From BFCA press release:
Los Angeles, CA -- The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the winners of the 17th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards earlier this evening. Hosted by comedians Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel, the star-studded ceremony was held at the Hollywood Palladium and aired live on VH1. The Artist was named the year's Best Picture and Michael Hazanavicius won Best Director honors for the film.
Other big winners of the night included George Clooney, who took Best Actor for his role in The Descendants and Viola Davis, who won Best Actress for her role in The Help. Also honored was Christopher Plummer with the Best Supporting Actor award and Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress both for her work in The Help.
Additional awards included a tie for Best Cinematography, going to both The Tree of Life and War Horse. Best Art Direction went to Hugo and Best Editing went to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Help was honored with Best Acting Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay honors went to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris. Best Young Actor/Actress went to Thomas Horn for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Rango won Best Animated Feature and Best Comedy went to Bridesmaids.
Academy Award winner, film director and humanitarian Sean Penn was honored with the fifth annual Joel Siegel Award, presented by George Clooney. The BFCA created this award to honor those in the film community whose actions demonstrate that the greatest value of celebrity is the ability to do good work for others. This award pays homage to beloved "Good Morning America" film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his struggle with cancer in June, 2007.
The 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards also included a special nod to Hugo director Martin Scorsese, who received the Critics' Choice Music+Film Award, presented by Leonardo DiCaprio and Olivia Harrison in addition to a special musical tribute from Bob Dylan. The Critics' Choice Music+Film Award was created to honor a single filmmaker who has not only inspired moviegoers with his cinematic storytelling, but has heightened the impact of film through the brilliant use of source and soundtrack music.
Nominees in attendance included: Berenice Bejo, Kenneth Branagh, Albert Brooks, Asa Butterfield, Jessica Chastain, George Clooney, Stephen Daldry, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jean Dujardin, Elle Fanning, Judy Greer, Michael Hazanavicius, Ellie Kemper, Nick Krause, Thomas Horn, Matthew Lillard, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Penelope Ann Miller, Nick Nolte, Elizabeth Olsen, Patton Oswalt, Alexander Payne, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Maya Rudolph, Andy Serki, Octavia Spencer, Steven Spielberg, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Tilda Swinton, Charlize Theron, Michelle Williams, Evan Rachel Wood and Shailene Woodley
Presenters at the gala included: Vin Diesel, Kirsten Dunst, Donald Glover, Dustin Hoffman, Mindy Kaling, Ben Kingsley, Diane Kruger, Elizabeth Olsen, Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Jason Segel, Owen Wilson and Robin Wright.
The show featured Fitz and The Tantrums as this year's house band. Bob Dylan also performed "Blind Willie McTell" during the Critic's Choice Music+Film Award tribute to Martin Scorsese.
Since its inception in 1995, theCritics' Choice Movie Awards has been a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season. Historically, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, for example, all four of the acting category winners at the Oscars – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo – first accepted their awards in the same categories at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards. In all, 18 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars were first Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominees.
For more information about the show including a full list of this year's nominees, visit CriticsChoice.VH1.com, "Like" VH1 on Facebook, follow @VH1 on Twitter and use the hashtag #CCMA to talk about the awards.
The 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards is executive produced by Jesse Ignjatovic for Den of Thieves, Joey Berlin for Berlin Entertainment and Lee Rolontz for VH1.
About The Broadcast Film Critics Association: The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.
About Den of Thieves: Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership there, they branched out and are now fully independent. With an array of formats ranging from Comedy Central's stand-up special "Russell Brand in NYC" to VH1's "The T.O. Show" to the MTV Video Music Awards, Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television.
About VH1: VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.
WINNERS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL CRITICS' CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE The Artist
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney - The Descendants
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis - The Help
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer - The Help
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Thomas Horn - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE The Help
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Moneyball - Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (TIE) The Tree of Life AND War Horse
BEST ART DIRECTION Hugo
BEST EDITING The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
BEST COSTUME DESIGN The Artist
BEST MAKE-UP Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Rise of the Planet of the Apes
BEST SOUND Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Rango
BEST ACTION MOVIE Drive
BEST COMEDY Bridesmaids
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM A Separation
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE George Harrison: Living in the Material World
BEST SONG "Life's a Happy Song" – The Muppets Performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter Written by Bret McKenzie and The Muppets
BEST SCORE The Artist
JOEL SIEGEL AWARD
Sean Penn
CRITICS' CHOICE MUSIC+FILM AWARD
Martin Scorsese
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
