Rami Malek, an American actor of Egyptian descent, accepts the best actor award in a drama series for ‘Mr. Robot’ at the Critics’ Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif.

The investigative journalism drama “Spotlight” won the top prize at the Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday, while awards favorites Brie Larson and Leonardo DiCaprio won the top acting prizes for “Room” and “The Revenant.”

Both actors won Golden Globe Awards and are considered front-runners for the Academy Awards, too.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” was the most nominated film of the evening with 13 nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association. While it lost out for the top prize, it did win a number of awards, including Best Director for George Miller, best action movie, and best action movie actor and actress for Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

The financial crisis dramedy “The Big Short,” meanwhile, won for best comedy and best comedic actor for star Christian Bale.

Both were up for best picture Oscar heavyweights like “Spotlight,” “The Revenant” and “The Martian,” as well as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which was added after initial nominees were announced and went home empty handed on Sunday.

But it was “Spotlight’s” night in the end. The film also picked up Best Acting Ensemble, winning out over films like “Straight Outta Compton” and “The Hateful Eight.”

It was the only award that N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” was up for at the show, but the film was on everyone’s minds on the blue carpet and in the early moments of the evening after it received only one Academy Award nomination for screenwriting just days earlier.

“They got snubbed, but there are lots of other great films that got snubbed as well,” said Neil Brown Jr. before the show began. Brown Jr. played DJ Yella in the film which has picked up its share Guild nominations this season.

“Just everybody talking about it is enough of an Oscar for us,” he added.

This is the first year the Critics’ Choice Awards has combined movies and television nominees into one ceremony, similar to the Golden Globes.

Big television winners in the acting categories include Jeffrey Tambor for “Transparent,” Idris Elba for “Luther, and Rachel Bloom for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”

“Fargo” won for best limited series and earned Kirsten Dunst a best actress in a limited series award too.

Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None” won for best comedy series, while “Mr. Robot” picked up the best dramatic series award, as well as best actor for Rami Malek and best supporting actor for Christian Slater.

Related articles across the web

• Critics' Choice Awards 2016 nominations: Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron among the contenders
• 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Leads Critics Choice Awards Nominations
• Mad Max: Fury Road leads Critics Choice Awards nominations with 13
• Ryuichi Sakamoto nominated for Golden Globe Award
• Entertainment › Netflix scores big win with Golden Globes nominations
• Watch Jane Fonda's Emotional "Note To Self" Where She Opens Up About Her 78-Year Life Journey
• Golden Globe Nominations 2016
• Boyhood Wins the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Drama
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Jenner & More: Star Sightings 12.17.2015
• Golden Globe nominations 2016: Watch the announcement