‘Ted Lasso’ takes home best comedy series at the Critics Choice Awards

The fish-out-of-water sitcom Ted Lasso took home four major awards Sunday at the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards, a night that was dominated by the streaming platforms. The Apple TV+ original nabbed best comedy series, beating out other critically-acclaimed favorites like HBO Max’s Hacks and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Jason Sudeikis, who plays the show’s namesake character, won Best Actor in a comedy series for his performance in the show’s second season. It’s the second time Sudeikis has taken home that particular trophy for his role on the show, and he won it over the comedy legends Martin Short and Steve Martin, who were both nominated for Only Murders in the Building.

Brett Goldstein, the British actor who plays Roy Kent, the gruff but kindhearted former team captain, won best supporting actor in a comedy series. We’re about to see a lot more from him. Goldstein, who also serves as one of the show’s writers, recently signed a multiyear development deal with Warner Bros. TV, where he’ll develop, create and produce new projects for WBTV, including HBO Max. Finally, Hannah Waddingham, the British actress and West End veteran who plays Lasso’s boss, Rebecca Walton, won best supporting actress in a comedy series. Walton has also won an Emmy Award for her role in the series.

The night was a major victory for Apple TV+, which also scored nominations for CODA (Troy Kotsur won the best supporting actor in a film.) Ted Lasso scored the most awards this year of any nominated TV show. Thanks to the pandemic’s impact on the movie business, virtually every category included works from streaming platforms or premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime. The night was also a major victory for Netflix, which nabbed Best Picture for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.

The Critic Choice Awards have traditionally been overshadowed by the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. But thanks to some lucky timing and rescheduling, this year’s show makes it one of the last awards shows before both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys, thus escalating its importance since it’ll be a likely forecast of future winners.