Critics Choice Awards Adds London Broadcast to its US Show on March 13

The 27th annual ceremony is going international this year, incorporating a party from across the pond.

Critics Choice Awards
Taye Diggs hosted the 2021 Critics Choice Awards (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association)

The Critics Choice Awards will add a London broadcast to its scheduled U.S. telecast on March 13, the Critics Choice Association announced on Wednesday. On this side of the pond, Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer will host the previously scheduled ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, which The CW and TBS will air live from 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. ET. (Other countries will also pick it up for air.)

Meanwhile, in the U.K., stars will also be gathering at the Savoy Hotel in London for a night-owl celebration that will be, according to the Critics Choice Association, “an integral part of the live telecast.”

“When the pandemic made us move our show date from its traditional kick off in January into the heart of the awards season, we felt the need to add a second stage in London to make sure that all our honorees would have the opportunity to participate in the live telecast,” CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement.

The decision to incorporate the U.K. contingent has a simple explanation: When the pandemic forced the CCA to postpone its ceremony, which was originally scheduled for Jan. 9, the only Sunday-evening date that didn’t pose insurmountable conflicts was March 13. But that is also the day of the EE British Academy Film Awards in London, an event that always draws a large contingent of nominees. Many of the top Critics Choice nominees are also up for BAFTA Awards, and it is unlikely that many of them would have skipped the London show to attend the one in Los Angeles.

The CCA is now hoping that many of their nominees will extend their evening for a few more hours by making the three-mile trip from the Royal Albert Hall, where the BAFTA ceremony is taking place, to the Critics’ Choice post-BAFTA bash at the Savoy.

For instance, the “Belfast” team is expected to be a strong presence at the BAFTAs, where Kenneth Branagh’s coming-of-age tale is in the running for several prizes, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. And with 11 nominations from the Critics Choice Awards — tying it with “West Side Story” as the top nominee — “Belfast” will be a centerpiece of that gathering as well. “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog” were also recognized by both groups this year.

All of BAFTA’s best-film nominees are also nominated for Critics Choice Awards, as are 12 nominated actors, including Lady Gaga, Alana Haim, Benedict Cumberbatch, Will Smith, Ariana DeBose, Aunjanue Ellis, Troy Kotsur and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

The CCA previously announced that Billy Crystal would receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th annual ceremony and Halle Berry the SeeHer Award.

Final voting for the Critics Choice Awards is March 9th – 11th.

Steve Pond contributed to this report.

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