‘Belfast,’ ‘West Side Story’ Tie for Most 2022 Critics’ Choice Award Nominations

The Critics’ Choice Association jumped into the awards season fray on Dec. 13 with the announcement of the 27th annual Critics’ Choice Award nominations. The ceremony, scheduled to air Jan. 9, 2022, on the CW and TBS, will be the first televised awards show of the year—making the results more impactful than usual. 

“Belfast” and “West Side Story” led the film nominations tally with 11 each, including for best picture. Joining them in the best picture race are “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog” (with 10 nods each), “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley” (with eight each), “King Richard” and “Don’t Look Up” (with six each), “CODA” (with four), and “Tick, Tick...Boom!” (with two). 

Actors from all of the above films made their way onto critics’ shortlists, promising a competitive Oscar season to come. “Belfast” stars Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, and Caitríona Balfe are nominated in supporting categories, with lead Jude Hill recognized in the young actor category. For “West Side Story,” leading actress Rachel Zegler and supporters Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose were individually nominated, with the film’s overall cast scoring in the best ensemble category. That race also includes “Don’t Look Up,” “The Harder They Fall,” “Licorice Pizza,” and “The Power of the Dog.” 

The CCA’s previously announced TV categories gave the most nominations to HBO’s “Succession,” which earned eight, including for best drama. HBO limited series “Mare of Easttown” and the Paramount+ drama “Evil” also fared well, with five nods apiece. Comedies “Ted Lasso” from Apple TV+ and “Only Murders in the Building” from Hulu earned four. And Netflix’s “Squid Game” cracked both the best drama and best foreign language series categories, with star Lee Jung-jae among the acting nominees. Echoing 2021 Emmy results, other nominees included Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, and Hannah Waddingham for “Ted Lasso”; Jean Smart for HBO Max’s “Hacks” and “Mare of Easttown”; and Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson, also for “Mare.” 

The Jan. 9 Critics’ Choice Awards gala will be hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer. “We are so proud to be honoring this amazing list of films and the incredibly talented people who made them during this extremely challenging time,” said Critics’ Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin in a statement. “All eyes are going to be on the Fairmont Century Plaza red carpet and ballroom on Jan. 9, when the biggest stars in movies and television will be gathered to celebrate the best of the best in entertainment this past year. In the safest possible environment, it will mark the return of the kind of glitz and glamour we haven’t been able to enjoy in far too long.”

For a full list of nominations and more on the Critics’ Choice Association, visit its official site. Stay tuned for more awards coverage from Backstage, including tomorrow’s Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations.