| 21st Critics' Choice Awards | |
| Date: | January 17, 2016 |
| Site: | Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Host: | T.J. Miller |
| Most Awards: | Film: (9) Television: Fargo (4) |
| Most Nominations: | Film: Mad Max: Fury Road (13) Television: Fargo (8) |
| Award1 Type: | Best Picture |
| Award1 Winner: | Spotlight |
| Award2 Type: | Best Comedy Series |
| Award2 Winner: | Master of None |
| Award3 Type: | Best Drama Series |
| Award3 Winner: | Mr. Robot |
| Award4 Type: | Best Movie Made for Television or Limited Series |
| Award4 Winner: | Fargo |
| Award5 Type: | Best Animation Series |
| Award5 Winner: | BoJack Horseman |
| Network: | A&E / Lifetime / LMN |
| Previous: | 20th |
| Next: | 22nd |
The 21st Critics' Choice Awards were presented on January 17, 2016 at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, honoring the finest achievements of filmmaking and television programming in 2015.[1] The ceremony was simulcast on A&E, Lifetime and LMN, and hosted by T.J. Miller.[2] The nominees were announced on December 14, 2015.[3]
This year marked the first time the awards were combined with the Critics' Choice Television Awards into one event onward.[4]
Industrial Light & Magic[6]
The film screened too late for the vast majority of the Broadcast Film Critics Association to see it in time for consideration for the awards. But after what an email to members called "an unprecedented cry out" from its membership, the BFCA's board of directors called a "special referendum" on adding the movie to the ten candidates for Best Picture, which it won. (A similar situation happened for the 6th Critics' Choice Awards in 2001, in which the film Cast Away was voted by referendum to be included among the nominees for Best Picture.) The BFCA faced immediate criticism, including from its own members, over what many saw as an attempt to increase ratings for the awards ceremony's broadcast on A&E (which, is 50% owned by Disney, the company behind Star Wars) on January 17, 2016.[8] Two members—Eric Melin (editor-in-chief of Scene-Stealers.com, a film critic of Lawrence Journal-World, and the president of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle) and Scott Renshaw (editor of Salt Lake City Weekly)—resigned in protest.
Melin, in an open letter, wrote:
Similarly, in another open letter, Renshaw wrote:
The following twenty-six films received multiple nominations:
The following five films received multiple awards:
| Film | Awards |
|---|---|
| 9 | |
| The Big Short | 3 |
| Spotlight | |
| The Revenant | 2 |
| Room |
The following programs received multiple nominations:
| Program | Network | Category | Nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo | FX | Limited | 8 |
| The Leftovers | HBO | Drama | 6 |
| Transparent | Amazon | Comedy | |
| The Wiz Live! | NBC | Movie | 5 |
| Black-ish | ABC | Comedy | 4 |
| Empire | Fox | Drama | |
| Mr. Robot | USA | ||
| Penny Dreadful | Showtime | ||
| FX | Limited | 3 | |
| Jane the Virgin | The CW | Comedy | |
| The Knick | Cinemax | Drama | |
| Luther | BBC America | Limited | |
| Rectify | Sundance | Drama | |
| Saints & Strangers | Nat Geo | Limited | |
| Show Me a Hero | HBO | ||
| UnREAL | Lifetime | Drama | |
| You're the Worst | FXX | Comedy | |
| The Amazing Race | CBS | Reality – Competition | 2 |
| Chopped | Food Network | ||
| Fresh Off the Boat | ABC | Comedy | |
| Getting On | HBO | ||
| The Grinder | Fox | ||
| Hannibal | NBC | Drama | |
| Inside the Actors Studio | Bravo | Reality – Structured | |
| The Last Man on Earth | Fox | Comedy | |
| Master of None | Netflix | ||
| The Middle | ABC | ||
| Mom | CBS | ||
| Nashville | ABC | Drama | |
| Survivor | CBS | Reality – Competition |
The following programs received multiple awards:
| Program | Network | Category | Awards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo | FX | Limited | 4 | |
| Mr. Robot | USA | Drama | 3 |