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Hollywood darling Quvenzhane Wallis won the award for best young actor or actress award backstage at last year's Critics' Choice Movie Awards for her role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Reuters

The 2014 awards season is in full swing, meaning it's time for one of Hollywood's lesser-known nights to get its due.

Launched in 1995, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards annually recognizes standout excellence in film. The films honored at the ceremony are chosen by the Broadcast Film Critics Association -- the largest film critics organization in both the U.S. and Canada.

This year’s ceremony will be broadcast Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on the CW Network. Airing live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., the show will be hosted by actress and comedian Aisha Tyler.

To catch red-carpet coverage before the awards show, it is recommended that you check your local listings to see if the two-hour pre-show coverage will be aired in your market.

Along with BFCA's over 20 film award categories, Forest Whitaker will also be recognized on Thursday night with the Joel Siegel Award. The honor will be presented to him by his "Butler" co-star Oprah Winfrey.

For a full list of BFCA nominees click here.

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