| TRIFECTA The Trifecta of American Film Critics' Awards | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Film critics awards |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location | United States |
| Participants | New York Film Critics Circle Los Angeles Film Critics Association National Society of Film Critics |
The Trifecta (also known as the Americanfilm critics' awards trifecta or NYFCC-LAFCA-NSFC trifecta) is a term used in Hollywood awards commentary to describe when a film, director, actor, actress, or other eligible recipient wins the same category at all three major film critics' organizations [1] in a single season: the New York Film Critics Circle Awards (NYFCC), the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (LAFCA), and the National Society of Film Critics Awards (NSFC). [2]
These three groups, collectively known as the Trifecta of critics' awards, are considered the most prestigious film critics awards and early indicators in the awards season prior to the Golden Globes Awards ceremony. Trifecta awards are often announced in December and January. Winning the Trifecta in a major category, in all thoese three associations, is considered a significant achievement and a strong predictor of success at later broadcast awards ceremonies in the path to the Academy Awards. [3] [4]
The term Trifecta emerged in awards prognosticating circles during the end of 1990s as these critics' groups gained prominence for their influence on Oscar races. The NYFCC (founded 1935) [5] announces first, typically in early December, followed by LAFCA (founded 1975) [6] in mid-December, and NSFC (founded 1966) in early January. [7] Unlike guild awards, these three major critics groups emphasize critical acclaim over commercial success, often favoring artistic merit [8] over box office performance or bias towards American productions. [9]
The Trifecta is tracked primarily in unified categories (no drama/musical split), and its winners frequently overlap with Oscar nominees or victors. For instance, seven films have achieved the Best Picture Trifecta, all earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture. [10]
Only seven films have swept Best Picture across NYFCC, LAFCA, and NSFC.
| Year | Film | Director | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Goodfellas | Martin Scorsese | Won | Won | Won |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | Steven Spielberg | Won | Won | Won |
| 1997 | L.A. Confidential | Curtis Hanson | Won | Won | Won |
| 2009 | The Hurt Locker | Kathryn Bigelow | Won | Won | Won |
| 2010 | The Social Network | David Fincher | Won | Won | Won |
| 2021 | Drive My Car | Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | Won | Won | Won |
| 2022 | Tár | Todd Field | Won | Won | Won |
| Year | Director | Film | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | David Fincher | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Won | Won | Won |
| 2010 | David Fincher (2) | The Social Network | Won | Won | Won |
| 2016 | Barry Jenkins | Moonlight | Won | Won | Won |
| 2021 | Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | Drive My Car | Won | Won | Won |
| 2022 | Todd Field | Tár | Won | Won | Won |
| Year | Actor | Film | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | John Hurt | The Elephant Man | Won | Won | Won |
| 1982 | Jack Lemmon | Missing | Won | Won | Won |
| 1993 | Liam Neeson | Schindler's List | Won | Won | Won |
| 2007 | Daniel Day-Lewis | There Will Be Blood | Won | Won | Won |
| 2013 | Bruce Dern | Nebraska | Won | Won | Won |
| 2017 | Ethan Hawke | First Reformed | Won | Won | Won |
| 2022 | Colin Farrell | The Banshees of Inisherin | Won | Won | Won |
| Year | Actress | Film | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Sally Field | Norma Rae | Won | Won | Won |
| 1980 | Sissy Spacek | Coal Miner's Daughter | Won | Won | Won |
| 1982 | Meryl Streep | Sophie's Choice | Won | Won | Won |
| 1992 | Emma Thompson | Howards End | Won | Won | Won |
| 1993 | Holly Hunter | The Piano | Won | Won | Won |
| 2006 | Helen Mirren | The Queen | Won | Won | Won |
| 2013 | Cate Blanchett | Blue Jasmine | Won | Won | Won |
| 2022 | Cate Blanchett (2) | Tár | Won | Won | Won |
| Year | Actor | Film | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Jack Nicholson | Terms of Endearment | Won | Won | Won |
| 1992 | Gene Hackman | Unforgiven | Won | Won | Won |
| 1994 | Martin Landau | Ed Wood | Won | Won | Won |
| 2009 | Christoph Waltz | Inglourious Basterds | Won | Won | Won |
| 2014 | J. K. Simmons | Whiplash | Won | Won | Won |
| 2016 | Mahershala Ali | Moonlight | Won | Won | Won |
| 2022 | Ke Huy Quan | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Won | Won | Won |
| Year | Actress | Film | NYFCC | LAFCA | NSFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Meryl Streep | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won | Won | Won |
| 1993 | Anna Paquin | The Piano | Won | Won | Won |
| 2013 | Lupita Nyong'o | 12 Years a Slave | Won | Won | Won |
| 2018 | Regina King | If Beale Street Could Talk | Won | Won | Won |
| 2023 | Da'Vine Joy Randolph | The Holdovers | Won | Won | Won |