In a career-defining moment, actress Demi Moore was awarded the prestigious Critics Choice Award for Best Actress for her remarkable performance in The Substance at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards.
The awards were held on Friday (local time), at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
Moore, 62, took home the award after competing against a stellar group of nominees, including Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Angelina Jolie (Maria), and Mikey Madison (Anora).
The 30th Critics Choice Awards ceremony, which was rescheduled from January 12 to February 7 due to the LA wildfires, also saw Conclave and Wicked dominating the film nominations with 11 nods each, including Best Picture. Conclave takes home Best Acting Ensemble.
Meanwhile, The Wild Robot triumphs as Best Animated Feature. Shogun dominates TV category. Jessica Gunning wins Best Supporting Actress while Hannah Einbinder bags Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Hacks.
Michael Urie is Best Supporting Actor in comedy series for Shrinking.
The Substance is a dark horror-comedy in which Moore portrays Elisabeth Sparkle, a struggling actress who becomes obsessed with a mysterious drug that promises eternal youth and relevance.
Zoe Saldana continued her victory run by winning the Best Supporting Actress honours at the ongoing 2025 Critics Choice Awards for her performance in Emilia Perez.
This award marks her second win in the same category for her performance in Emilia Perez.
In her acceptance speech after receiving the award, Zoe thanked the Critics Choice Association and her fellow nominees for the win. She also appreciated the role of movie critics when she addressed the stars present at the 30th Critics Choice Awards.
“I appreciate the role of a critic. I do. I sometimes read the reviews and internalise it, especially the helpful feedback like, ‘Her crying is distracting.’ ‘She’s in too many franchises.’ Or, my personal favourite, she’s too blue,” said Zoe while hinting at her role in Avatar franchise as quoted by Variety.
Anora wins Best Picture
Anora beat strong contenders like A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Substance, and Wicked. Accepting the award, writer-director Sean Baker expressed his surprise, calling the win “so unexpected.”
“When those who dedicate their lives to their love of film and film criticism and film journalism, when they see something positive in your work, just a little, it means everything in the world. So thank you guys so much,” PEOPLE quoted the filmmaker as saying.
“We made this little film- it was $6 million. That’s micro-budget these days. We shot on film. We shot in New York City.
That all happened because of my incredible cast and crew who roughed it up. We put every dollar up on that screen,” he added.
Adam Brody takes home Best Actor in Comedy Series
Adam Brody made a triumphant return to the spotlight at the Critics Choice Awards, where he won Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Rabbi Noah Roklov in the Netflix comedy Nobody Wants This.
“This is such a thrill,” Brody said during his acceptance speech as per E! News, adding, “Thank you so much to the Critics Choice for this honour.”
Brody’s performance as Rabbi Noah, a character navigating the complexities of faith, relationships, and life, resonated with both viewers and critics alike.
Baby Reindeer wins Best Limited Series
Baby Reindeer emerge as the victor in the Best Limited Series category. The Netflix series, which has been making waves for its gripping narrative and stellar performances, bested a competitive field that included Disclaimer, Masters of the Air, The Penguin, and several others.
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light loses to Jacques’s Emilia Perez
In a highly anticipated category at the 30th Critics Choice Awards, All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, lost the Best Foreign Language Film award to Emilia Perez.
Varun Dhawan’s Citadel: Honey Bunny loses to Squid Games
Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu-starrer Citadel: Honey Bunny directed by Raj & DK lost the Best Foreign Language Series’ award to South Korea’s Squid Game.
Despite the loss, the series gained significant attraction in India after it bagged the Best Series (critics) and Best Screenplay awards at Filmfare OTT Awards 2024.. (ANI)