Awards season is officially warming up, and the Critics Choice Awards are the latest to step into the spotlight with a lineup that celebrates the very best of film and television over the past year. On Friday, Dec. 5, the Critics Choice Association revealed the nominees for its 31st annual ceremony — and the selections make one thing clear: audiences and critics had a lot to talk about in 2025.
Leading the charge on the film side is Sinners, which dominated with an impressive 17 nominations. The drama has been steadily gaining awards buzz throughout the season, and the Critics Choice nods only solidify its place as a major contender heading into the rest of the circuit. Meanwhile, over in television, Netflix’s breakout series Adolescence secured the top spot, earning six nominations and proving its hold on cultural conversation this year. Between powerful performances and standout writing, it’s no surprise the show continues to resonate.
This year’s ceremony will be hosted once again by Chelsea Handler, who returns to emcee the festivities on Sunday, Jan. 4. The event will air live on E! and USA Network at 7 p.m. ET from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. With Handler’s signature mix of sharp humor and effortless charm, the night promises a perfect blend of glamour, fun, and genuine celebration.
The 2026 ceremony also introduces four brand-new categories — a notable move that reflects the industry’s evolution. The Critics Choice Association added Best Variety Series, Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble, and Best Sound. Each category helps recognize the craft, innovation, and behind-the-scenes brilliance that audiences often don’t see but absolutely feel. From the stunt teams pushing boundaries to the casting directors shaping unforgettable ensembles, the updated lineup shines a light on the people who make storytelling magic possible.
As excitement builds, the nominations themselves reveal a dynamic awards landscape: films that sparked conversations, television that shaped the cultural moment, and performances that left a mark. Whether you’re rooting for buzzy newcomers or longtime favorites, this year’s Critics Choice Awards seem poised to kick off 2026’s awards stretch with energy and impact.
Check out the complete list of nominees.
Movies
BEST PICTURE
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good
BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
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
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Everett Blunck – The Plague
Miles Caton – Sinners
Cary Christopher – Weapons
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Zach Cregger – Weapons
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
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
Hamnet
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
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
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
BEST EDITING
A House of Dynamite
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Perfect Neighbor
Sinners
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein
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
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Sinners
Superman
BEST STUNT DESIGN
Ballerina
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Elio
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
BEST COMEDY
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Eternity
Friendship
The Naked Gun
The Phoenician Scheme
Splitsville
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sirāt
Belén
BEST SONG
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1
“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters
“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
BEST SOUND
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Warfare
TV
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Alien: Earth (FX)
Andor (Disney+)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Paradise (Hulu)
The Pitt (HBO Max)
Pluribus (Apple TV)
Severance (Apple TV)
Task (HBO Max)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise (Hulu)
Diego Luna – Andor (Disney+)
Mark Ruffalo – Task (HBO Max)
Adam Scott – Severance (Apple TV)
Billy Bob Thornton – Landman (Paramount+)
Noah Wyle – The Pitt (HBO Max)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)
Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
Britt Lower – Severance (Apple TV)
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us (HBO Max)
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus (Apple TV)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Ball – The Pitt (HBO Max)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Ato Essandoh – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Wood Harris – Forever (Netflix)
Tom Pelphrey – Task (HBO Max)
Tramell Tillman – Severance (Apple TV)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicole Beharie – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Denée Benton – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt (HBO Max)
Greta Lee – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Elsbeth (CBS)
Ghosts (CBS)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)
The Studio (Apple TV)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Ted Danson – A Man on the Inside (Netflix)
David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC)
Danny McBride – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)
Seth Rogen – The Studio (Apple TV)
Alexander Skarsgård – Murderbot (Apple TV)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face (Peacock)
Rose McIver – Ghosts (CBS)
Edi Patterson – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)
Carrie Preston – Elsbeth (CBS)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ike Barinholtz – The Studio (Apple TV)
Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO Max)
Asher Grodman – Ghosts (CBS)
Oscar Nuñez – The Paper (Peacock)
Chris Perfetti – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Timothy Simons – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Danielle Brooks – Peacemaker (HBO Max)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Justine Lupe – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Ego Nwodim – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Rebecca Wisocky – Ghosts (CBS)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Adolescence (Netflix)
All Her Fault (Peacock)
Chief of War (Apple TV)
Death by Lightning (Netflix)
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)
Dope Thief (Apple TV)
Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
The Girlfriend (Prime Video)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
Deep Cover (Prime Video)
The Gorge (Apple TV)
Mountainhead (HBO Max)
Nonnas (Netflix)
Summer of ’69 (Hulu)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Michael Chernus – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)
Stephen Graham – Adolescence (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry – Dope Thief (Apple TV)
Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys – The Beast in Me (Netflix)
Michael Shannon – Death by Lightning (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jessica Biel – The Better Sister (Prime Video)
Meghann Fahy – Sirens (Netflix)
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault (Peacock)
Michelle Williams – Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
Robin Wright – The Girlfriend (Prime Video)
Renée Zellweger – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Owen Cooper – Adolescence (Netflix)
Wagner Moura – Dope Thief (Apple TV)
Nick Offerman – Death by Lightning (Netflix)
Michael Peña – All Her Fault (Peacock)
Ashley Walters – Adolescence (Netflix)
Ramy Youssef – Mountainhead (HBO Max)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Erin Doherty – Adolescence (Netflix)
Betty Gilpin – Death by Lightning (Netflix)
Marin Ireland – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)
Sophia Lillis – All Her Fault (Peacock)
Julianne Moore – Sirens (Netflix)
Christine Tremarco – Adolescence (Netflix)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Acapulco (Apple TV)
Last Samurai Standing (Netflix)
Mussolini: Son of the Century (MUBI)
Red Alert (Paramount+)
Squid Game (Netflix)
When No One Sees Us (HBO Max)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Long Story Short (Netflix)
Marvel Zombies (Disney+)
South Park (Comedy Central)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+)
BEST TALK SHOW
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Hot Ones (YouTube)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)
BEST VARIETY SERIES
Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO Max)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life (HBO Max)
Caleb Hearon: Model Comedian (HBO Max)
Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things (Netflix)
Marc Maron: Panicked (HBO Max)
Sarah Silverman: PostMortem (Netflix)
SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
