Warner Bros. and Netflix Dominate 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards Nods

Critics Choice Association reveals 2026 film and TV contenders.

he Critics Choice Association has announced the nominees for the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, unveiling this year’s film and television contenders across an exclusive broadcast on E! and USA Network’s linear and digital platforms.

Winners will be revealed at the Critics Choice Awards gala hosted by Chelsea Handler, airing live on E! and USA Network on Sunday, January 4, 2026, from 7–10 p.m. ET/PT. The star-studded ceremony will once again take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will continue the combined film and television format, honoring achievements in theatrical, televised, and streaming projects.

This year, the show adds four new categories: Best Variety Series, Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble, and Best Sound, reflecting the evolving ways audiences experience and celebrate entertainment.

The nominations also arrive during a major industry shake-up, as Netflix moves to acquire Warner Bros. in an $82.7 billion deal that would bring DC, HBO, and a century of landmark franchises under its umbrella. With the landscape rapidly shifting, this year’s awards highlight a moment of transition for Hollywood as studios, streamers, and creators brace for a new era.

“Sinners” Leads Film Nominations With 17 Nods

Warner Bros.’ “Sinners” dominates the film side with 17 nominations, nearly matching the record 18 nods that “Barbie” earned two years ago. The film is a major player across top categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

Best Picture – Film

• Bugonia (Focus Features)
• Frankenstein (Netflix)
• Hamnet (Focus Features)
• Jay Kelly (Netflix)
• Marty Supreme (A24)
• One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
• Sentimental Value (Neon)
• Sinners (Warner Bros.)
• Train Dreams (Netflix)
• Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

“Sinners” earned a Best Picture spot alongside major contenders from Netflix, Focus Features, Neon, A24, and Universal, setting up a crowded race that blends prestige drama, literary adaptation, and large-scale studio spectacle.

Best Actor – Film

• Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (A24)
• Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
• Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams (Netflix)
• Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
• Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (Neon)

Michael B. Jordan leads the “Sinners” charge in Best Actor, facing off against DiCaprio, Chalamet, and a stacked field of previous nominees and past winners.

Best Actress – Film

• Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)
• Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
• Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
• Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)
• Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
• Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)

The Best Actress lineup blends returning favorites like Emma Stone and Jessie Buckley with rising star Chase Infiniti and international standout Renate Reinsve.

Supporting Performances and Emerging Talent

In supporting categories, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn both score nominations for One Battle After Another. At the same time, Jacob Elordi is recognized for Frankenstein and Stellan Skarsgård lands a nod for Sentimental Value.

On the supporting actress side, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas represent Sentimental Value, with Ariana Grande joining the race for Wicked: For Good and Wunmi Mosaku earning recognition for Sinners.

The Best Young Actor/Actress category spotlights emerging talent, including Miles Caton for Sinners, Jacobi Jupe for Hamnet, and Nina Ye for Left-Handed Girl.

Best Director and Screenplay Categories

The Best Director lineup features several heavy hitters:

• 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

Ryan Coogler doubles up with a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Sinners, competing with scripts for Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, Weapons, Sorry, Baby, and Sentimental Value.

On the adapted side, the Best Adapted Screenplay race includes Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein, Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell for Hamnet, Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar for Train Dreams, and the team behind No Other Choice, including Park Chan-wook.

New Craft Categories Highlight Casting, Stunts, and Sound

The expanded craft field gives a spotlight to departments that often shape how audiences experience films.

Best Casting and Ensemble – Film

• Hamnet – Nina Gold
• Jay Kelly – Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold
• Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
• One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
• Sinners – Francine Maisler
• Wicked: For Good – Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey

Best Stunt Design – Film

• Ballerina – Stephen Dunlevy and team
• F1 – Gary Powell and team
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Wade Eastwood
• One Battle After Another – Brian Machleit
• Sinners – Andy Gill
• Warfare – Giedrius Nagys

Technical categories are stacked with blockbuster titles like Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Superman, and Wicked: For Good, while Sinners, Frankenstein, and Hamnet continue to appear across cinematography, production design, costume, hair and makeup, visual effects, score, song, and sound.

“Adolescence” Tops TV Field as Limited Series Heavyweights Emerge

On the television side, Adolescence leads with six nominations, including Best Limited Series. The Netflix drama earns a robust acting haul, with Stephen Graham nominated for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, and Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters nominated for supporting actor, and Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco nominated for supporting actress.

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 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)

“Severance,” “The Diplomat,” “The Pitt,” and “Task” lead a competitive drama field, while “Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks,” “Ghosts,” “Nobody Wants This,” and “The Righteous Gemstones” anchor the comedy race.

Best Limited Series and Movie Made for Television

Best Limited Series nominees include Adolescence, All Her Fault, Chief of War, Death by Lightning, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, Dope Thief, Dying for Sex, and The Girlfriend.

In Best Movie Made for Television, contenders include Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Deep Cover, The Gorge, Mountainhead, Nonnas, and Summer of ’69.

Key TV Acting Categories

The TV acting races feature a mix of Emmy favorites and new faces.

Drama Acting Highlights

In Best Actor in a Drama Series, nominees include Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Diego Luna (Andor), Mark Ruffalo (Task), Adam Scott (Severance), Billy Bob Thornton (Landman), and Noah Wyle (The Pitt).

For Best Actress in a Drama Series, the lineup includes Kathy Bates (Matlock), Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Britt Lower (Severance), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), Keri Russell (The Diplomat), and Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus).

Comedy and Limited Series Acting

Comedy acting categories highlight Adam Brody and Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This, Jean Smart for Hacks, and Danny McBride and Edi Patterson for The Righteous Gemstones.

Limited series acting categories recognize Stephen Graham, Michael Shannon, Brian Tyree Henry, Charlie Hunnam, Matthew Rhys, and Michael Chernus, as well as Jessica Biel, Meghann Fahy, Sarah Snook, Michelle Williams, Robin Wright, and Renée Zellweger.

New TV Category: Best Variety Series

The addition of Best Variety Series formalizes recognition for one of television’s most reliable crowd-pleasers. Nominees include:

• Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max)
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO Max)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)

The TV side also honors animated storytelling, talk shows, comedy specials, and foreign language series, with titles like Squid Game, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Hot Ones, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special earning spots.

Studio and Platform Leaders Signal a Wide-Open Race

On the film side, Warner Bros. leads all studios with 36 nominations, followed by Netflix with 27, and Focus Features and Neon with 16 each. A24 racks up 15 nods, while Apple Original Films and Universal Pictures each collect 7.

On television, Netflix leads the platform chart with 31 nominations, followed by HBO Max with 27. Apple TV follows with 19, while Peacock, CBS, NBC, ABC, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video all make significant showings.

With top contenders like Sinners, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Adolescence, and Nobody Wants This leading their fields, the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards are poised to kick off the 2026 awards season with a crowded and competitive slate.

The winners will be announced live on Sunday, January 4, 2026, on E! and USA Network.

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