Demi Moore won best actress at the Critics Choice Awards on Friday, confirming her status as favorite for the Oscars in a week that saw scandal envelop her “Emilia Perez” rival Karla Sofia Gascon. Nineties megastar Moore’s horror film “The Substance” also won best original screenplay at a glitzy Los Angeles gala held by North America’s largest critics’ group, which crowned “Anora” as the year’s best picture.

Moore’s win follows her victory at the Golden Globes in January, and puts her on track to cap a remarkable career renaissance at next month’s Oscars. “This has been such a wild ride,” said Moore, 62, who made a string of hit films in the 1990s, but came to be known as much for her love life as her acting in subsequent decades.

That has changed with “The Substance,” a body-horror flick about an aging celebrity who injects a serum to temporarily live again in her younger body. Nodding to the film’s frequently bloody and horrifying depictions of warped bodies, Moore thanked critics for rewarding “this genre of horror films, that are overlooked and not seen for the profundity that they can hold.”

Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol accept the Best Song award for "Emilia Pérez".

Paul Tazewell, winner of the Best Costume Design award for “Wicked."

Coralie Fargeat accepts the Best Original Screenplay award for "The Substance".

Jesse Eisenberg, winner of the Best Comedy Award for “A Real Pain”.

Jon M. Chu accepts the Best Director award for "Wicked".

Adrien Brody accepts the Best Actor award for "The Brutalist".

Jeremy Saulnier, winner of the Best Movie Made for Television Award for “Rebel Ridge.”

(From left) Vache Tovmasyan, Alex Coco, Sean Baker, Mikey Madison and Samantha Quan accept the Best Picture award for "Anora".--AFP photos

Brad Winderbaum, winner of the Best Animated Series Award for “X-Men '97."

US actor Michael Urie poses with the Best Supporting Actor Award for "Shrinking".

US actor Adam Brody poses with the Best Actor in a Comedy Series Award for "Nobody Wants This".

Italian film editor Marco Costa poses with the Best Editing award for "Challengers".

Maisy Stella, winner of the Best Young Actor/Actress Award for “My Old A**”.

(From left) Wim De Greef, Ian Cooper, Nava Mau, Jessica Gunning, Petra Fried, Ed MacDonald and Matt Jarvis, winners of the Best Limited Series Award for “Baby Reindeer”.

Liev Schreiber accepts the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award for "The Perfect Couple" onstage.

Hannah Einbinder, winner of the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for "Hacks.”

Cristin Milioti accepts the Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for "The Penguin" onstage.

Chris Sanders accepts the Best Animated Feature award for "The Wild Robot" onstage.

Colin Farrell, winner of the Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Award for “The Penguin”.

Zoe Saldaña, winner of the Best Supporting Actress award for "Emilia Pérez".

Jessica Gunning, winner of the Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award and the Best Limited Series award for "Baby Reindeer."

Jarin Blaschke, winner of the Best Cinematography award for “Nosferatu.”

Kathy Bates accepts the Best Actress in a Drama Series award for "Matlock" onstage.

( From left) Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter accept the Best Comedy Series award for "Hacks" onstage.

(From left) Michaela Clavell, Moeka Hoshi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Justin Marks, Takehiro Hira and Rachel Kondo accept the Best Drama Series award for "Shogun" onstage.

Jacques Audiard accepts the Best Foreign Language Film award for "Emilia Pérez" onstage.

Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the Best Actor in a Drama Series and the Best Drama Series Award for “Shogun”.

Peter Straughan accepts the Best Adapted Screenplay award for "Conclave" onstage.

Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol accept the Best Song award for "Emilia Pérez".

Paul Tazewell, winner of the Best Costume Design award for “Wicked."

Coralie Fargeat accepts the Best Original Screenplay award for "The Substance".

Jesse Eisenberg, winner of the Best Comedy Award for “A Real Pain”.

Jon M. Chu accepts the Best Director award for "Wicked".

Adrien Brody accepts the Best Actor award for "The Brutalist".

Jeremy Saulnier, winner of the Best Movie Made for Television Award for “Rebel Ridge.”

(From left) Vache Tovmasyan, Alex Coco, Sean Baker, Mikey Madison and Samantha Quan accept the Best Picture award for "Anora".--AFP photos

Brad Winderbaum, winner of the Best Animated Series Award for “X-Men '97."

US actor Michael Urie poses with the Best Supporting Actor Award for "Shrinking".

US actor Adam Brody poses with the Best Actor in a Comedy Series Award for "Nobody Wants This".

Italian film editor Marco Costa poses with the Best Editing award for "Challengers".

Maisy Stella, winner of the Best Young Actor/Actress Award for “My Old A**”.

(From left) Wim De Greef, Ian Cooper, Nava Mau, Jessica Gunning, Petra Fried, Ed MacDonald and Matt Jarvis, winners of the Best Limited Series Award for “Baby Reindeer”.

Liev Schreiber accepts the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award for "The Perfect Couple" onstage.

Hannah Einbinder, winner of the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for "Hacks.”

Cristin Milioti accepts the Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for "The Penguin" onstage.

Chris Sanders accepts the Best Animated Feature award for "The Wild Robot" onstage.

Colin Farrell, winner of the Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Award for “The Penguin”.

Zoe Saldaña, winner of the Best Supporting Actress award for "Emilia Pérez".

Jessica Gunning, winner of the Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award and the Best Limited Series award for "Baby Reindeer."

Jarin Blaschke, winner of the Best Cinematography award for “Nosferatu.”

Kathy Bates accepts the Best Actress in a Drama Series award for "Matlock" onstage.

( From left) Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter accept the Best Comedy Series award for "Hacks" onstage.

(From left) Michaela Clavell, Moeka Hoshi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Justin Marks, Takehiro Hira and Rachel Kondo accept the Best Drama Series award for "Shogun" onstage.

Jacques Audiard accepts the Best Foreign Language Film award for "Emilia Pérez" onstage.

Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the Best Actor in a Drama Series and the Best Drama Series Award for “Shogun”.

Peter Straughan accepts the Best Adapted Screenplay award for "Conclave" onstage.

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Moore’s win came at the expense of Gascon, the Spanish transgender star of narco-musical “Emilia Perez” whose Oscar campaign collapsed in spectacular fashion over the past week. Social media messages posted years ago by Gascon resurfaced in which she made derogatory and racist remarks about Muslims, China and even the Oscars themselves.

The film’s distributor Netflix has since dropped Gascon from its Oscars campaign, and director Jacques Audiard disavowed his lead actor for her “absolutely hateful” and “inexcusable” comments. Gascon was notably absent at the Critics Choice Awards, and when her name was read out among the nominees, the usually celebratory Hollywood audience fell conspicuously silent. Moore did namecheck Gascon while thanking her fellow nominees during her acceptance speech.

But neither Audiard nor Zoe Saldana, who won best supporting actress for “Emilia Perez,” mentioned Gascon in their remarks from the stage. A Netflix representative told AFP they hoped “the actions of one person” would not “affect the whole film,” which is still in the running to win best picture at the Oscars. That race, for the most coveted Academy Award, is unusually wide-open this year.

Friday’s ceremony provided a major boost for “Anora,” the Cannes festival Palme d’Or winner, about a young New York stripper who marries the young son of a Russian billionaire in an ill-fated whirlwind romance. Several other contenders also picked up key wins Friday. “The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody won best actor, “Conclave” won best adapted screenplay and best acting ensemble, and Broadway adaptation “Wicked” earned best director for Jon M. Chu.--AFP