Well, Cowpoke, the Critics' Choice Awards is generally a big deal. From the Critics' Choice Awards' website:
These awards are bestowed by the Broadcast Film Critics Association ("BFCA") to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. BFCA is the largest film critics organization in the US and Canada and represents almost 300 television, radio and online critics. The winners are selected by the "very people who make a living watching and reviewing films", so it is quite competitive!
The awards will be broadcasted live in the U.S. on the A&E cable channel on January 15th, 9pm.
For more information, see:
http://www.criticschoice.com/movie-awards/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2015-critic ... announced/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
[Just my opinion: Having shared the above info, I have to add my two cents that there are professionals at all levels in the film industry who believe that film criticism in general is no longer a reliable, accountable art form exercised by professional critics with academic film backgrounds. Anyone can be a "film critic" in the Internet age. Anyone can write for the mass-market. It takes an informed, educated critic to look at why a film works, how it works, what it means, and what effects it has on viewers, our society and culture, etc. These days, film criticism has been diluted by many other factors (lack of standardized credentialing for film critics, social media influences, box office earnings, channel(s) of distribution, etc.) Film critics such as Roger Ebert (RIP), formerly of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vincent Canby (RIP) and Stephen Holden, both New York Times' critics, were/are few and far apart now. This isn't my opinion; I actually saw a well-researched and respected documentary about this topic a couple of years ago and attended a panel discussion with seasoned film critics and the CEO of a nationally-recognized independent film festival. All participants were disillusioned with the current and future states of film criticism, similar to the current, deplorable state of journalism-at-large in America.
Oh, gosh, don't ask me to chat about film awards and seals of distinction--I am the first to admit that I am somewhat jaded about such awards--in an industry that I very much love and admire.]