Cate Blanchett calls out entertainment industry while accepting Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress

Cate Blanchett passionately called out her industry at the Critics’ Choice Awards today — but some were left puzzled by her main criticism.

Cate Blanchett slams awards shows while accepting Best Actress at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Picture: Twitter.

Cate Blanchett called to abolish televised awards ceremonies while accepting a gong at the Critics’ Choice Awards today.

The Aussie star, 53, took to the stage to receive the Best Actress accolade for her performance in Tár, delivering an impassioned speech in which she called the win “ridiculous” and praised her fellow nominees before being played out.

Blanchett, who has two Oscars and won a Golden Globe for Tár just last week, called the category a “patriarchal pyramid,” demanding to “stop the televised horse race of it all.”

While many have praised the star for calling out the industry for pitting women against each other, some viewers couldn’t help but call her out for hypocrisy as an Oscar favourite.

Cate Blanchett said to stop pitting women against each other and she's so right!#CriticsChoiceAwardspic.twitter.com/L8gGuTEpvi

— Rina (@bbblanchett) January 16, 2023

hell of a speech by cate blanchett

— petty labelle (@utley) January 16, 2023

Tone deaf speech from cate blanchett

— ah (@heard_updates) January 16, 2023

Cate Blanchett is giving a terrible acceptance speech 💀

— 🗣 (@RYBKR) January 16, 2023

I love Cate Blanchett so much. What a performance. What a speech. Still think Yeoh wins at SAG and the Oscars! #CriticsChoiceAwards

— Brian Rowe 🏳️‍🌈🍿🎃 (@mrbrianrowe) January 16, 2023

It’s been almost 10 years now that Cate Blanchett dedicates every speech or interview during awards season to highlight other people’s work. Streep does that too. They seem kind of done with awards

— Shivthepupthatwatches (@Shivmoviemaiden) January 16, 2023

cate blanchett called for the complete dissolution of the hollywood awards season horserace in her @CriticsChoice speech and it was magnificent 🙌🌈 pic.twitter.com/zczDX0UsGN

— gabriel x. michael (@_GXM) January 16, 2023

“Well, that speech made me not want to see Cate Blanchett win the Oscar, give it to Michelle Yeoh, who probably won’t sh*t on her own awards while getting it,” one critic wrote.

Blanchett began by joking, “I’ve got gum in my mouth. I really didn’t expect to be standing here,” and, “This is actually the second award of the evening: Julia Roberts, earlier, presented me with a bottle of mouthwash. So thank you, Julia. This is a poor second.”

“I can’t believe I’m up here. This is ridiculous,” she continued with a laugh, “I’m so old!”

She went on to assert that “best actress” is an “arbitrary” term “considering how many extraordinary performances” there were by women last year. Blanchett was up against Viola Davis (The Woman King), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), Margot Robbie (Babylon), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once).

Blanchett is a frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar this awards season. Picture: John Sciulli/Getty Images.

“I would love it if we would just change this whole f***ing structure. It’s like what is this patriarchal pyramid where someone stands up here. Why don’t we just say there was a whole raft of female performances that are in concert and in dialogue with one another?”

“And stop the televised horse race of it all,” continued Blanchett.

“Because, can I tell you, every single woman with a television, film, advertising, tampon commercials — whatever — you’re all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually. So thank you. I share this with you all.”

In Tár, Blanchett plays fictional composer named Lydia Tár, an EGOT winner who is hailed as a trailblazer for women in the industry, until sexual misconduct accusations surface, sending her career into a nosedive.

Responding to recent criticism of the film, the actress told BBC Radio 4 that Tár is a “very provocative film, and it will elicit a lot of very strong responses for people. … [We wanted] to create a really lively conversation.”