Critics Choice Awards 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Wins Best Picture

The 2026 Critics Choice Awards saw 'One Battle After Another' take the top prize of Best Picture, with Paul Thomas Anderson winning Best Director and Adapted Screenplay. Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' and the vampire drama 'Sinners' were also major winners, each earning four awards. In television, 'Adolescence,' 'The Pitt,' and 'The Studio' dominated their respective series categories. Host Chelsea Handler paid tribute to Rob Reiner, while Jimmy Kimmel used his acceptance speech to deliver a satirical remark aimed at former President Donald Trump.

Key Points: Critics Choice Awards 2026 Winners List: Film & TV

  • 'One Battle After Another' wins Best Picture
  • 'Frankenstein' and 'Sinners' win 4 awards each
  • 'Adolescence' leads TV limited series
  • Jimmy Kimmel's speech targets Donald Trump
5 min read

Critics Choice Awards 2026: 'One Battle After Another' wins Best Film, 'The Pitt,' 'Adolescence', 'The Studio' dominate TV prizes

'One Battle After Another' wins Best Picture at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards. See the full list of winners for film and television.

"the nicest guy in Hollywood - Chelsea Handler on Rob Reiner"

Los Angeles, January 5

'One Battle After Another', a subversive comedy centred on radical politics, was named Best Picture at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards. The film also won Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson, according to Variety.

On the film front, 'Frankenstein', Guillermo del Toro's re-imagining of the classic horror tale, and 'Sinners', a vampire drama set in the Jim Crow South, emerged as major winners with four awards each. Frankenstein earned honours including Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi, along with wins for production design, hair and makeup, and costume design. 'Sinners' won awards for original screenplay, casting and score, while its 20-year-old star Miles Caton was named Best Young Performer.

In television categories, 'Adolescence' led the limited-series field with four awards, including Best Limited Series, and acting wins for Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty. Sarah Snook won Best Actress in a Limited Series for All Her Fault, as per the outlet.

'The Pitt' was named Best Drama Series and earned acting awards for Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa. 'The Studio' won Best Comedy Series, with creator Seth Rogen taking Best Actor in a Comedy Series and Ike Barinholtz winning Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for 'Hacks', while Janelle James earned Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for 'Abbott Elementary'. Rhea Seehorn was named Best Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, and Tramell Tillman won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Severance.

In film acting categories, Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for 'Hamnet', while Timothee Chalamet earned Best Actor for Marty Supreme. Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for Weapons.

Netflix's viral sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" was named best animated feature and also earned a prize for best song for its chart-topping hit "Golden." "The Secret Agent," a drama set during Brazil's military junta, won best foreign language film, according to Variety.

Jimmy Kimmel won Best Talk Show and, during his acceptance speech, stressed the importance of free expression while delivering a satirical remark aimed at US President Donald Trump. His comments were met with applause from the audience.

Chelsea Handler hosted the ceremony for the fourth consecutive year. In her opening monologue, she paid tribute to filmmaker Rob Reiner, recalling his warmth and generosity, and describing him as "the nicest guy in Hollywood," while reflecting on the impact he had on those who knew him, according to Variety.

Check out the complete list of winners

FilmBest Picture:One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)

Best Director:Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another (WINNER)

Best Actor:Timothee Chalamet - Marty Supreme (WINNER)

Best Actress:Jessie Buckley - Hamnet (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor:Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actress:Amy Madigan - Weapons (WINNER)

Best Original Screenplay:Ryan Coogler - Sinners (WINNER)

Best Adapted Screenplay:Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another (WINNER)

Best Young Performer:Miles Caton - Sinners (WINNER)

Best Casting/Ensemble:Francine Maisler - Sinners (WINNER)

Best Comedy (Film):The Naked Gun (WINNER)

Best Animated Feature:KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)

Best Production Design:Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, Frankenstein (WINNER)

Best Cinematography:Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams (WINNER)

Best Costume Design:Kate Hawley, Frankenstein (WINNER)

Best Editing:Stephen Mirrione, F1 (WINNER)

Best Stunt Design:Wade Eastwood, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (WINNER)

Best Hair and Makeup:Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey, Frankenstein (WINNER)

Best Sound:Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta and Gareth John, F1 (WINNER)

Best Visual Effects:Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett, Avatar: Fire and Ash (WINNER)

Best Score:Ludwig Goransson - Sinners (WINNER)

Best Song:Golden, Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24 and Teddy, KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)

Best Foreign Language Film:The Secret Agent (WINNER)

TelevisionBest Drama Series:The Pitt (WINNER)

Best Comedy Series:The Studio (WINNER)

Best Limited Series:Adolescence (WINNER)

Best Movie Made for Television:Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (WINNER)

Best Actor, Drama Series:Noah Wyle - The Pitt (WINNER)

Best Actress, Drama Series:Rhea Seehorn - Pluribus (WINNER)

Best Actor, Comedy Series:Seth Rogen - The Studio (WINNER)

Best Actress, Comedy Series:Jean Smart - Hacks (WINNER)

Best Actor, Limited Series/Movie:Stephen Graham - Adolescence (WINNER)

Best Actress, Limited Series/Movie:Sarah Snook - All Her Fault (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor, Drama:Tramell Tillman - Severance (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actress, Drama:Katherine LaNasa - The Pitt (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy:Ike Barinholtz - The Studio (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy:Janelle James - Abbott Elementary (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor, Limited Series/Movie:Owen Cooper - Adolescence (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actress, Limited Series/Movie:Erin Doherty - Adolescence (WINNER)

Best Animated Series:South Park (WINNER)

Best Foreign Language Series:Squid Game (WINNER)

Best Talk Show:Jimmy Kimmel Live! (WINNER)

Best Comedy Special:SNL50: The Anniversary Special (WINNER)

Best Variety Series:Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (WINNER)

The 31st Critics Choice Awards was held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
A solid list of winners. "One Battle After Another" sounds intriguing—a political comedy winning big is always a good sign. But honestly, as an Indian viewer, I do wish there was more buzz for international cinema beyond the one foreign language category. Our film industries produce such brilliant work every year.
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Rohit P
Jimmy Kimmel's speech about free expression, especially in today's climate, was the highlight for me. It's a universal issue. Also, congrats to "The Pitt" and "The Studio"! Have been binging both. Noah Wyle is fantastic.
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Sarah B
Thrilled for Rhea Seehorn! She was phenomenal in "Better Call Saul" and absolutely deserves this lead drama actress win for "Pluribus". A masterclass in acting. Also, "Sinners" winning for score and young performer – that movie's soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful.
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Vikram M
Del Toro's "Frankenstein" sweeping the technical awards is no surprise – the man is a visual genius. The hair, makeup, and costume design must be next level. Can't wait to see how it looks on the big screen. Hope the Indian release isn't too delayed!
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Karthik V
A respectful critique: While the winners are deserving, the article and the awards themselves feel very LA-centric. The world of criticism is broader. It would be great to see more integration of perspectives from critics in Asia, Africa, and other regions in the voting body. It would make the "Choice" more global and interesting.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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