Last year, the Critics Choice Association nominated 15 people between its lead actor and actress categories — fully 50 percent more than the Academy does for the Oscars. While there isn’t any overlap between the two, the CCA picks do a respectable job of establishing the field of exceptional performances.
As for the Critics Choice Awards’ TV field, it distinguishes itself as a place to honor the unexpected — performances that might exist on shows too small to expect a nomination from any other awards ceremony or work that lives in the shadow of more widely recognized turns. This year’s Critics Choice field cast a wide net and brought in performances that are not only richly deserving, but also even more exciting for being outside the usual awards fare.
Here, Variety critics choose their favorites from among the nominees.