SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The 2026 Critics Choice Awards unfolded with a series of groundbreaking moments on Jan. 4 at the Barker Hangar, where comedian Chelsea Handler served as host for the evening celebrating the best in film and television. For the first time in the awards' history, organizers introduced four new categories, reflecting evolving tastes in entertainment and behind-the-scenes artistry. Among the highlights, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver claimed the inaugural Best Variety Show award, while Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and F1 took home the debut prizes for Best Stunt Design and Best Sound, respectively.
The ceremony also revamped an existing category, shifting the Best Ensemble award—previously won by the cast of Conclave in 2024—to honor casting directors specifically. Francine Maisler emerged victorious for her work on Sinners from Warner Bros., edging out competitors like Nina Gold for Hamnet, Jennifer Venditti for Marty Supreme, Cassandra Kulukundis for One Battle After Another, and the team behind Wicked: For Good. This change underscored the growing recognition of the pivotal role casting plays in assembling stellar ensembles, according to reports from the event.
History extended beyond category innovations to individual achievements that shattered records. Jean Smart, known for her role in Hacks on HBO Max, secured her fourth Best Actress in a Comedy Series win, making her the first performer to achieve that milestone in the category. At 74 years old, Smart also surpassed her own previous record as the oldest winner in this field, a testament to her enduring prowess in comedic roles. Her victory capped a night where age was no barrier to excellence, as evidenced by another senior triumph.
Amy Madigan, at 75, became the oldest entertainer ever to win Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Weapons, also from Warner Bros. This accolade highlighted a trend toward diverse age representation in awards seasons, with Madigan's win coming amid a field that included Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value, Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another.
On the youthful end of the spectrum, 16-year-old Owen Cooper made waves as the youngest recipient of Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for his breakout role in Adolescence on Netflix. Accepting the award, Cooper shared his astonishment with the audience:
This past year has been a complete whirlwind for me and my family, honestly. It's changed our lives forever. We're forever grateful. We cherish every single moment of it.His win beat out seasoned actors like Wagner Moura for Dope Thief, Nick Offerman for Death by Lightning, Michael Peña for All Her Fault, Ashley Walters also for Adolescence, and Ramy Youssef for Mountainhead, signaling a new generation's rise in prestige television.
The television categories dominated much of the evening, with drama series taking center stage early on. Noah Wyle won Best Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt on HBO Max, defeating nominees including Sterling K. Brown for Paradise on Hulu, Diego Luna for Andor on Disney+, Mark Ruffalo for Task on HBO Max, Adam Scott for Severance on Apple TV, and Billy Bob Thornton for Landman on Paramount+. The Pitt also claimed Best Drama Series, topping The Diplomat on Netflix in a category that showcased high-stakes storytelling across platforms.
In the Best Actress in a Drama Series race, Rhea Seehorn took the honor for Pluribus on Apple TV, outshining Kathy Bates for Matlock on CBS, Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age on HBO Max, Britt Lower for Severance, Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us on HBO Max, and Keri Russell for The Diplomat. Supporting roles in dramas saw Tramell Tillman win Best Supporting Actor for Severance, beating Patrick Ball for The Pitt, Billy Crudup for The Morning Show, Ato Essandoh for The Diplomat, Wood Harris for Forever, and Tom Pelphrey for Task. Katherine LaNasa secured Best Supporting Actress for The Pitt, with competitors Nicole Beharie and Greta Lee both from The Morning Show, Denée Benton for The Gilded Age, Allison Janney for The Diplomat, and Skye P. Marshall for Matlock.
Comedy series brought levity to the proceedings, with The Studio on Apple TV winning Best Comedy Series over Abbott Elementary on ABC, Nobody Wants This on Netflix, Only Murders in the Building on Hulu, and The Righteous Gemstones on HBO Max. Seth Rogen claimed Best Actor in a Comedy Series for The Studio, defeating Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This, Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside, David Alan Grier for St. Denis Medical, Danny McBride for The Righteous Gemstones, and Alexander Skarsgård for Murderbot. Jean Smart's Hacks win anchored the comedy actress category, where she bested Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This, Natasha Lyonne for Poker Face, Rose McIver for Ghosts, Edi Patterson for The Righteous Gemstones, and Carrie Preston for Elsbeth.
Supporting comedy wins included Ike Barinholtz for The Studio in the actor category, over Paul W. Downs for Hacks, Asher Grodman for Ghosts, Oscar Nuñez for The Paper, Chris Perfetti for Abbott Elementary, and Timothy Simons for Nobody Wants This. Janelle James won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary, defeating Danielle Brooks for Peacemaker, Hannah Einbinder for Hacks, Justine Lupe for Nobody Wants This, Ego Nwodim for Saturday Night Live, and Rebecca Wisocky for Ghosts.
Limited series and TV movies rounded out the small-screen honors, with Adolescence on Netflix winning Best Limited Series against All Her Fault on Peacock, Chief of War on Apple TV, Death by Lightning on Netflix, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy on Peacock, Dope Thief on Apple TV, Dying for Sex on FX on Hulu, and The Girlfriend on Prime Video. Stephen Graham took Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Adolescence, besting Michael Chernus for Devil in Disguise, Brian Tyree Henry for Dope Thief, Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me, and Michael Shannon for Death by Lightning.
Sarah Snook won Best Actress in the limited category for All Her Fault, over Jessica Biel for The Better Sister, Meghann Fahy for Sirens, Michelle Williams for Dying for Sex, Robin Wright for The Girlfriend, and Renée Zellweger for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which itself claimed Best Movie Made for Television against Deep Cover and Mountainhead. Owen Cooper's supporting win in this field, as noted earlier, added to Adolescence's strong showing.
Turning to film, Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for Marty Supreme from A24, defeating Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Joel Edgerton for Train Dreams, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent. Jessie Buckley claimed Best Actress for Hamnet from Focus Features, over Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, Amanda Seyfried for The Testament of Ann Lee, and Emma Stone for Bugonia.
Supporting film roles saw Jacob Elordi win Best Supporting Actor for Frankenstein on Netflix, beating Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn both for One Battle After Another, Paul Mescal for Hamnet, Adam Sandler for Jay Kelly, and Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value. Amy Madigan's earlier-mentioned win highlighted the supporting actress field. In Best Young Actor/Actress, Miles Caton took the prize for Sinners, over Everett Blunck for The Plague, Cary Christopher for Weapons, Shannon Mahina Gorman for Rental Family, Jacobi Jupe for Hamnet, and Nina Ye for Left-Handed Girl.
Technical and specialty categories rounded out the film wins. One Battle After Another from Warner Bros. won Best Ensemble, with Paul Thomas Anderson claiming Best Director for the same film over Ryan Coogler for Sinners, Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein, Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme, Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, and Chloé Zhao for Hamnet. Kate Hawley won Best Costume Design for Frankenstein, and the hair and makeup team of Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey also for Frankenstein prevailed. Joe Letteri and his team won Best Visual Effects for Avatar: Fire and Ash from 20th Century Studios.
Animated features crowned KPop Demon Hunters from Netflix as the winner, over Elio, In Your Dreams, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, and Zootopia 2. The Naked Gun from Paramount took Best Comedy, beating The Ballad of Wallis Island and The Phoenician Scheme. In foreign language films, The Secret Agent from Neon won against It Was Just an Accident, Left-Handed Girl, No Other Choice, and Belén. The song "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters claimed Best Song, over tracks from F1, Sinners, The Testament of Ann Lee, Train Dreams, and Wicked: For Good.
As the 2026 Critics Choice Awards concluded, the event not only celebrated artistic achievements but also paved the way for future recognitions, with new categories likely influencing upcoming ceremonies. With streaming platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, and HBO Max dominating wins, the evening reflected the shifting landscape of entertainment consumption. Organizers hinted at further expansions, suggesting more inclusive honors on the horizon, while stars like Smart and Cooper embodied the timeless appeal of storytelling across generations.