Oscars 2019: What do the Critics Choice Awards mean?

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As we approach the Oscars, the awards landscape is looking to get locked in following the Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony airing on Sunday night.

As the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) made their picks known during the Critics’ Choice Awards, things were noticeably different from last week’s Golden Globes Ceremony.  Most tellingly, Bohemian Rhapsody was completely shut out.  It’s a safe bet that the the film likely did not have a shot winning best picture.  However, Rami Malek’s chances at winning are probably over at the moment.  We’ll likely have a better idea during the SAG Awards here in two weeks. The Oscar is probably going to Christian Bale for his role as Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice.

The Best Actress race remains to be determined.  The winners will likely come from The Wife‘s Glenn Close, A Star is Born‘s Lady Gaga, or The Favourite‘s Olivia Colman.  The Critics’ Choice ended with a tie between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga.  All eyes are on the SAG Awards in two weeks with hopes of determining the winner.  It’s currently neck and neck between the two with Close gaining an edge.  This was a needed win for Lady Gaga following the Golden Globes.  She is very much back in play heading into SAG.  Whoever wins during the SAG Awards will likely repeat on Oscar Sunday.

Some below-the-line positions are essentially guaranteed to repeat during the Oscars.  First Man composer Justin Hurwitz is looking great to take home an Oscar for Best Original Score.  Black Panther took home several awards.  While the film is unlikely to win Best Picture, Disney’s best chances are in the technical awards.  Costume designer Ruth Carter is looking to take home her first Oscar following two nominations.  First Man editor Tom Cross now has an edge for Best Editing.  The ACE Eddie Awards takes place on February 1st so we’ll see what happens.

As far as Best Director, Alfonso Cuarón can start writing his speech now for when repeats during the Oscars next month.  I hesitate to crown Roma but everything is pointing towards wins for Best Picture, Director, and Cinematography.  Meanwhile, everything points towards animated feature winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse repeating on Oscar Sunday.

The decision to hire an in-house awards team is looking even better to the day.  While Roma is getting all the love, Mudbound barely got any attention last year.  The decision to give Roma a small theatrical window is looking better by the day.  The film is currently screening in 70mm in select theaters.  I’d highly recommend seeing the film on the big screen if you have the opportunity.

We’ll see what happens as the guilds start to announce their winners.  This is going to be key for every Oscar predictions contest.  While there are some races that surprise us, guild winners generally repeat on Oscar Sunday.  Oscar nominations voting will end on Monday, January 14, 2019.  Finals voting will be taking place February 12-19, 2019.  Everything leads up to the big day on February 24, 2019.

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 while the 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.