2026 Critics Choice Awards: Winners and Highlights

A new year is here, and with that, the start of the award season circuit to celebrate those who have kept us entertained throughout 2025. First up is the 31st Critics Choice Awards, which honours the best of film and TV in the past year. 

In the film categories, Ryan Coogler’s vampire gothic Sinners led with an impressive 17 nominations, followed by Paul Thomas Anderson’s black comedy action thriller One Battle After Another with 14 nominations. The former went home with four wins, which were Best Original Screenplay, Best Cast Ensemble (a new category this year), Best Score, and Best Young Actor for newcomer Miles Caton.

But it was Anderson who ultimately picked up the top honour of Best Picture, as well as Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film has been a juggernaut in the critics circuit and is expected to continue its streak in the award season. 

In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for Marty Supreme, whilst Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her captivating performance in Hamnet. Jacob Elordi was awarded Best Supporting Actor for Frankenstein, which also dominated the craft categories, and Amy Madigan nabbed Best Supporting Actress for her role in the suburbia horror flick Weapons.

Significantly, Netflix’s animated smash hit KPop Demon Hunters won both its nominations in Best Animated Feature and Best Song for ‘Golden’, beating out Wicked: For Good’s ‘The Girl in the Bubble’ and F1’s ‘Drive’.

Over on the TV side, Adolescence continues to dominate with six nominations, taking home four, including Best Limited Series, and three acting awards for Erin Doherty, Stephen Graham, and Owen Cooper, who becomes the youngest male recipient in history at 16 years old.  

Other TV shows that swept include medical drama The Pitt and Seth Rogen’s The Studio, each winning three awards, such as Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series, respectively.

Ahead, find the full list of nominees and winners.

 

FILM WINNERS

BEST PICTURE

Bugonia 

Frankenstein 

Hamnet 

Jay Kelly 

Marty Supreme 

Sentimental Value 

Sinners

Train Dreams 

Wicked: For Good 

One Battle After Another — WINNER

 

 

BEST ACTOR

Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)

Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)

Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)

Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)

Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)

Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) — WINNER

 

 

BEST ACTRESS  

Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) — WINNER

Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)

Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)

Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)

Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee)

Emma Stone (Bugonia)

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) — WINNER

Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another)

Paul Mescal (Hamnet)

Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)

Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly)

Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value)

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Madigan (Weapons) — WINNER

Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)

Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good)

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)

Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)

Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)  

 

 

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS

Everett Blunck (The Plague)

Cary Christopher (Weapons)

Shannon Mahina Gorman (Rental Family)

Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet)

Nina Ye (Left-Handed Girl)

Miles Caton (Sinners) — WINNER

 

 

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) — WINNER

Ryan Coogler (Sinners)

Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein

Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY  

Ryan Coogler (Sinners) — WINNER

Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer (Jay Kelly)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)

Zach Cregger (Weapons)

Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)

Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY  

Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) — WINNER

Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar (Train Dreams)

Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee (No Other Choice)

Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)

Will Tracy (Bugonia)

Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell (Hamnet)

 

 

BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE

Francine Maisler (Sinners) — WINNER

Nina Gold (Hamnet)

Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold (Jay Kelly)

Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme)

Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another)

Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey (Wicked: For Good)

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Claudio Miranda (F1)

Dan Laustsen (Frankenstein)

Łukasz Żal (Hamnet)

Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another)

Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)

Adolpho Veloso (Train Dreams) — WINNER

 

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton (Hamnet)

Jack Fisk, Adam Willis (Marty Supreme)

Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne (Sinners)

Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales (Wicked: For Good)

Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau (Frankenstein) — WINNER

 

BEST EDITING

Stephen Mirrione (F1) — WINNER

Kirk Baxter (A House of Dynamite)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)

Andy Jurgensen (One Battle After Another)

Viridiana Lieberman (The Perfect Neighbor)

Michael P. Shawver (Sinners)

 

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Kate Hawley (Frankenstein) — WINNER

Malgosia Turzanska (Hamnet)

Lindsay Pugh (Hedda)

Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Ruth E. Carter (Sinners)

Paul Tazewell (Wicked: For Good)

 

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey (Frankenstein) — WINNER

Flora Moody, John Nolan (28 Years Later)

Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry (Sinners)

Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal (The Smashing Machine)

Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins (Weapons)

Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount (Wicked: For Good)

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

F1

Frankenstein

Mission: Impossible (The Final Reckoning)

Sinners

Superman

Avatar: Fire and Ash — WINNER

 

BEST STUNT DESIGN  

Ballerina

F1

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Warfare

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning — WINNER

 

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE  

KPop Demon Hunters — WINNER

Arco

Elio

In Your Dreams

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Zootopia 2

 

BEST COMEDY  

The Naked Gun — WINNER

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Eternity

Friendship

The Phoenician Scheme

Splitsville

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Secret Agent — WINNER

It Was Just an Accident

Left-Handed Girl

No Other Choice

Sirat

Belén

 

 

BEST SONG  

‘Golden’ – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy (KPop Demon Hunters) — WINNER

‘Drive’ – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin (F1)

‘I Lied to You’ – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)

‘Clothed by the Sun’ – Daniel Blumberg (The Testament of Ann Lee)

‘Train Dreams’ – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner (Train Dreams)

‘The Girl in the Bubble’ – Stephen Schwartz (Wicked: For Good)

 

BEST SCORE  

Hans Zimmer (F1)

Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein)

Max Richter (Hamnet)

Daniel Lopatin (Marty Supreme)

Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another)

Ludwig Göransson (Sinners) — WINNER

 

BEST SOUND  

F1 — WINNER

Frankenstein

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Sirat

Warfare

 

TV WINNERS

BEST DRAMA SERIES

The Pitt — WINNER

Alien: Earth

Andor

The Diplomat

Paradise

Pluribus

Severance

Task

 

 

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Noah Wyle (The Pitt) — WINNER

Sterling K. Brown (Paradise)

Diego Luna (Andor)

Mark Ruffalo (Task)

Adam Scott (Severance)

Billy Bob Thornton (Landman)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus) — WINNER

Kathy Bates (Matlock)

Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age)

Britt Lower (Severance)

Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)

Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Tramell Tillman (Severance) — WINNER

Patrick Ball (The Pitt)

Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)

Ato Essandoh (The Diplomat)

Wood Harris (Forever)

Tom Pelphrey (Task)

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt) — WINNER

Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show)

Denée Benton (The Gilded Age)

Allison Janney (The Diplomat)

Greta Lee (The Morning Show)

Skye P. Marshall (Matlock)

 

 

BEST COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary

Elsbeth

Ghosts

Hacks

Nobody Wants This

Only Murders in the Building

The Righteous Gemstones

The Studio — WINNER

 

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)

Ted Danson (A Man on the Inside)

David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical)

Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones)

Alexander Skarsgard (Murderbot)

Seth Rogen (The Studio) — WINNER

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jean Smart (Hacks) — WINNER

Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)

Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face)

Rose McIver (Ghosts)

Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones)

Carrie Preston (Elsbeth)

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ike Barinholtz (The Studio) — WINNER

Paul W. Downs (Hacks)

Asher Grodman (Ghosts)

Oscar Nuñez (The Paper)

Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary)

Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This)

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) — WINNER

Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker)

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This)

Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live)

Rebecca Wisocky (Ghosts)

 

 

BEST LIMITED SERIES

Adolescence — WINNER

All Her Fault

Chief of War

Death by Lightning

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy

Dope Thief

Dying for Sex

The Girlfriend

 

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy — WINNER

Deep Cover

The Gorge

Mountainhead

Nonnas

Summer of ’69

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Michael Chernus (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy)

Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)

Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story)

Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me)

Michael Shannon (Death by Lightning)

Stephen Graham (Adolescence) — WINNER

 

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Jessica Biel (The Better Sister)

Meghann Fahy (Sirens)

Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex)

Robin Wright (The Girlfriend)

Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)

Sarah Snook (All Her Fault) — WINNER

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Owen Cooper (Adolescence) — WINNER

Wagner Moura (Dope Thief)

Nick Offerman (Death by Lightning)

Michael Peña (All Her Fault)

Ashley Walters (Adolescence)

Ramy Youssef (Mountainhead)

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Erin Doherty (Adolescence) — WINNER

Betty Gilpin (Death by Lightning)

Marin Ireland (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy)

Sophia Lillis (All Her Fault)

Julianne Moore (Sirens)

Christine Tremarco (Adolescence)

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES

Squid Game — WINNER

Acapulco

Last Samurai Standing

Mussolini: Son of the Century

Red Alert

When No One Sees Us

 

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

South Park — WINNER

Bob’s Burgers

Harley Quinn

Long Story Short

Marvel Zombies

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

 

BEST TALK SHOW

The Daily Show

Hot Ones

Late Night With Seth Meyers

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen

Jimmy Kimmel Live! — WINNER

 

BEST VARIETY SERIES

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — WINNER

Conan O’Brien Must Go

Saturday Night Live

 

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL

Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life

Caleb Hearon: Model Comedian

Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things

Marc Maron: Panicked

Sarah Silverman: PostMortem

SNL50: The Anniversary Special — WINNER

 

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