Brendan Fraser delivered a rousing speech at the Critics Choice Awards after taking home a big win, and by the end of it, he pretty much had the whole room in tears.

The actor was presented with one of the top honors of the night -- Best Actor for his role in "The Whale" , and when he got onstage, he immediately got emotional as he thanked his costars, as well as the writer and director of the Oscar, buzzy film.

Eventually, BF dropped the most poignant line ... saying he was recently "in the wilderness," and is grateful to have been rediscovered. What followed those remarks was just as powerful.

Brendan broke down with his closing words, evoking a standing O and a lot of waterworks out in the audience. He's been a clear favorite throughout this entire awards season ... and you can tell folks are happy for him.

As you might know ... he's been absent from mainstream Hollywood for years, and until somewhat recently, had faded into obscurity , only to bounce back now with "The Whale."

In the flick, Brendan plays a morbidly obese man who's trying to rekindle a relationship with his teen daughter , while also struggling with his health and mental health problems. His performance had been getting rave reviews since 'Whale' first debuted last year.