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Cate Blanchett wins Best Actress at Critics Choice Awards, criticises 'televised horse race'

Australian actress Cate Blanchett has described competition within the industry as a "patriarchal pyramid" in her Critics Choice acceptance speech.

Blanchett has taken out best actress for the upcoming drama musical "Tar", a week after taking home the same award at the Golden Globes.

She accused the industry of promoting a "televised horse race". 

"It's like, what is this? It's this patriarchal pyramid where someone stands up here."

"Why don't we just say there is a whole raft of female performances that are in concert and in dialogue with one another," she says.

"And stop the televised horse race of it all because can I tell you every single woman with a television, film, advertising, tampon commercials, whatever, you're all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually."

Brendan Fraser shared an emotional moment with the crowd when he took home the big award for best actor for his portrayal of Charlie in The Whale, accepting the award with tears in his eyes.

Comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All At Once was another big winner of the night, taking out best picture as its fifth award at the Critics Choice Awards.

Look back on our live updates of the winners as they were announced.

Key events

Live updates

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By Shiloh Payne

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In pictures: The big winners of the Critics Choice Awards

By Shiloh Payne

Here's some of Brendan Fraser's emotional speech

By Shiloh Payne

The biggest award of the Critics Choice has been announced, but that's not all

By Shiloh Payne

With a mammoth 41 categories, it's always going to be tricky getting through them all.

So here's a list of the awards that have been won this ceremony that are yet to be mentioned:

  • Best comedy special: Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special
  • Best talk show: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
  • Best animated series: Harley Quinn
  • Best foreign language series: Pachinko
  • Best movie made for television: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
  • Best score: Hildur Guðnadóttir – Tár
  • Best song: Naatu Naatu – RRR
  • Best comedy: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
  • Best visual effects: Avatar: The Way of Water
  • Best hair and makeup: Elvis
  • Best costume design: Ruth E. Carter – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  • Best editing: Paul Rogers – Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Best production design: Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino – Babylon
  • Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda – Top Gun: Maverick
  • Best adapted screenplay: Sarah Polley – Women Talking
  • Best original screenplay: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Best acting ensemble: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
  • Best young actor/actress: Gabriel LaBelle – The Fabelmans

Everything Everywhere All at Once wins best picture

By Shiloh Payne

And the best picture goes to... Everything Everywhere all at Once.

The film also won best original screenplay, best editing, best director and best supporting actor.

  • Avatar: The Way of Water
  • Babylon
  • The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Elvis
  • WINNER: Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • The Fabelmans
  • Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
  • RRR
  • Tár
  • Top Gun: Maverick
  • Women Talking

Australia's Cate Blanchett wins best actress for Tár

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

This award goes to Cate Blanchett, who also won a Golden Globe last week for her performance in Tár.

And she's got a message for the crowd:

It’s like, what is this? It’s this patriarchal pyramid where someone stands up here.

"Why don't we just say there is a whole raft of female performances that are in concert and in dialogue with one another," she says.

"And stop the televised horse race of it all because can I tell you every single woman with a television, film, advertising, tampon commercials, whatever, you're all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually."

"Thank you I share this with you all."

  • WINNER: Cate Blanchett – Tár
  • Viola Davis – The Woman King
  • Danielle Deadwyler – Till
  • Margot Robbie – Babylon
  • Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans
  • Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best director goes to Everything Everywhere All at Once

By Shiloh Payne

Everything Everywhere All at Once's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have taken out the best director award.

  • James Cameron – Avatar: The Way of Water
  • Damien Chazelle – Babylon
  • Todd Field – Tár
  • Baz Luhrmann – Elvis
  • WINNER: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Sarah Polley – Women Talking
  • Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Woman King
  • S. S. Rajamouli – RRR
  • Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans

Brendan Fraser wins best actor for The Whale

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

It's an emotional moment for Brendan Fraser who has won best actor for The Whale.

  • Austin Butler – Elvis
  • Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
  • Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
  • WINNER: Brendan Fraser – The Whale
  • Paul Mescal – Aftersun
  • Bill Nighy – Living

One word for Better Call Saul's win: 'Finally'

By Jessica Riga

Better Call Saul is *always* nominated and yet is usually overlooked, despite being hailed by some as one the best television series of all time.

Well, today's the day it finally scooped Best Drama and Best Actor!

Scrolling through the replies to this tweet from the Critics Choice Awards and it's just a sea of people writing "finally."

You can find Better Call Saul on Stan.

The Dropout cast and crew pose up with Weird Al

By Shiloh Payne

Daniel Radcliffe may have won for his portrayal of "weird" Al Yankovic, but everyone is taking a moment to appreciate the man himself.

The Dropout wins best limited series

By Shiloh Payne

Amanda Seyfried already won best actress in this category, and now The Dropout has taken out another prize.

  • WINNER: The Dropout
  • Gaslit
  • The Girl from Plainville
  • The Offer
  • Pam & Tommy
  • Station Eleven
  • This Is Going to Hurt
  • Under the Banner of Heaven

I'm surprised there aren't more masks

By Jessica Riga

ICYMI, last week's Golden Globes were a superspreader event after Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Hacks co-creator Jen Statsky announced they had all come down with COVID-19.

But you know who didn't get sick? Jessica Chastain.

Best drama series goes to Better Call Saul

By Shiloh Payne

Following Bob Odenkirk's win for best actor in a drama series, Better Call Saul has taken out the best drama series category.

  • Andor 
  • Bad Sisters
  • WINNER: Better Call Saul
  • The Crown 
  • Euphoria 
  • The Good Fight 
  • House of the Dragon 
  • Severance 
  • Yellowstone 

Zendaya takes out best actress in a drama series

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

Zendaya's performance as Rue in Euphoria has won her a Critics Choice Award and a Golden Globe so far this season.

What do you think? Will she keep winning big?

  • Christine Baranski – The Good Fight
  • Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters 
  • Laura Linney – Ozark 
  • Mandy Moore – This Is Us 
  • Kelly Reilly – Yellowstone 
  • WINNER: Zendaya – Euphoria 

When Cate met Kate

By Jessica Riga

Tár's Cate Blanchett and Glass Onion's Kate Hudson greeting each other on the red carpet is clearing my skin.

The best actor in a drama series winner is Bob Odenkirk

By Shiloh Payne

Better Call Saul wins this award for Bob Odenkirk's performance.

  • Jeff Bridges – The Old Man 
  • Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us
  • Diego Luna – Andor 
  • WINNER: Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul 
  • Adam Scott – Severance 
  • Antony Starr – The Boys

Abbott Elementary wins best comedy series

By Shiloh Payne

Key Event

The Critics Choice award for best comedy series goes to Abbott Elementary.

This is the second award the show has won at the ceremony.

  • WINNER: Abbott Elementary
  • Barry
  • The Bear
  • Better Things 
  • Ghosts 
  • Hacks 
  • Reboot
  • Reservation Dogs 

Jean Smart takes out best actress in a comedy series

By Shiloh Payne

Hacks Actress Jean Smart has won this award, beating Quinta Brunson and Kaley Cuoco.

  • Christina Applegate – Dead to Me 
  • Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary 
  • Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant 
  • Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva
  • Devery Jacobs – Reservation Dogs
  • WINNER: Jean Smart – Hacks 

Best actor in a comedy series goes to Jeremy Allen White

By Shiloh Payne

Jeremy Allen White has taken out the award for best actor in a comedy series.

He plays Carmy in The Bear and is also coming off a Golden Globes win.

  • Matt Berry – What We Do in the Shadows
  • Bill Hader – Barry 
  • Keegan-Michael Key – Reboot
  • Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building 
  • WINNER: Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
  • D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai – Reservation Dogs

Jeff Bridges receives a Lifetime Achievement award

By Shiloh Payne

Jeff Bridges has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award which will be presented to him by Michelle Pfeiffer.

CCA Chief Executive Joey Berlin says the organisation is "thrilled" to honour Bridges.

“From his debut with his dad on Sea Hunt, to his iconic performance as “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski, to his Oscar-winning performance in Crazy Heart, right through his amazing work in The Old Man, his decades-spanning career is unmatched," Mr Berlin says.

"We look forward to celebrating his incredible career before an audience of millions of fans on January 15th.”

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