2018 Critics' Choice Awards Winners Announced

The Critic's Choice Awards were held at the Barker Hangar tonight in Santa Monica. Below is a complete list of winners.

The Shape of Water

FILM

BEST PICTURE 

The Shape of Water

BEST ACTRESS 

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST ACTOR 

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS 

Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project

BEST DIRECTOR 

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE 

Coco

BEST ACTION MOVIE 

Wonder Woman

BEST COMEDY 

The Big Sick

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY 

James Franco, The Disaster Artist

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY 

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE 

Get Out

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 

In The Fade

BEST SONG 

Remember Me from Coco

BEST SCORE 

Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 

Jordan Peele, Get Out

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

 Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin, The Shape of Water

BEST EDITING (TIE) 

Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos, Baby Driver

Lee Smith, Dunkirk

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 

Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP 

Darkest Hour

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS 

War for the Planet of the Apes

Sterling K. Brown

TELEVISION

BEST COMEDY SERIES 

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Ted Danson, The Good Place

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Walton Goggins, Vice Principals

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

BEST DRAMA SERIES 

The Handmaid’s Tale

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES 

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 

David Harbour, Stranger Things

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale

BEST LIMITED SERIES

 Big Little Lies

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TV 

The Wizard of Lies

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TV OR LIMITED SERIES

Ewan McGregor, Fargo

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TV OR LIMITED SERIES 

Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TV OR LIMITED SERIES 

Alexander Skarsgård, Big Little Lies

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TV OR LIMITED SERIES

Laura Dern, Big Little Lies

BEST TALK SHOW 

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

BEST ANIMATED SERIES 

Rick and Morty

BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY SERIES 

Born This Way

BEST STRUCTURED REALITY SERIES 

Shark Tank

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES 

The Voice

BEST REALITY SHOW HOST 

RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Bassist Darryl Williams Asks, "Do You Remember'

It took ten years for urban-jazz bass player Darryl Williams to write, record and release Here to Stay, his Billboard top 10 single and the title track to his second album. This week’s release of the follow-up single, Do You Remember, proves that he doesn’t plan to go away anytime soon. Plucking rubbery basslines on piccolo and electric basses on the slick jazz-funk energizer that he wrote and produced, Williams is joined on the dancefloor filler by chart-toppers Michael Lington (saxophone) and Adam Hawley (guitarist).   

Williams’ return to center stage as a frontman with the Here to Stay set resulted in a 2017 Best

New Artist nomination from the Smooth Jazz Network. The first-call bassman calls the collection that he produced with sax powerhouse Euge Groove “a labor of love,” featuring eight of his hand-penned originals along with a pair of remakes that have personal meaning to the San Diego native who currently resides in Temecula. A stellar list of his regular employers were quick to return the favor by making guest appearances on Here to Stay, including Groove, who ignites a pair of tunes including the title cut, two-time Grammy-winning guitarist and producer Paul Brown, jazz-funk keyboard pioneer Jeff Lorber, saxmen Marcus Anderson and Elan Trotman, and keyboardists Jonathan Fritzen, Greg Manning and Scott Wilkie. The disc’s lone vocal number, a faithful rendering of TheEmotions’ Don’t Ask My Neighbors, is soul kissed by R&B crooner Ashling Cole. Williams remembers his late mentor, Carl Evans Jr., by revamping the formerFattburger leader’s sweetly redolent The Doctor, which is graced by Michael Paolo’s caressing soprano sax.

“While to some people, ‘labor of love’ is an overused cliché, it certainly applies to Here to Stay. I began writing songs for the collection in 2007 before moving my family to Temecula from Las Vegas. The compositions were inspired by different experiences we went through on our journey throughout that period. It was an important and formative time in my career as well. That’s when I first started playing in Euge’s (Groove) band and did a tour with Jeff (Lorber) a couple years later. In between is when my very good friend and mentor Carl (Evans Jr.) passed, which was devastating. Do You Remember was one of the last songs I wrote for the record and it was inspired by reflecting on how far I’ve come from growing up as a kid in Los Angeles and San Diego to playing in a funk band with my brother as a teenager. It took me ten years to finish this album and while it takes me back in time, the reaction from fans, radio and reviewers has me looking forward with excitement. I couldn’t be more proud of this album,” said Williams.  

       

Williams was a teenager when he opened for R&B acts Lakeside and Al Green along with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. After studying jazz at San Diego State University, Williams went from regular gigs backing many of San Diego’s most prominent homegrown talent to the neon lights of the Las Vegas strip where he accompanied such nationally-renowned headliners as Clint Holmes, Angela Bofill, Tevin Campbell, Howard Hewett and Keith Washington, and did a road stint with Chaka Khan. After moving back to California in 2008, Williams dropped his debut album, That Was Then, garnering praise from JazzTimes and national airplay on SiriusXM. He has become a fixture on the smooth/contemporary jazz scene where he has shared the stage with the genre’s heavy hitters: Richard Elliot, Peter White, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Brenda Russell, Darren Rahn, Jessy J, Everette Harp and Jeff Kashiwa. He has also recorded with Jackiem Joyner, Blake Aaron, Nils Jiptner, U-Nam and Kay-Ta Matsuno.

"Thor Ragnarok" Released Digitally February 20

Watch the Trailer

Watch the Sneak Peek

 

Marvel Studios' "Thor: Ragnarok," the God of Thunder's third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, electrified both audiences and critics alike reaching over $845M at the global box office. Now the colorful cosmic adventure, loaded with action, humor, drama and spectacle, bursts into homes Digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™, and Movies Anywhere, on Feb. 20 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on March. 6.

 

In Marvel Studios' "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok - the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization - at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). But first, he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger - the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) - and grapple with his silver-tongued adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the fierce warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the eccentric Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). 

 

Fans who bring home the Ultimate Cinematic Universe Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) of "Thor: Ragnarok" will experience all the thunderous action and lightning-fast wit in stunning 4K Ultra HD with next-generation high dynamic range (HDR) visuals and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. Exclusive, never-before-seen bonus features include deleted scenes; hilarious outtakes; an exclusive short: part three of the mockumentary "Team Thor," retitled "Team Darryl" and featuring an eccentric new roommate; the evolution of MCU's heroes culminating in "Avengers: Infinity War;" numerous making-of featurettes which explore the unique vision of director Taika Waititi; the story's unstoppable women; the effortlessly charismatic Korg; the tyrannical leader of Sakaar, the Grandmaster; and the film's comic-book origins;  audio commentary by Waititi; and more.

Presenters Announced For 28th Ovation Awards

Presenters have been announced for the 28^th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards on Monday, January 29, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Red carpet arrivals will begin at 6 p.m. and the ceremony, hosted by Kirsten Vangsness, is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Los Angeles theatre notables scheduled to be presenters are (in alphabetical order) Malcolm Barrett, Alexandra Billings, Melody Butiu, Crystal Diaz, Larissa Fasthorse, Sam Harris, Russell Hornsby, Diarra Kilpatrick, Justin Kirk, Reggie Lee, Pam MacKinnon, Rose Portillo, Armin Shimerman, J.K. Simmons, and Zakiya Young. All appearances are subject to change. 

The 28^th Annual Ovation Awards event will be directed by Tim Dang and is being produced by (in alphabetical order) Marco Gomez, Steven Leigh Morris, Max Oken, Mark Seldis, and Eric Sims. The scenic advisor is Tom Buderwitz, projection design is by Jason Thompson and Kaitlyn Pietras, lighting design is by Karyn Lawrence, and sound design is by Cricket Myers. Christopher Raymond is music director and Angela Lopez will choreograph. Cate Cundiff, Brooke Baldwin, and Morgan Zupanski are the stage managers.

Sponsors for this year’s Ovation Awards ceremony are Bakers Man Productions, CBS, F&D Scene Changes Ltd., Footlights, KCET, Peter Konerko Photography, Ovation TV, Rose Brand, TheaterMania, Theatre Corner, UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, USC School of Dramatic Arts, Variety, Venture Hill Entertainment, and Ken Werther Publicity.

The Theatre at Ace Hotel is located at 929 S. Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. For more information and details on how to attend the Ovation Awards ceremony on January 29, visit www.OvationAwards.com.    

FIJI® Official Water Of SAG Awards For 7th Year

FIJI® Water will serve as the Official Water for the Screen Actors Guild Awards® for the seventh consecutive year, in a role that honors the year’s best performances and recognizes the charitable work of actors and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, hosted by Kristen Bell, will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 21, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

FIJI Water's distinctive square bottles will be available on the red carpet, featured on the dinner tables during the televised award show ceremony, and served at the official Post-Awards Gala co-hosted by Time Inc.’s PEOPLE, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), and TNT & TBS.

“FIJI Water is pleased to continue its partnership with the Screen Actors Guild Awards for the seventh consecutive year,” said Clarence Chia, Vice President Marketing, FIJI Water. “As the Official Water of the event, we could not be prouder to support the goodwill of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and be part of such a special evening honoring film and television’s finest once again!”

Additionally, FIJI Water will again make a donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to support its work providing vital assistance to SAG-AFTRA professionals while serving the public at large through its signature children’s literacy program, Storyline Online. The Foundation’s programs for members include emergency financial and medical assistance, educational workshops, panels, and classes nationwide.

About FIJI® Water

FIJI® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the No. 1 imported premium bottled water in the United States. FIJI Water, known for its iconic square bottle, soft mouthfeel, and unique mineral profile, is the water of choice among discerning consumers and top chefs. Widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels and through a convenient home/business delivery service, FIJI Water has expanded globally to more than 80 countries. To discover Earth’s Finest Water, please visit www.fijiwater.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

In 2017, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation celebrated 32 years of giving back to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA, their families, and communities. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its signature children’s literacy program. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants, and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. Visit sagaftra.foundation.

About the Screen Actors Guild Awards®

The 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, presented by SAG-AFTRA with Screen Actors Guild Awards, LLC and hosted by Kristen Bell, will be produced by Avalon Harbor Entertainment. Inc. and simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT). TBS and TNT subscribers can also watch the SAG Awards live through the networks' websites and mobile apps. In addition, TNT will present a special encore of the ceremony at 11 p.m. (ET) / 8 p.m. (PT). Additionally, TNT will present a special encore broadcast of the ceremony at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT. The telecast is available internationally, including two U.S. military installations through the American Forces Network.

Honorees for outstanding television and film stunt ensemble action performances will be announced from the red carpet during the SAG Awards Red Carpet Pre-show.

One of the awards season’s premier events, the SAG Awards® annually celebrates the outstanding motion pictures and television performances from the previous calendar year. Of the top industry honors presented to actors, only the SAG Awards are selected entirely by the 121,544 SAG-AFTRA members in good standing. The SAG Awards was the first televised awards show to acknowledge the work of union members and the first to present awards to motion picture casts and television ensembles. For more information about the SAG Awards®, SAG-AFTRA, TNT and TBS, visitsagawards.org/about.

 

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All The Way West Productions Presents Black History Production Of 'The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963' At Hudson Backstage Theatre

All The Way West Productions, Inc. presents a Black History Production of The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963, a play by Reginald Andre’ Jackson and based on the Newberry and Loretta Scott King Honor Book novel by Christopher Paul Curtis.   

The show opens Friday, January 26, 2018, at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90038.  

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. through February 25, 2018.  This Multi-Media live stage production features choreographed movement, dance, stunts and historical footage to enhance and liven this passionate production which sheds a light on bullying, racism and family ties.

The Watson family of five, of Flint, Michigan is told through the eyes of Kenny, our narrator, who tells the tale of "growing up" in the Watson Family. From getting picked on by the bullies at school to the antics of his eldest brother, Byron (a teenage delinquent), who can't seem to stay out of trouble and causes alarming concern to their parents. When Byron gets his hair chemically straightened without permission (a big no-no), that's the last straw. To set him straight, the family decides to take a much-needed trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit the notoriously strict Grandma Sands.

Producer, Harry Jones, Jr. founder of All The Way West Productions, Inc. established in 1998 specializes in producing plays for Black History Month.  A native of Tennessee, and the first of 10 children, Mr. Jones is a U.S. Army Veteran.  He pursued his career as a Theatre Major at Southwest College and also studied at the legendary Barbizon Fashion School, Ebony Showcase, and Crossroads Arts Academy.  Jones' past productions include:  Shaking The Mess Out of Misery, Fences, I Ain’t Yo Uncle, Inns and Outs, Talking Bones, Southern Girls and A Woman Called Truth.  Most recently All The Way West Productions produced PERIPHERY and had a successful run at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in February 2017. 

Bernadette Speaks (Director) has completed three films as an actor and now steps into the role of director in All the Way West Production’s, West Coast Premiere of The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963.  She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from the University of Georgia; and presently continues to hone her craft, at various acting studios around the Los Angeles area. Bernadette was a part of the Producing Queens of The Trunk Show, which brought its own uniqueness in the world of storytelling. She is also the creator and producer of Get Up Stand Up: Clean Comedy 4 A Change, a comedy showcase that bridges the gap between laughter and charity together. Bernadette has also appeared in several acclaimed shows, such as Tituba, in The Crucible during the 2013 Fringe Festival. The Elephant Theater’s North Plan, In Arabia We’d Be Kings and The Fountain Theater’s West Coast Production of Direct from Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys. She’s performed at the Steppenwolf Theater, Goodman, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, and the Matrix’s LA Premier of An Evening with Shakespeare featuring Taraji P. Henson. Awards include an Emmy Nomination for A Stage of Our Own with James Earl Jones, and the 1997 Sundance Festival winner, Love Jones, which was also honored in 2017 at the ABFF AWARDS for its contribution as a cinematic classic in African-American films. Other film and television credits include The Soloist, Seal Team, Heroes, Parenthood, and To Sir with Love II with Sidney Poitier.

The talented and diverse cast includes: Marcus Oliver (as Daniel Watson), Tiffany Coty (as Wilona Watson), Ken Ivy (as Kenny Watson), Javen Smith (as Byron Watson), Victoria Newman (as Joetta Watson), Sonia Jackson (as Grandma Sands), Jalen Parker (as Larry Dunn), Tireni Oyenusi (as Rufus), Zaria Kelley (as Cody & Girl), Antoine Lee (as Buphead), Monty Montgomery (as Mr. Robert), Zacerous LaRue Jones (as Mr. Alums) and Chantel Steinreich (as Mrs. Davidson & Mrs. Mitchell).  The extraordinary production team includes choreographer Shari Washington Rhone, costumier Ashphord Jacoway, and award-winning lighting designer Matt Richter.

Tickets are $30 for the general public; $20 for seniors (55+), veterans & students; $10 children ages 7-17; and groups of 10+ discounts available.  Preview tickets are January 20 and 21 for $15.

Hudson Box Office, (323) 856-4249, Tickets on Plays411 https://www.plays411.com/thewatsons

Emmy Winning Actor Sterling K. Brown Is Set To Guest Star In An Episode Of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown, the Emmy-winning actor, is set to guest star in an episode of BROOKLYN NINE-NINE on FOX later this year. Brown will appear as Philip Davidson, a murder suspect who undergoes an all-night interrogation carried out by Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher). 

This role holds a special place in Brown’s heart as he won the Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for, This is Us, and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE star Andre Braugher was one of the first people he thanked, as he was the last African American actor to win the award almost 20 years prior to, Homicide. He is set for one episode and no date has been announced yet but the show will return to FOX this spring.

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE now in its fifth season is a cop comedy following Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) as he takes over Brooklyn's 99th precinct. While there, he gets tangled up with Detective Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), who was recently taken off the field after the birth of his twin girls; amongst others (Melissa Fumero, Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Chelsea Peretti).

ABOUT BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

From Emmy Award-winning writer/producers Dan Goor and Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”), BROOKLYN NINE-NINE won the 2014 Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical (Samberg). Braugher recently earned his third consecutive Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Holt’s next-in-command is Sergeant TERRY JEFFORDS (Terry Crews), a muscle-bound human mountain who loves nothing more than his three little daughters, except for a fresh carton of full-fat yogurt. The man loves yogurt. Jake’s fellow detectives include his girlfriend, AMY SANTIAGO (Melissa Fumero); his best friend and human puppy-dog, Detective CHARLES BOYLE (Joe Lo Truglio); and the incredibly secretive, tough-as-nails Detective ROSA DIAZ (Stephanie Beatriz). Holt’s civilian assistant is GINA LINETTI (Chelsea Peretti), the living embodiment of the “100” emoji. Rounding out the precinct’s staff are veteran officers Detective SCULLY (Joel McKinnon Miller) and Detective HITCHCOCK (Dirk Blocker), whose only skill as police officers is their ability to make a passable pot of coffee.

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is produced by Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment, Fremulon and Dr. Goor Productions. The series was created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur. The series is executive-produced by Goor, Schur, David Miner and Luke Del Tredici.