2026 Critics Choice Awards Recap: One Battle After Another Sweeps Top Honors
The 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler, kicked off the 2026 awards season with major wins, memorable moments, and a few historic upsets. Paul Thomas Anderson's critically acclaimed film,
, emerged as the night's biggest winner, taking home the coveted Best Picture award.
The ceremony, held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, saw stars like Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley, and Jacob Elordi honored for their standout performances. On the television side, the Netflix limited series
and the Apple TV+ comedy
were among the top winners.
Key Film Winners & Highlights
One Battle After Another secured several key awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. The night also celebrated other films with multiple wins: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein and Ryan Coogler's vampire drama Sinners each collected four trophies in various technical and acting categories.
CategoryWinner
ProjectBest Picture
One Battle After Another
Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet Marty Supreme
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley Hamnet
Best Supporting Actor
Jacob Elordi Frankenstein
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan Weapons
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson One Battle After Another
Notable Moments & TV Triumphs
Chalamet's Shoutout: In a rare public moment, Best Actor winner Timothée Chalamet gave a sweet shoutout to his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, in his acceptance speech.
Historic Wins: Jean Smart made Critics Choice history with her fourth win for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for
Hacks , while 16-year-old Owen Cooper became the youngest performer to win Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for
Adolescence
.
Comedy Recognition: The independent film
The Naked Gun
was a surprise winner for Best Comedy, while Netflix's animated hit
KPop Demon Hunters
took home Best Animated Feature and Best Song.
TV Dominance: The drama series
The Pitt
and the comedy series
The Studio
were big winners in their respective categories.
For a full list of all the night's winners across film and television, you can visit the official Critics Choice Association website.