Critics’ Choice Awards: Winners and Surprises

The 5th Annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards aired live on A&E on Sunday night, hosted by So You Think You Can Dance‘s Cat Deeley, a nominee and winner herself. Save for some technical snafus and baffling social media hashtags (you could “tweet” a drink to the show’s attendees), the event went by pretty quickly and had some memorable moments. The biggest winner of the night was HBO’s brilliant, heartbreaking Olive Kitteridge, which was tied for the most-nominated series and walked away with three awards. Here, the highlights from the ceremony, as well as the complete winner’s list.

Bleeps Galore: Winners like Better Call Saul‘s Jonathan Banks and the hilariously blasé Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller, as well as presenter Charlize Theron, all got the censored treatment. (A few of them were easy to pick up, namely the very entertaining Miller, who definitely said, “Yeah, I didn’t f**king expect to win this.”)

The New Era of Orchestra Playoffs: We’re so used to orchestras playing off winners, but this time around it was an abrupt commercial break smack-dab in the middle of Orange is the New Black‘s Lorraine Toussant. Has A&E never seen that show? It’s unwise to mess with Vee.

A Messy Microphone: Just moments after surprised winner T.J. Miller stuffed his face at the podium, presenter and nominee James Corden (who worried that the microphone stand was no longer salvageable) got an even more surprising smooch from winner and Mom star Allison Janney. Deeley said tongues were involved.

The Ultimate Jaw-Dropper: No, not just presenter Charlize Theron’s stunning dress and general presence, but that she presented a genius award Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Even he couldn’t help but poke jokes at himself, his honor, and the very critics who usually hate him rewarding him with such a high honor. (He likened the critics to a “remorseful, abusive dad.”)

A Different Kind of In Memoriam: Instead of the usual in memoriam segment, the show paid tribute to all the shows that concluded over the past year, including Mad Men and Parks and Recreation.

Awesomely Unexpected, Albeit Deserving Winners: The nice thing about the Critics’ Choice Television Awards is that so many shows and stars who normally get overlooked or are under appreciated finally get their due. Case in point: the CCTA winners this year included The Americans, Silicon Valley, Amy Schumer, Justified’s Sam Elliott, Empire’s Taraji P. Henson, and Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk (who pondered about his category, “I’m in a drama?!”).

Actually Tolerable Presenter Banter: Awards show banter can be really painful, unless you’ve got hilarious and chummy co-stars like Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Terry Crews and Chelsea Peretti.

The People Have Spoken: According to Twitter votes, The Walking Dead is the most binge-worthy show. (OITNB was, according to Deeley, a close runner-up.)

WINNERS AND NOMINEES

Best Comedy Series 


Silicon Valley (HBO)
Broad City (Comedy Central)

Jane the Virgin (The CW)

Mom (CBS)

Transparent (Amazon)

Veep (HBO)

You’re the Worst (FX)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series


Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)
Anthony Anderson, Blackish (ABC)

Chris Messina, The Mindy Project (FOX)


Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)

Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (FOX)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series


Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)

Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)

Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (The CW)

Ilana Glazer, Broad City (Comedy Central)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)

Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 


T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley (HBO)
Adam Driver, Girls (HBO)

Cameron Monaghan, Shameless (Showtime)

Jaime Camil, Jane the Virgin (The CW)


Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Tony Hale, Veep (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series


Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia (IFC)

Eden Sher, The Middle (ABC)

Judith Light, Transparent (Amazon)

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Melanie Lynskey, Togetherness (HBO)

Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series


Bradley Whitford, Transparent (Amazon)
Becky Ann Baker, Girls (HBO)


Josh Charles, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)

Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Peter Gallagher, Togetherness (HBO)

Susie Essman, Broad City (Comedy Central)

Best Drama Series 


The Americans (FX)
Empire (Fox)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

The Good Wife (CBS)

Homeland (Showtime)

Justified (FX)

Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Taraji P. Henson – Empire (FOX)

Eva Green – Penny Dreadful (Showtime)

Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS)

Keri Russell – The Americans (FX)

Vera Farmiga – Bates Motel (A&E)

Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Aden Young – Rectify (Sundance)
Charlie Hunnam – Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Freddie Highmore – Bates Motel (A&E)
Matthew Rhys – The Americans (FX)
Timothy Olyphant – Justified (FX)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series


Lorraine Toussaint – Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

Carrie Coon – The Leftovers (HBO)

Christine Baranski – The Good Wife (CBS)

Joelle Carter – Justified (FX)

Katheryn Winnick – Vikings (History)

Mae Whitman – Parenthood (NBC)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Ben Mendelsohn – Bloodline (Netflix)

Christopher Eccleston – The Leftovers (HBO)

Craig T. Nelson – Parenthood (NBC)


Mandy Patinkin – Homeland (Showtime)

Walton Goggins – Justified (FX)

Guest Performer in a Drama Series


Sam Elliott – Justified (FX)
Cicely Tyson – How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

Julianne Nicholson – Masters of Sex (Showtime)

Linda Lavin – The Good Wife (CBS)

Lois Smith – The Americans (FX)


Walton Goggins – Sons of Anarchy (FX)

Best Movie Made For Television 


Bessie (HBO)
Killing Jesus (National Geographic Channel)

Nightingale (HBO)

A Poet in New York (BBC America)

Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)

Best Limited Series


Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
24: Live Another Day (FOX)

American Crime (ABC)

The Book of Negroes (BET)

The Honourable Woman (Sundance)


Wolf Hall (PBS)

Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series


David Oyelowo – Nightingale (HBO)
James Nesbitt – The Missing (Starz)

Kiefer Sutherland – 24: Live Another Day (FOX)

Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall (PBS)

Michael Gambon – The Casual Vacancy (HBO)

Richard Jenkins – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series


Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
Aunjanue Ellis – The Book of Negroes (BET)

Felicity Huffman – American Crime (ABC)


Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)

Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honourable Woman (Sundance)

Queen Latifah – Bessie (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series


Bill Murray – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
Cory Michael Smith – Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Elvis Nolasco – American Crime (ABC)

Finn Wittrock – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)

Jason Isaacs – Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)

Jonathan Pryce – Wolf Hall (PBS)

Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series


Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
Claire Foy – Wolf Hall (PBS)

Cynthia Nixon – Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Lifetime)

Janet McTeer – The Honorable Woman (Sundance)

Khandi Alexander – Bessie (HBO)

Mo’Nique – Bessie (HBO)


Best Reality Series


Shark Tank (ABC)
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)

Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)

Married at First Sight (A&E)

MythBusters (Discovery Channel)


Undercover Boss (CBS)

Best Reality Competition Series


Face Off (Syfy)
The Amazing Race (CBS)

America’s Got Talent (NBC)

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)


Master Chef Junior (FOX)

The Voice (NBC)

Best Reality Series Host

Cat Deeley – 
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)

Anthony Bourdain – Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)

Betty White – Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Lifetime)

James Lipton – Inside the Actors Studio (Bravo)

Phil Keoghan – The Amazing Race (CBS)

Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

Best Animated Series


Archer (FX)
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)

Gravity Falls (Disney Channel)

The Simpsons (FOX)

South Park (Comedy Central)

Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD)

Best Talk Show


The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

Graham Norton Show (BBC America)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)