Chalamet boosts his Oscar career with a commanding win at the Critics Choice Awards

Timothée Chalamet's campaign for the Oscars received a strong boost Sunday after his win for best actor at the Critics Choice Awards for his performance in "Marty Supreme," at Hollywood's first major awards gala of the season.

Chalamet prevailed over Leonardo DiCaprio, starring in the political thriller "One Battle After Another," which still emerged as the night's big winner by taking the best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay awards for Paul Thomas Anderson.

In "Marty Supreme," directed by Josh Safdie, the French-American actor brings to life an ambitious 1950s table tennis champion, a character loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman. The film, supported by a unique viral campaign spearheaded by Chalamet, became an unexpected worldwide success.

Upon receiving the award, Chalamet said "Josh, you made a story about a flawed man with a dream that's easy to identify with. You didn't lecture the audience about what's right or wrong, and I think we should all tell stories like that."

The 30-year-old actor, who has never hidden his ambition to win multiple Oscars, now emerges as a favorite heading into the March 15 ceremony.

Race to the Oscars

Awarded by the largest group of critics in North America, the Critics Choice Awards usually mark the pulse of the season. This year, moreover, they occupied the coveted first weekend of the calendar, traditionally reserved for the Golden Globes, to be held next weekend in Beverly Hills.

Among the other notable winners, Jessie Buckley won best actress for her role as William Shakespeare's wife in the period drama "Hamnet." Jacob Elordi won best supporting actor for his performance in "Frankenstein," which also took three technical awards, while Amy Madigan was recognized as best supporting actress for her villainous role in the horror thriller "Weapons."

Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" won best animated film and best song, while "Sinners," one of the season's strongest titles, won multiple awards, including best original screenplay, best cast and best music.

In television, the satire "The Studio" rose as best comedy and "Adolescence" was awarded best miniseries.