Discover the critics’ picks for the best movies and TV shows of the past year.

2026 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list

Discover the critics' picks for the best movies and TV shows of the past year.

By Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm is news director at *. *She has worked at EW for more than eight years. Jillian has previously worked as a reporter, social media editor, and homepage producer at NBC News, Digital First Media, Newsday, and *Random Lengths News.*

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on January 4, 2026 10:35 p.m. ET

Leonardo Di Caprio in 'One Battle After Another'. Credit:

Warner Bros. Pictures

The critics have spoken.

The 2026 Critics Choice Awards were handed out Sunday, honoring the best films and television series across the last year as decided by the Critics Choice Association, which is made up of more than 600 professional film critics and entertainment journalists.

Hosted for the fourth time by comedian Chelsea Handler from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, the three-hour ceremony aired live on E! and USA Network beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Going into the evening, Ryan Coogler's *Sinners,* starring Michael B. Jordan in two roles, led the pack on the film side with 17 nominations and was awarded four. The vampire tale was followed by 14 nods for Paul Thomas Anderson's *One Battle After Another*, which won three; and *Hamnet* and *Frankenstein* with 11 each, winning one and four, respectively.**

'Sinners' cast, including Michael B. Jordan in duel roles as twins Smoke and Stack.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Netflix's *Adolescence* led the TV nominees with six nods, including recognition for the cast members Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, and Christine Tremarco, winning four. The Kristen Bell-Adam Brody rom-com series *Nobody Wants This* is up for five awards, but took no awards, while the shows *All Her Fault, Death by Lightning, Ghosts, Hacks, Severance, The Diplomat, *and *The Pitt *snagged four nominations apiece. Of those, *The Pitt* won three, *Hacks* won two, and *Severence* won one.**

This year's ceremony also includes four new categories: Best Variety Series for TV and Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble, and Best Sound in movies.

2026 Critics Choice Awards Winners — Film Categories

Teyana Taylor in 'One Battle After Another'.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Best Picture

*Bugonia**Frankenstein**Hamnet**Jay Kelly**Marty Supreme*****WINNER: *****One Battle After Another****Sentimental Value**Sinners**Train Dreams**Wicked: For Good***

**WINNER: 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

**WINNER: 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

**WINNER: Jacob Elordi, *Frankenstein*****Paul Mescal, *Hamnet***Sean Penn, *One Battle After Anoth*er**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*****WINNER: Amy Madigan, *Weapons*****Wunmi Mosaku, *Sinners***Teyana Taylor, *One Battle After Another*

Best Young Actor/Actress

Everett Blunck, *The Plague*****WINNER: Miles Caton, *Sinners* ****Cary Christopher, *Weapons***Shannon Mahina Gorman, *Rental Family ***Jacobi Jupe, *Hamnet* **Nina Ye, *Left-Handed Girl ***

Best Director

**WINNER: 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 and Emily Mortimer,* Jay Kelly***Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, *Marty Supreme*****WINNER: Ryan Coogler, *Sinners*****Zach Cregger, *Weapons***Eva Victor, *Sorry, Baby***Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, *Sentimental Value*

Best Adapted Screenplay

**WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson, *One Battle After Another*****Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, *Train Dreams***Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar and Jahye Lee, *No Other Choice***Guillermo del Toro, *Frankenstein***Will Tracy, *Bugonia***Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, *Hamnet*

Best Cinematography

Claudio Miranda, *F1***Dan Laustsen, *Frankenstein***Łukasz Żal, *Hamnet***Michael Bauman, *One Battle After Another***Autumn Durald Arkapaw, *Sinners*****WINNER: Adolpho Veloso, *Train Dreams***

Best Production Design

Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis, *The Fantastic Four: First Steps *****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: 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

**WINNER: 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

**WINNER: 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 Visual Effects

**WINNER: 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 Animated Feature

*Arco**Elio **In Your Dreams *****WINNER: *****KPop Demon Hunters ****Little Amélie or the Character of Rain **Zootopia 2 *

Best Comedy

*The Ballad of Wallis Island**Eternity**Friendship*****WINNER: *****The Naked Gun****The Phoenician Scheme**Splitsville*

Best Foreign Language Film

*Belén**It Was Just an Accident**Left-Handed Girl**No Other Choice*****WINNER: *****The Secret Agent****Sirāt*

"Drive," Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and Blake Slatkin, *F1*****WINNER: "Golden," Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24 and Teddy, *****KPop Demon Hunters*****"I Lied to You," Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, *Sinners***"Clothed by the Sun," Daniel Blumberg, *The Testament of Ann Lee***"Train Dreams," Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner, *Train Dreams***"The Girl in the Bubble," Stephen Schwartz, *Wicked: For Good*

Hans Zimmer, *F1***Alexandre Desplat, *Frankenstein***Max Richter, *Hamnet***Daniel Lopatin, *Marty Supreme***Jonny Greenwood, *One Battle After Another*****WINNER: Ludwig Göransson, *Sinners***

Best Casting and Ensemble

*Hamnet**Jay Kelly**Marty Supreme**One Battle After Another*****WINNER: *****Sinners****Wicked: For Good*

Best Stunt Design

*Ballerina**F1*****WINNER: *****Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning****One Battle After Another**Sinners**Warfare *

**WINNER: *****F1****Frankenstein**One Battle After Another**Sinners**Sirāt**Warfare*

2026 Critics Choice Awards Winners — Television Categories

'The Pitt' cast, including Best Actor in a Drama Series winner Noah Wyle (third from left).

Warrick Page/HBO Max

Best Drama Series

*Alien: Earth **Andor**The Diplomat**Paradise*****WINNER: *****The Pitt****Pluribus**Severance**Task*

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, *Paradise***Diego Luna, *Andor***Mark Ruffalo, *Task***Adam Scott, *Severance***Billy Bob Thornton, *Landman*****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: Tramell Tillman, *Severance***

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Nicole Beharie,* The Morning Show***Denée Benton, *The Gilded Age***Allison Janney, *The Diplomat*****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: *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*****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: Jean Smart, *Hacks***

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

**WINNER: 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*****WINNER: Janelle James, *Abbott Elementary*****Justine Lupe, *Nobody Wants This***Ego Nwodim, *Saturday Night Live***Rebecca Wisocky, *Ghosts*

Mark Stanley, Owen Cooper, and Stephen Graham in 'Adolescence'.

Courtesy of Netflix© 2024

Best Limited Series

**WINNER: *****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

**WINNER: *****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*****WINNER: 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*****WINNER: 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

**WINNER: 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

**WINNER: 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*****WINNER: *****Squid Game****When No One Sees Us*

Best Animated Series

*Bob’s Burgers**Harley Quinn**Long Story Short**Marvel Zombies*****WINNER: *****South Park****Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man***

Best Talk Show

*The Daily Show**Hot Ones*****WINNER: *****Jimmy Kimmel Live!****Late Night With Seth Meyers**The Late Show With Stephen Colbert**Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen*

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*****WINNER: *SNL50: The Anniversary Special*****

Best Variety Series

*Conan O’Brien Must Go*****WINNER: *****Last Week Tonight with John Oliver****Saturday Night Live***

- Awards Shows & Events

- Critics Choice Awards

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Source: “EW Critics”