diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/component.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/component.ts
index 64b2913fe1..f62a492330 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/component.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/component.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {AnalysisOutput, CompileResult, DecoratorHandler} from '../../transform';
 import {ResourceLoader} from './api';
 import {extractDirectiveMetadata} from './directive';
 import {SelectorScopeRegistry} from './selector_scope';
-import {isAngularCore} from './util';
+import {isAngularCore, unwrapExpression} from './util';
 
 const EMPTY_MAP = new Map<string, Expression>();
 
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ export class ComponentDecoratorHandler implements DecoratorHandler<R3ComponentMe
     if (decorator.args === null || decorator.args.length !== 1) {
       throw new Error(`Incorrect number of arguments to @Component decorator`);
     }
-    const meta = decorator.args[0];
+    const meta = unwrapExpression(decorator.args[0]);
+
     if (!ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(meta)) {
       throw new Error(`Decorator argument must be literal.`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
index 4fc2b657cb..94ec30d397 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {filterToMembersWithDecorator} from '../../metadata/src/reflector';
 import {AnalysisOutput, CompileResult, DecoratorHandler} from '../../transform';
 
 import {SelectorScopeRegistry} from './selector_scope';
-import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore} from './util';
+import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore, unwrapExpression} from './util';
 
 const EMPTY_OBJECT: {[key: string]: string} = {};
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export function extractDirectiveMetadata(
   if (decorator.args === null || decorator.args.length !== 1) {
     throw new Error(`Incorrect number of arguments to @${decorator.name} decorator`);
   }
-  const meta = decorator.args[0];
+  const meta = unwrapExpression(decorator.args[0]);
   if (!ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(meta)) {
     throw new Error(`Decorator argument must be literal.`);
   }
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/ng_module.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/ng_module.ts
index 1a91a0e238..54ccce6ae2 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/ng_module.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/ng_module.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {Reference, ResolvedValue, reflectObjectLiteral, staticallyResolve} from
 import {AnalysisOutput, CompileResult, DecoratorHandler} from '../../transform';
 
 import {SelectorScopeRegistry} from './selector_scope';
-import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore, referenceToExpression} from './util';
+import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore, referenceToExpression, unwrapExpression} from './util';
 
 export interface NgModuleAnalysis {
   ngModuleDef: R3NgModuleMetadata;
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ export class NgModuleDecoratorHandler implements DecoratorHandler<NgModuleAnalys
 
     // @NgModule can be invoked without arguments. In case it is, pretend as if a blank object
     // literal was specified. This simplifies the code below.
-    const meta = decorator.args.length === 1 ? decorator.args[0] : ts.createObjectLiteral([]);
+    const meta = decorator.args.length === 1 ? unwrapExpression(decorator.args[0]) :
+                                               ts.createObjectLiteral([]);
+
     if (!ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(meta)) {
       throw new Error(`Decorator argument must be literal.`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/pipe.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/pipe.ts
index c3da6204eb..4331746afc 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/pipe.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/pipe.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {reflectObjectLiteral, staticallyResolve} from '../../metadata';
 import {AnalysisOutput, CompileResult, DecoratorHandler} from '../../transform';
 
 import {SelectorScopeRegistry} from './selector_scope';
-import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore} from './util';
+import {getConstructorDependencies, isAngularCore, unwrapExpression} from './util';
 
 export class PipeDecoratorHandler implements DecoratorHandler<R3PipeMetadata> {
   constructor(
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export class PipeDecoratorHandler implements DecoratorHandler<R3PipeMetadata> {
     if (decorator.args === null) {
       throw new Error(`@Pipe must be called`);
     }
-    const meta = decorator.args[0];
+    const meta = unwrapExpression(decorator.args[0]);
     if (!ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(meta)) {
       throw new Error(`Decorator argument must be literal.`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/util.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/util.ts
index ec63dd357b..6322ddef86 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/util.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/util.ts
@@ -87,3 +87,16 @@ export function referenceToExpression(ref: Reference, context: ts.SourceFile): E
 export function isAngularCore(decorator: Decorator): boolean {
   return decorator.import !== null && decorator.import.from === '@angular/core';
 }
+
+/**
+ * Unwrap a `ts.Expression`, removing outer type-casts or parentheses until the expression is in its
+ * lowest level form.
+ *
+ * For example, the expression "(foo as Type)" unwraps to "foo".
+ */
+export function unwrapExpression(node: ts.Expression): ts.Expression {
+  while (ts.isAsExpression(node) || ts.isParenthesizedExpression(node)) {
+    node = node.expression;
+  }
+  return node;
+}
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/test/util_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/test/util_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95fc30ef1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/test/util_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+
+import * as ts from 'typescript';
+
+import {unwrapExpression} from '../src/util';
+
+describe('ngtsc annotation utilities', () => {
+  describe('unwrapExpression', () => {
+    const obj = ts.createObjectLiteral();
+    it('should pass through an ObjectLiteralExpression',
+       () => { expect(unwrapExpression(obj)).toBe(obj); });
+
+    it('should unwrap an ObjectLiteralExpression in parentheses', () => {
+      const wrapped = ts.createParen(obj);
+      expect(unwrapExpression(wrapped)).toBe(obj);
+    });
+
+    it('should unwrap an ObjectLiteralExpression with a type cast', () => {
+      const cast = ts.createAsExpression(obj, ts.createKeywordTypeNode(ts.SyntaxKind.AnyKeyword));
+      expect(unwrapExpression(cast)).toBe(obj);
+    });
+
+    it('should unwrap an ObjectLiteralExpression with a type cast in parentheses', () => {
+      const cast = ts.createAsExpression(obj, ts.createKeywordTypeNode(ts.SyntaxKind.AnyKeyword));
+      const wrapped = ts.createParen(cast);
+      expect(unwrapExpression(wrapped)).toBe(obj);
+    });
+  });
+});