Harry Styles Just Received His First Acting Nomination & Fans Will Be So Proud

Proving that he’s much more than just a talented singing and songwriting heartthrob from the beloved boy band One Direction, Harry Styles' 2018 Critics’ Choice Award nomination serves as pure validation of his ability as an actor. The Best Acting Ensemble nomination, which is the first acting nod of Style's entertainment career, comes as a result of his breakthrough role in the 2017 war film, Dunkirk.

The film — which was written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan — received critical acclaim upon its release this past summer, receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92 percent. When the 23rd Annual Critics' Choice Award nominations were announced this week, Dunkirk found itself vying for eight categories in total, including the ceremony's coveted Best Picture Award.

In terms of Styles' casting, many were skeptical about his ability to segue into the seriousness of a role which would require him to put aside his pop star persona, according to USA Today. But on the contrary, Styles' portrayal of a British soldier, who became part of the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II, garnered favorable reviews from film critics. Referring to the project as a "stone cold masterpiece," USA Today noted that the Associated Press' Lindsay Barr raved,

"While there might not be character arcs to speak of, the performances are first-rate nonetheless (even pop star Harry Styles, who might just have another viable career option)."

Admiring the former 1D crooner's capacity to meticulously fuse himself into the troupe of actors, Entertainment Weekly film critic Chris Nashawaty pointed out:

"For the One Direction fans wondering, Harry Styles is also solid, seamlessly blending into the ensemble."

It seems that Styles more than proved his talents in that arena, holding his own amidst a cast that notably featured the likes of veteran actors such as Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, and Cillian Murphy.

Fans have long known Styles for his talents on the music circuit, notably serving as one of One Direction's lead singers while penning a list of tunes for himself and others over the years. As a group, 1D released five hugely successful albums with Forbes ranking them the world's second highest-earning celebrities in 2016. Styles' charismatic temperament and dashing good looks quickly helped to thrust him into the forefront of the quintet-turned-quartet's collective. And these factors seemed to increase the certainty that Styles' career would continue to thrive during the band's extended hiatus in 2016.

As a solo artist, Styles also found success with his eponymous debut album, which landed at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in May 2017. Time magazine ranked it 6th on their The Top 10 Albums of 2017, while Rolling Stone called it out as the 17th best album of the year. Those accolades coupled with his latest dive into the acting pool is a clear indication that the 23-year-old talent is well on his way to becoming a multitalented mainstay in the entertainment industry. It also demonstrates that Styles, by his lonesome, is having one hell of a year.

With the Critics' Choice ceremony right around the corner on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, Styles' trophy collection could quite possibly be expanding into the movie genre, should the Dunkirk cast snag this year's Best Ensemble award. The CCA would surely look good sitting next to all those MTV VMAs, wouldn't they? Dunkirk remains a strong contender in the race, although the film finds itself among some pretty stiff competition going against the talented castings of Lady Bird, Mudbound, The Post, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Win or lose, the huge success of Styles' cinematic initiation will do wonders to solidify his position as a permanent fixture within the film industry. And surely his fans couldn't be more proud.