Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Shape of Water' Leads With 14 Nominations

7:59 AM 12/6/2017

by Gregg Kilday

On the TV side, Ryan Murphy's 'Feud: Bette and Joan' dominated with six noms.

'The Shape of Water'
'The Shape of Water'
Courtesy of Telluride Film Festival

With 14 nominations Wednesday, Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance The Shape of Water led the film nominees for the 23rd annual Critics' Choice Awards, which will be presented Jan. 11 at a ceremony to be broadcast live on The CW. On the television side, Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Bette and Joan topped the list with six nominations. The awards are voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

Call Me by Your Name, Dunkirk, Lady Bird and The Post each collected eight mentions and, like The Shape of Water, all were nominated for best picture. Rounding out the 10 best picture nominees were The Big Sick, Darkest Hour, The Florida Project, Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Kumail Nanjiani was among those who collected multiple nominations: He scored three — for best original screenplay alongside wife Emily V. Gordon, and best actor in a comedy, both for The Big Sick, and best supporting actor in a comedy series for HBO's Silicon Valley. Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards), Jordan Peele (Get Out) and del Toro were all nominated for both best director and best original screenplay. James Franco was nominated for best actor and best actor in a comedy for The Disaster Artist, and Tiffany Haddish was nominated for best supporting actress and best actress in a comedy for Girls Trip. And Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan will compete against each other in two categories — best actress and best actress in a comedy — for their respective roles in I, Tonya and Lady Bird.

For TV, following close behind Feud, Big Little Lies and Fargo both picked up five noms, while GLOW notched four mentions.

“2017 has proved to be an incredibly exciting year in movies — and one of the most wide-open in terms of awards possibilities," announcing the nominations," said BFCA president Joey Berlin. "The mix of legendary filmmakers and performers along with vibrant new voices representing fresh and varied styles and perspectives has entertained and challenged critics and audiences alike. It’s been a joy to experience these films and we can’t wait to celebrate them all on January 11.”

Added BTJA president Ed Martin: “Choosing a handful of outstanding programs or personalities to nominate in any category is a daunting task given the sheer volume of high-quality options today on broadcast and cable television and streaming services. But after much careful consideration and thoughtful debate, I believe we have filled all of our categories with the most deserving nominees.”  

The awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The BFCA and BTJA are represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig and WME.