Entertainment

Bafta winners score double following Critics Choice Awards success

The Power Of The Dog, Will Smith, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose, all won equivalent awards in both London and LA.
The Power Of The Dog, Will Smith, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose, all won equivalent awards in both London and LA. The Power Of The Dog, Will Smith, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose, all won equivalent awards in both London and LA.

Several big winners at this year’s Baftas continued their successes across the pond at the Critics Choice Awards (CCA) after scoring themselves double wins.

The Power Of The Dog, Will Smith, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose all won equivalent awards at the ceremonies in London and Los Angeles, which both took place on Sunday – two weeks out from the Oscars.

27th Annual Critics Choice Awards – Press Room
27th Annual Critics Choice Awards – Press Room Smith bested British favourite Benedict Cumberbatch twice in one evening, beating him in the best actor category at both the CCA and Baftas (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Jane Campion’s dark western scored the CCA’s major prize of best picture, after having also won the Bafta for best picture.

Campion was also handed the award for best director at both the CCA and Baftas, fending off Sir Kenneth Branagh in the category.

Taking to the stage she said it was “absolutely stunning” to be nominated alongside “so many incredible women” and thanked cast members and Netflix.

Smith also bested British favourite Benedict Cumberbatch twice in one evening, beating him in the best actor category at both the CCA and Baftas.

The actor attended the ceremony with tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, whose father he plays in the film, saying the pair “defined the American dream”.

“Thank you for entrusting to me with your story what you were able to do… you inspired everyone in this room, everyone in this country and everyone around the world,” he told them in his acceptance speech.

Britain Critics Choice Awards – Winners Walk
Britain Critics Choice Awards – Winners Walk DeBose was named best actress for her turn as Anita in West Side Story (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

“You all define the American dream, you represent the best of what we all hope this country and this world can be.”

Kotsur, who won both CCA and Bafta awards for best supporting actor for his part in Coda, joked the honours were “two birds with one stone”.

Accepting the CCA prize virtually he said his “spirit is there with you all”.

DeBose was named best actress for her turn as Anita in West Side Story at both ceremonies.

Addressing her fellow category nominees at the CCA she said: “You’re all so stinking glorious, you inspire me.”

Despite the overall lack of British success at the Baftas this year, Oscar winning costume designer Jenny Beavan claimed best costume design at both events for her work on Disney’s Cruella.