'Oppenheimer' dominates Critics Choice Awards with 8 wins, 'Barbie' takes 6

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (CNS) -- "Oppenheimer'' built more awards season momentum Sunday, leading the field at the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards with eight awards, including best picture, while "Barbie" was second with six.

"The Bear" and "Beef" led the television winners at the ceremony at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica with four each, with "The Bear" winning for best comedy and "Beef" for best limited series.

"Succession" won three awards, including best drama series.

"Oppenheimer" also won for best director (Christopher Nolan), best supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr.), best acting ensemble, best cinematography (Hoyte van Hoytema), best editing (Jennifer Lame), best visual effects and best score (Ludwig Goransson).

The victories for the story of atomic bomb mastermind Robert J. Oppenheimer came one week after it won five Golden Globe Awards, including best motion picture, best director in a motion picture, best supporting actor in a motion picture and best original score.

"Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy lost for best actor to Paul Giamatti, for his portrayal of a prep school teacher in "The Holdovers."

"Barbie" led the field with 18 nominations and won for best comedy, best original screenplay (Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), best song ("I'm Just Ken"), best costume design (Jacqueline Durran), best production design (Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer), and best hair and makeup.

"Oppenheimer" won for best picture in a field that also consisted of "Barbie, "Poor Things," "American Fiction," "The Color Purple," "The Holdovers," "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Maestro," "Past Lives" and "Saltburn."

Emma Stone won for best actress for her portrayal of a woman brought back to life by a scientist (Willem Dafoe) in "Poor Things." Stone won for best actress in a musical or comedy at the Golden Globes.

Stone's victory was the only one for "Poor Things," which had 13 nominations, matching "Oppenheimer" for second. For the Critics Choice Awards, Stone won over a field that also consisted of Lily Gladstone, the Golden Globes winner for best actress in a drama film, "Barbie" star Margot Robbie, Sandra Huller ("Anatomy of a Fall"), Greta Lee ("Past Lives") and Carey Mulligan ("Maestro").

During the ceremony, Ferrera was presented with the eighth annual SeeHer Award, which honors a woman "who advocates for gender equality, portrays characters with authenticity, defies stereotypes and pushes boundaries."

The award is presented by the Critics Choice Association in conjunction with the SeeHer movement for accurate portrayals of women and girls in media.

Robbie presented the award to Ferrera.

Harrison Ford received a Career Achievement Award for a career best known for his work in the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises. He received the award from James Mangold, who directed Jones in last year's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

Chelsea Handler hosted the awards ceremony.

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists.