'Adolescence' Sweeps Critics Choice Awards 2026 with Multiple Major Wins

The series won the award for Best Limited Series. Writer-producer and lead actor Stephen Graham accepted the honour on stage along with co-stars Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty.

According to People, while speaking on stage, Graham thanked the cast and crew and spoke about equality and teamwork. He emphasised that everyone involved in the show was equal and shared how his mother taught him important life values. He also spoke about children and urged parents to show love to their kids.

"I'd like to thank all the cast and crew, because without any one of them, none of this is possible. We're all exactly the same," Graham said during his acceptance speech.

"When I was a kid, my mom told me, 'You're never above anyone and you're never below anyone.' So we're all equal. And I think the ethos that we carried into this piece, that paid off in this production," he added.

In addition to the Best Limited Series win, Adolescence also dominated the acting categories. Stephen Graham won Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for his portrayal of Eddie Miller. Owen Cooper received the award for Best Supporting Actor, while Erin Doherty won Best Supporting Actress in the same category.

16-year-old Owen Cooper, who plays a pivotal role in the series, spoke about the life-changing impact the past year has had on him and his family.

While speaking on stage, Cooper reflected on how the past year had changed his life and thanked the makers of the show and his family for standing by him. He said, "This past year has been a complete whirlwind for me and my family, honestly. It's changed our lives forever, and we're forever grateful. We've cherished every single moment of it. To the directors, the producers, the cast, and the crew -- you took me on an emotional journey I never imagined I could go on."

Adolescence was among the most nominated shows at this year's Critics Choice Awards, earning six nominations in total. The series had earlier won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards.

In the four-episode Netflix series Adolescence, Owen plays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old schoolboy who is arrested in a murder case. The show does not focus on who committed the crime, but instead looks at why Jamie's life took that direction. The series also stars Stephen Graham as Jamie's father, Christine Tremarco as his mother, and Amelie Pease as his sister. According to Deadline, the show crossed more than 141 million views in its first three months, becoming Netflix's second most-watched series after Wednesday.

- ANI