LOS ANGELES — Nikki Novak, a film critic, has been a member of the Critics Choice Association for the past four years. This year, it all came down to the very last minute for her to fill out her ballot for this weekend’s ceremony as she watched her beloved show step out of the shadows.
“We’re like Cinderella this year,” she said.
Some of the other higher publicized awards shows have always overshadowed the Critics Choice Awards leading up to the Oscars, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes.
Novak has seen the acclaimed film “The Power of the Dog” four times now, and said 2022 has become the perfect storm. This year’s Golden Globes ceremony happened in a news conference style event with little to no fanfare following its diversity controversy.
Because of the pandemic and the shakeup of dates, the Critics Choice Awards are now in a powerful position — one of the last award shows before the Oscars.
“This year we are right before and because this year no one knows who is going to win, I think people are really looking to the Critics’ Choice,” she said.
It means the industry is really courting the CCA team more than ever before.
“A lot of the studios are coming to the Critics’ more and more,” she said.
Novak is grateful for the show’s newfound attention and hopes it brings newfound prestige to the award. It is an award, she said, gets voted on by the ultimate expert — critics who watch hundreds of films a year.
Will the Critics Choice Awards stay in the spotlight, if they get pushed back to their original January date, and the Golden Globes come back with an attention-stealing bang next year? Time will tell.
Novak, however, will take her sweet time with her ballot, knowing this vote is extra important as the CCA enjoys its time in the sun.