overriding favorite, but considering the major upset that Squid Game managed to pull in the two acting categories, there’s an argument momentum is shifting in that series direction.
I’d personally like to see Pose or Yellowjackets pull off an upset, but ultimately I think it’ll come down to Squid Game or Succession. It’s rare for a drama series to repeat: (so far only Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones have done so) but I’ll give the barest of edges for Succession. They did win at the SAGs and the Golden Globes after all. Will momentum have shifted by summer? We’ll see.
Should Win: This is Us/Pose.
Will Win: Succession.
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
I think they’re might be some momentum for Billy Porter (the HCA certainly thought so) here as a dark horse, but at this point I think the fight comes down to the two previous winners: Jeremy Strong, who took the Golden Globe for Succession and Lee Jung-Jae who shocked everybody (including himself) at the SAGs for Squid Game. There might be room for an upset — Brian Cox could prevail — but I think there’s a better chance that Jung-Jae will pull out a victory. The Critics Choice has always been more eclectic.]\
Should Win: Porter.
Will Win: Jung-Jae.
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
All right, I really want to see Chiara Aurelia win for Cruel Summer. I won’t pretend to be unbiased on this one. And considering that the HCA was willing to recognize the series as Best Drama, I can’t rule it out.
But barring a lightning bolt (which to be fair is the Broadcast Critics specialty) I think this may be the easiest choice of the night. MJ Rodriguez deserves to win for her work in Pose and considering that she wasn’t given a proper salute when she won at the Golden Globes or the HCA, I think this will be her night to walk the catwalk. She has earned it.
Should Win: Aurelia.
Will Win: Rodriguez.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
At the SAG awards, three acting nominations in the lead category almost certainly divided the vote enough for Lee Jung-Jae to slip through. I have a feeling that it will do the same here.
I really want to see Justin Hartley win something for his time at This is Us and given his work in Season 5 he’s clearly earned it. Still given how things turned out last year, I can’t argue the possibility that Billy Crudup who triumphed in this category two years ago, will able to duplicate his feat.
Should Win: Hartley.
Will Win: Crudup.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
I would think that Sarah Snook, given the fact that she won the Golden Globes for Supporting Actress in January, would be the favorite. But she was the favorite to win at the SAG awards too and that went as well as the Roy children plan to outwit Logan in the finale.
Could there be a dark horse here? More often then not the Supporting Actress category has led to more unlikely choices over the last ten years, from Monica Potter to Bellamy Young to Lorraine Toussaint for Orange is the New Black. So I’ll go out on a limb. I’m going to go for Susan Kalechi Watson for This is Us. Considering that I expect the entire field to be radically different by May…well, we’ll have to say.
Should Win: Watson.
Will Win: Snook (but who knows)
Tomorrow I deal with Comedies which I think will involve an even greater battle than the dramas (and some more interesting choices.)