Critics Choice Awards Reveal 2025 Nominees With Animation Leads

With over 600 critics and entertainment reporters weighing in, the 2024 Critics Choice Awards has unveiled its nominations for its 30th annual ceremony. Drawn from a diverse pool of film and television titles, their selections offer a glimpse into the likely front-runners for the Oscar best-animated feature category. Altogether, these critically acclaimed shows and films will make this year’s show extremely competitive and must-watch TV for film enthusiasts. 

30th Critics Choice Awards 

Given its seven coinciding wins in the past decade, the Critics Choice Awards have a track record of predicting Oscar winners in this category. The nominees for this year are equally telling as the five animated features shortlisted received Golden Globe nominations. Consequently, the remaining 26 animated features looking for Oscar recognition face an uphill battle. Ultimately, Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe nominations show a clear consensus among critics and industry critics. As a result, this overlap makes it more challenging for other contenders to make it to the top tier.

Best Animated Feature Nominees

The Critics Choice Award nominees for Best Animated Feature were announced, showcasing a diverse range of animated storytelling. This year’s contenders include:

• Flow by Sideshow/Janus Films
• Inside Out 2 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Memoir of a Snail by IFC Films
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl by Netflix
• The Wild Robot by Universal Pictures

Best Animated Series Nominees

With a talented group of nominees aiming for top honors, the competition for the Critics Choice Awards’ Best Animated Series is fierce. This year’s nominees include:

• Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader
• Prime Video’s Invincible
• Disney’s Bluey
• Disney’s X-Men ‘97.
• Fox’s Bob’s Burgers
• Fox’s The Simpsons.

Best Visual Effects Nominees

The Critics Choice Awards has revealed the Best Visual Effects nominees. Moreover, this shortlist showcases a range of films that pushed the boundaries of cinematic innovation. Consisting of several highly anticipated sequels, this year’s contenders include:

• Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two
• 20th Century Studios, Kingdom of the Planet of Apes
• Universal Pictures’ Gladiator 2
• Paramount Pictures’ Better Man
• Mubi’s The Substance, 
• Universal Pictures’ Wicked: Part One.

Best Song Nominees 

The nominees for the Critics Choice Awards Best Song feature a diverse range of musical styles and film soundtracks. This year’s contenders include original songs:

• The Last Showgirl – “Beautiful That Way”
• Challengers – “Compress / Repress”
• Emilia Pérez – “El Mal”
• Will & Harper – “Harper and Will Go West”
• The Wild Robot – “Kiss the Sky”
• Emilia Pérez – “Mi Camino” 

Best Score Nominees

The Critics’ Choice Awards also announced the nominees for Best Score, highlighting the talented composers behind the most captivating films. This year’s contenders include:

• Volker Bertelmann for Conclave
• Daniel Blumberg for The Brutalist
• Kris Bowers for The Wild Robot
• Clément Ducol & Camille for Emilia Pérez
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for Challengers
• Hans Zimmer for Dune: Part Two

Best Foreign Language Film Nominees

The nominees selected for the Critics’ Choice Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film showcase various cinematic achievements worldwide. As a mix of poignant dramas and thought-provoking explorations, this year’s nominees include:

• All We Imagine as Light
• Emilia Pérez
• Flow
• I’m Still Here
• Kneecap
• The Seed of the Sacred Fig

CCA Nominees

Universal Pictures’ science fiction fable, The Wild Robot, currently leads the pack of animated feature nominees. Overall, the film garnered three total nominations with Kris Bowers earning recognition for best original score. Likewise, the movie’s soundtrack was also nominated for Best Original Song. Meanwhile, the post-apocalyptic drama, Flow, secured two nominations and a notable placement among the six best foreign language film nominees. Despite having no dialogue, the film stands out as the sole animated feature in this category. 

Extending beyond standalone animated features, the influence of animation plays a crucial role in the visual effects of several top-nominated films. Leading the pack with 11 nominations, the Broadway musical adaptation, Wicked: Part One. It will be competing for the top spot with the Vatican thriller, Conclave. Close behind these films, the science fiction epic, Dune: Part Two, and the psychedelic musical drama, Emilia Perez, secured 10 nominations each. 

When Will Critics Choice Awards Air?

Taking place in Santa Monica, California on Sunday, January 12, 2025, the Critics Choice Awards ceremony promises to celebrate the best television shows and films in 2024. Airing on E!, the special event allows viewers to join in on the excitement in real-time. Furthermore, the awards show will be streamed live on Peacock the following day, January 13. As the show approaches, fans have run to social media, sharing their predictions and enthusiasm for the highly-anticipated event, which will surely be an exciting night.