Who are the nominees for the Critics Choice Awards? Categories, films, actors, actresses, etc.
Some big names are set to be honored at this year’s Critics Choice Awards - an early indicator as to who could pick up an Oscar in March.

The Barker Hangar hosts the 31st edition of the Critics Choice Awards this weekend. The CCA awards are generally considered a fairly accurate indicator as to who could be going home with an Oscar, Emmy or BAFTA later in the year. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony takes place March 15 and will feature many of the nominees who will be on the red carpet in Santa Monica on Sunday night.
Awards season starts here ✨
— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) January 1, 2026
Don’t miss the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards, airing LIVE Sunday on E! and USA Network.#WeAreTheFifth #CriticsChoiceAwards pic.twitter.com/b7qlOSONx5
Familiar faces
Several previous winners are up for awards once again - Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet are in the running for Best Actor, and Emma Stone, who has collected five CCA awards over the years, is among the nominees for Best Actress.
This year sees the addition of four new categories: Best Casting and Ensemble, Best Sound, and Best Stunt Design - all in film, and Best Variety Series in television. These take the total number of awards to be handed out to 23 in film and 21 in television.
The full list of nominations were announced on December 22. Ryan Coogler’s period horror movie Sinners leads with 17 nominations, ahead of One Battle After Another with 14 and Frankenstein with 11.
31st Critics Choice Awards full list of nominations
Film:
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 Egerton (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
- Nina Gold (Hamnet)
- Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold (Jay Kelly)
- Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme)
- Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another)
- Francine Maisler (Sinners)
- 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)
Best Production Design
- Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)
- Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau (Frankenstein)
- Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton (Hamnet)
- Jack Fisk, Adam Willis (Marty Supreme)
- Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne (Sinners)
- Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales (Wicked: For Good)
Best Editing
- Kirk Baxter (A House of Dynamite)
- Stephen Mirrione (F1)
- 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)
- 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 Make-up
- Flora Moody, John Nolan (28 Years Later)
- Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey (Frankenstein)
- 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
- Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
- Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson (F1)
- Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell (Frankenstein)
- Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible (The Final Reckoning)
- Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean (Sinners)
- Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams (Superman)
Best Stunt Design
- Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda (Ballerina)
- Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby (F1)
- Wade Eastwood (Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning)
- Brian Machleit (One Battle After Another)
- Andy Gill (Sinners)
- Giedrius Nagys (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
- Belén
- It Was Just an Accident
- Left-Handed Girl
- No Other Choice
- The Secret Agent
- Sirāt
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
- Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John (F1)
- Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman (Frankenstein)
- Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor (One Battle After Another)
- Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler (Sinners)
- Laia Casanovas (Sirāt)
- Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner (Warfare)
Jurnee Smollett takes home Best Actress in a Series for Smoke!
— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) December 11, 2025
Presented by her good friend Samuel L. Jackson at the Critics Choice Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. ✨🏆#JurneeSmollett #SamuelLJackson #CelebrateBlackCinema #CriticsChoice pic.twitter.com/zPBmDR2uvn
“Adolescence” leads in Television
In the Television categories, “Adolescence” tops the nominations with a total of six, including Best Limited Series, closely followed by “Nobody Wants This” with five.
Television:
Best Drama Series
- Alien: Earth
- Andor
- The Diplomat
- Paradise
- The Pitt
- Pluribus
- Severance
- Task
Best Actor in a Drama Series
- Sterling K. Brown (Paradise)
- Diego Luna (Ando)
- Mark Ruffalo (Task)
- Adam Scott (Severance)
- Billy Bob Thornton (Landman)
- Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
Best Actress in a Drama Series
- Kathy Bates (Matlock)
- Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age)
- Britt Lower (Severance)
- Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)
- Keri Russell (The Diplomat)
- Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Patrick Ball (The Pitt)
- Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
- Ato Essandoh (The Diplomat)
- Wood Harris (Forever)
- Tom Pelphrey (Task)
- Tramell Tillman (Severance)
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show)
- Denée Benton (The Gilded Age)
- Allison Janney (The Diplomat)
- Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
- 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
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)
- Seth Rogen (The Studio)
- Alexander Skarsgård (Murderbot)
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
- Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)
- Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face)
- Rose McIver (Ghosts)
- Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones)
- Carrie Preston (Elsbeth)
- Jean Smart (Hacks)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)
- 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
- Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker)
- Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
- Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This)
- Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live)
- Rebecca Wisocky (Ghosts)
Best Limited Series
- Adolescence
- 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
- 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)
- Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
- Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)
- Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story)
- Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me)
- Michael Shannon (Death by Lightning)
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
- Jessica Biel (The Better Sister)
- Meghann Fahy (Sirens)
- Sarah Snook (All Her Fault)
- Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex)
- Robin Wright (The Girlfriend)
- Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
- Owen Cooper (Adolescence)
- 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)
- 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
- Acapulco
- Last Samurai Standing
- Mussolini: Son of the Century
- Red Alert
- Squid Game
- When No One Sees Us
Best Animated Series
- Bob’s Burgers
- Harley Quinn
- Long Story Short
- Marvel Zombies
- South Park
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Best Talk Show
- The Daily Show
- Hot Ones
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Late Night with Seth Meyers
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Best Variety Series
- Conan O’Brien Must Go
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
- 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
How to watch the Critics Choice Awards ceremony
The 31st Critics Choice Awards ceremony will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on Sunday, January 4, 2026 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The event will be aired live across USA Network and E! from 7:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
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