Critics Choice Association
The Critics Choice Association is a nonprofit organization representing over 500 broadcast, radio, and online critics across the US and Canada. Founded in 1995, it runs four annual awards programs and diversity events, funded through broadcast licensing, sponsorships, and membership dues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersWest Hollywood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Critics Choice Association does
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1995 that aggregates critical assessment from over 500 broadcast, radio, online critics, and entertainment journalists across the United States and Canada. The organization was formally established in 2019 through the merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, consolidating film, television, documentary, unscripted, and genre-content criticism under a single umbrella. CCA's product portfolio comprises four annual awards programs — the flagship Critics Choice Awards (now in its 32nd edition), Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Critics Choice Real TV Awards, and Critics Choice Super Awards — plus four Diversity Celebration events recognizing LGBTQ+, Black, Latino, and AAPI Cinema & Television. Supporting products include the 'In Conversation' video interview series, the Critics Choice Seal of Distinction for highly-rated films, weekly member movie ratings, and a CCA scholarship program.
The underlying technology stack is light: a member-facing voting platform, a public website (criticschoice.com), and standard social media distribution across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and X. CCA monetizes through five primary revenue streams: broadcast licensing fees from E! and USA Network (both under Versant) for the live telecast; corporate sponsorships from brands including FIJI Water, Milagro Tequila, Cold Stone Creamery, and Wetzel's Pretzels; event ticket and table sales at venues such as Barker Hangar and Fairmont Century Plaza; annual membership dues from voting and associate members; and merchandise through the CCA Merch Store. Its primary go-to-market is event-driven, anchored on the annual flagship ceremony with a two-year broadcast renewal through 2028.
CCA serves four customer segments: film and television industry professionals who seek awards recognition, the 500+ critic members who provide assessments, streaming platforms and studios whose content receives nominations, and a general entertainment audience that consumes the broadcast and related content. Strategic execution partners include Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment (executive production), APEX Public Relations (media relations), Greenberg Traurig (legal counsel), and HereTV (LGBTQ+ celebration streaming). Leadership is led by CEO Joey Berlin, with EVP David Freedman and dedicated Presidents for Film (Pete Hammond) and Television (Ed Martin), a Board of Directors drawn from major outlets (Variety, Rotten Tomatoes, TNT/TBS/truTV, Fox, Good Day LA, KSNV-TV), and digital sales and marketing functions.
Critics Choice Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Critics Choice Association
- Legal name
- Critics Choice Association
- Website
- https://criticschoice.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Critics Choice Association is a nonprofit organization representing over 500 broadcast, radio, and online critics across the US and Canada. Founded in 1995, it runs four annual awards programs and diversity events, funded through broadcast licensing, sponsorships, and membership dues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Critics Choice Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Awards & Event Management
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Entertainment Programming & Curation (Lineups, Run-of-Show, Scheduling) (HSACAHAO)
Keywords
Where Critics Choice Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Hollywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Critics Choice Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Broadcast Rights and Television Distribution: The Critics Choice Awards are broadcast on E! and USA Network, with a two-year renewal deal signed through 2028, generating revenue through broadcast rights and television distribution deals.
- Event Tickets and Table Sales: The organization sells tickets and tables for its award ceremonies and gala events. Contact information for ticket purchases is provided for events like the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including FIJI Water, Milagro Tequila, Cold Stone Creamery, and Wetzel's Pretzels sponsor the annual awards shows.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Voting Members and Associate Members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Critics Choice Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Critics Choice Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization of over 500 broadcast, radio, online critics and entertainment journalists that aggregates critical assessments of film, documentary, and television content. It produces five annual awards programs (Critics Choice Awards, Documentary Awards, Real TV Awards, Super Awards, and Diversity Celebrations) and generates revenue through broadcast licensing, sponsorships, membership dues, and event ticket sales.
Product overview
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) operates as a unified platform for multiple annual awards programs and events. The core offerings include the Critics Choice Awards (the flagship film and television awards ceremony), Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Critics Choice Real TV Awards, and Critics Choice Super Awards. The organization also runs four Diversity Celebration events: Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television, Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television, Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television, and Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. Additional products include the 'In Conversation' video interview series, the Critics Choice Seal (a distinction for highly-rated films), Weekly Movie Ratings (for members), the CCA Membership Program, and CCA Scholarships. The awards are broadcast on E! and USA Network, with content available on Peacock streaming platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Critics Choice Awards Annual awards ceremony honoring the finest in cinematic and television achievement. The flagship event of the organization, known as the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations, hosted at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and aired live on E! and USA Network with next-day streaming on Peacock.
- Critics Choice Documentary Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence in documentary filmmaking across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.
- Critics Choice Real TV Awards Annual awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
- Critics Choice Super Awards Annual awards program honoring achievements in superhero, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and action content across film and television.
- Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television Annual event recognizing achievements across the LGBTQ+ entertainment community, spotlighting stars, creators and writers behind acclaimed projects. Streamed on HereTV during Pride Month.
- Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television Annual event recognizing historically underrepresented Latino communities in entertainment.
- Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television Annual event recognizing achievements in Asian Pacific American cinema and television.
- Celebration of Black Cinema & Television Annual event recognizing achievements in Black cinema and television, spotlighting historically underrepresented communities.
- In Conversation Video/podcast series featuring interviews with actors, directors, and industry professionals discussing their work. CCA members interview talent about their projects.
- Critics Choice Seal of Distinction Proprietary distinction seal awarded to new movies receiving high Critics Choice Ratings scores in weekly voting by CCA members.
- CCA Membership Program Membership program for media critics and entertainment journalists, providing access to voting rights in awards, advance screenings, and a professional network. Includes Voting Members and Associate Members tiers with annual dues.
- CCA Scholarships Scholarship program for students pursuing careers in journalism, criticism, or entertainment media.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ratings doubled for the last Critics Choice Awards show
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Critics Choice Association
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Critics Choice Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Critics Choice Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- E! NetworkcorePrimary broadcast partner for the Critics Choice Awards. E! airs the annual ceremony live on both coasts. A two-year renewal deal was signed in April 2026, continuing the partnership through 2028. This marks the third consecutive year E! has hosted the telecast.
- USA NetworkcoreCo-broadcast partner for the Critics Choice Awards, airing live simultaneously with E! across both coasts. Part of the two-year renewal deal with Versant through 2028.
- VersantcoreParent company overseeing E! and USA Network entertainment programming. Val Boreland, President of Entertainment at Versant, announced the two-year renewal deal for the Critics Choice Awards, continuing the partnership through 2028.
- HereTVminorLGBTQ+ streaming service that streamed the Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television event during Pride Month 2025. The first and largest LGBTQ+ television and streaming service in the U.S.
- PeacockcoreNBCUniversal's streaming platform serves as the streaming home for the Critics Choice Awards, offering next-day viewing following the live broadcast. The awards ceremony is available on the platform the day after airing live.
- Bob Bain ProductionscoreExecutive production company for the Critics Choice Awards. Bob Bain Productions works alongside Berlin Entertainment to produce the annual ceremony.
- Berlin EntertainmentcoreExecutive production company for the Critics Choice Awards alongside Bob Bain Productions. Responsible for producing the annual ceremony.
- Greenberg Traurig, LLPminorLegal representation for the Critics Choice Awards. Dan Black serves as the representative for the organization.
- APEX Public RelationsminorPR agency handling media relations for the Critics Choice Awards. Contact includes Andy Gelb and Julia Rossen for press inquiries.
- FIJI WaterminorCorporate sponsor of the Critics Choice Awards, providing product at events.
- Milagro TequilaminorCorporate sponsor of the Critics Choice Awards, providing alcoholic beverage products at events.
- Cold Stone CreameryminorCorporate sponsor of the Critics Choice Awards.
- Wetzel's PretzelsminorCorporate sponsor of the Critics Choice Awards.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Critics Choice Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hollywood Foreign Press Association / Golden Globes: The most direct structural analog: a press/critics organization that hosts an annual entertainment awards ceremony with broadcast partnerships. Both are nonprofit-style professional bodies producing prestige awards for film and television, and the HFPA's recent restructuring mirrors the CCA's 2019 merger of two predecessor bodies (BFCA + BTJA).
- SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild Awards): Industry guild/professional association that hosts its own annual televised film and television awards (SAG Awards). Closely comparable model of a member organization monetizing awards shows through broadcast deals and sponsorships.
- Producers Guild of America (PGA Awards): Industry guild hosting annual Producers Guild Awards for film and television. Similar professional-association model, member voting, and awards-season positioning adjacent to Critics Choice Awards.
- National Board of Review: Historic New York-based critics organization (founded 1909) that publishes annual top-ten lists and hosts its own awards gala. Closely comparable as a critic-organization awards body, though smaller in scale and less televised than CCA.
- Film Independent (Independent Spirit Awards): Nonprofit organization hosting the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards for independent cinema. Same event-driven, broadcast-supported nonprofit professional model as the CCA, serving a distinct but overlapping awards-season audience.
- The Gotham Film & Media Institute (Gotham Awards): Nonprofit film organization that hosts the annual Gotham Awards for independent film. Operates in the same awards-season window with comparable nonprofit-hosted, sponsor-supported event economics.
Broad incumbents
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars): The apex film awards organization; broader and more established than CCA, with global reach and member-driven voting. Operates in the same awards-season ecosystem and is the ultimate downstream target of CCA's 'most accurate Oscar predictor' brand positioning.
- BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts): International professional academy hosting BAFTA Film and Television Awards with broadcast partnerships. Comparable membership/voting model, but with established global brand reach that the CCA currently lacks.
- Television Academy (Emmy Awards): Large professional society of TV industry professionals that produces the Emmy Awards, the most prestigious US television awards. Competes for the same awards-season audience, broadcast partners, and studio campaign budgets as the Critics Choice Awards.
Others
- Rotten Tomatoes: Critic-and-audience review aggregator that sits adjacent to the CCA in the entertainment-criticism ecosystem. Represents the data-driven competitive threat to traditional critics organizations; a CCA board member represents Rotten Tomatoes, signaling ecosystem linkage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Critics Choice Association social profiles
Digital presenceCritics Choice Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Critics Choice Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Critics Choice Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Critics Choice Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Critics Choice Association
What does Critics Choice Association do?
The Critics Choice Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization of over 500 broadcast, radio, online critics and entertainment journalists that aggregates critical assessments of film, documentary, and television content. It produces five annual awards programs (Critics Choice Awards, Documentary Awards, Real TV Awards, Super Awards, and Diversity Celebrations) and generates revenue through broadcast licensing, sponsorships, membership dues, and event ticket sales.
Is Critics Choice Association a public or private company?
Critics Choice Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Critics Choice Association founded?
Critics Choice Association was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Critics Choice Association based?
Critics Choice Association is headquartered in West Hollywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Critics Choice Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Broadcast Rights and Television Distribution is the primary driver. The others are event Tickets and Table Sales and sponsorships.
Who are Critics Choice Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hollywood Foreign Press Association / Golden Globes, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild Awards), Producers Guild of America (PGA Awards), National Board of Review, Film Independent (Independent Spirit Awards) and The Gotham Film & Media Institute (Gotham Awards). Broad incumbents are Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and Television Academy (Emmy Awards). Rotten Tomatoes is listed as an others.
Does Critics Choice Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Critics Choice Association.
What industry is Critics Choice Association in?
Critics Choice Association's product category is Entertainment Awards & Event Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies), with a secondary code of HSACAHAO, Entertainment Programming & Curation (Lineups, Run-of-Show, Scheduling). Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7990.