Awards season just hit overdrive.
Critics Choice Awards nominations dropped today, revealing Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” as this year’s heavyweight contender with a jaw-dropping 17 nominations—just one shy of “Barbie’s” record-setting 18 from two years ago.
On television, “Adolescence” dominated with six nominations, while romantic series “Nobody Wants This” earned five nods in what’s shaping up to be one of entertainment’s most competitive races.
Chelsea Handler returns for her fourth consecutive year hosting duties when winners are revealed live from Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar on January 4, 2026.
“Sinners” Nearly Breaks Records
Coogler’s “Sinners” swept through categories with remarkable breadth. Michael B. Jordan earned recognition for Best Actor, joined by supporting nods for Wunmi Mosaku and Miles Caton in Best Young Actor/Actress.
Coogler himself scored dual nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Technical achievements weren’t overlooked—the film collected nominations across newly-added categories including Best Stunt Design and Best Casting and Ensemble, plus cinematography, production design, editing, costume design, hair and makeup, visual effects, song, score, and sound.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” followed closely with 14 nominations, establishing itself as “Sinners'” primary competition.
Best Picture Race Features Eclectic Mix
Ten films compete for Best Picture honors, showcasing remarkable genre diversity. Netflix’s “Frankenstein” from Guillermo del Toro stands alongside Focus Features’ “Hamnet” and “Bugonia,” Warner Bros.’ double threat of “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another,” plus A24’s “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value” from Neon.
“Jay Kelly” and “Train Dreams” round out Netflix’s presence, while Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” brings musical spectacle into contention.
New Categories Expand Recognition
Following Academy Awards precedent, Critics Choice Association added three significant categories this year. Best Stunt Design, Best Casting/Ensemble, and Best Sound now honor craftspeople previously overlooked in major awards conversations.
These additions reflect growing industry acknowledgment that filmmaking excellence extends far beyond above-the-line talent.
Action spectacles like “Ballerina,” “F1,” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” immediately benefited, landing stunt nominations alongside dramatic contenders.
Acting Categories Showcase Familiar Faces
Best Actor nominees include Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” and Michael B. Jordan’s “Sinners” performance. Joel Edgerton (“Train Dreams”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), and Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”) complete the category.
Best Actress brings Emma Stone (“Bugonia”), Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), and Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another”) into competition. Rose Byrne, Renate Reinsve, and Amanda Seyfried earned recognition for performances spanning comedy to historical drama.
Supporting categories feature Jacob Elordi transforming into Frankenstein’s creature, Paul Mescal in period piece “Hamnet,” and Adam Sandler showing dramatic range in “Jay Kelly.”
“Adolescence” Dominates Television Drama
Netflix’s “Adolescence” emerged as television’s biggest winner with six nominations total. Stephen Graham scored Best Actor in Limited Series recognition, while the supporting categories became near-exclusive showcases for his castmates.
Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters both compete for Best Supporting Actor in Limited Series. Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco face off in Best Supporting Actress, creating unusual intra-show competition across four separate categories.
Such concentrated recognition within single productions rarely occurs outside prestige miniseries with ensemble casts.
“Nobody Wants This” Leads Comedy Charge
Netflix’s romantic comedy series earned five nominations, establishing itself as television comedy’s breakout hit. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell both received acting nods, with supporting recognition going to Timothy Simons and Justine Lupe.
Comedy series categories brought fierce competition across streaming and broadcast platforms. “Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks,” “Only Murders in the Building,” and newcomer “The Studio” all earned Best Comedy Series nominations.
Apple TV+’s Seth Rogen vehicle “The Studio” introduces fresh meta-commentary about Hollywood itself, while HBO Max’s “The Righteous Gemstones” continues earning recognition for Danny McBride’s satirical megachurch dynasty.
Technical Categories Showcase Blockbuster Spectacle
Visual effects nominations highlight tentpole releases including “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” and Warner Bros.’ “Superman.” These big-budget productions compete alongside “Frankenstein” and “F1” for effects supremacy.
Cinematography nominees feature renowned talents:
- Claudio Miranda (“F1”)
- Dan Laustsen (“Frankenstein”)
- Łukasz Żal (“Hamnet”)
- Michael Bauman (“One Battle After Another”)
- Autumn Durald Arkapaw (“Sinners”)
Production design recognition spans period authenticity in “Hamnet” to fantastical world-building in “Wicked: For Good” and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
International Cinema Gains Prominence
Best Foreign Language Film demonstrates global cinema’s expanding influence. Neon distributed four of six nominees—”It Was Just an Accident,” “No Other Choice,” “The Secret Agent,” and “Sirāt”—cementing its position as premiere distributor for international prestige pictures.
Netflix’s “Left-Handed Girl” and Amazon MGM’s “Belén” complete the category, showing streaming platforms’ continued investment in non-English language productions.
Music Categories Blend Genres
Best Song nominations pair Ed Sheeran and John Mayer collaboration “Drive” from “F1” against K-pop energy in “KPop Demon Hunters.” Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson contributed “I Lied to You” for “Sinners,” while Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner created “Train Dreams.”
Score competition brings legendary composers into direct confrontation. Hans Zimmer (“F1”), Alexandre Desplat (“Frankenstein”), Jonny Greenwood (“One Battle After Another”), and Ludwig Göransson (“Sinners”) represent cinema’s A-list musical talent.
Television Drama Reflects Streaming Dominance
Best Drama Series nominees skew heavily toward streaming originals. Apple TV+ placed three series—”Andor,” “Pluribus,” and returning favorite “Severance.” HBO Max countered with “The Pitt” and “Task,” while Netflix contributed “The Diplomat.”
FX’s “Alien: Earth” brings franchise horror to prestige television, and Hulu’s “Paradise” features Sterling K. Brown in yet another critically-acclaimed performance.
Noah Wyle’s return to medical drama in “The Pitt” earned acting recognition decades after “ER” established his television credentials.
Animation and Variety Round Out Nominations
Animated feature competition includes Disney’s “Elio” and “Zootopia 2” alongside Netflix’s “In Your Dreams” and “KPop Demon Hunters.” GKIDS’ “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” and Neon’s “Arco” provide independent alternatives to studio tentpoles.
Talk show categories recognize late-night staples—Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers—competing against “The Daily Show” and digital upstart “Hot Ones.”
“Saturday Night Live” earned dual recognition in Best Variety Series and through Ego Nwodim’s Best Supporting Actress nomination, plus “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” competing for Best Comedy Special.
Last Year’s Winners Set High Bar
Previous Critics Choice Awards honored “Anora,” “Wicked,” “Emilia Pérez,” “The Substance,” and “Shogun” across film and television categories. These winners frequently align with eventual Oscar victors, giving today’s nominations significant predictive weight for upcoming awards season.
Announcements streamed across E!, USA Network, CriticsChoice.com, and multiple social platforms in rapid-fire fashion this morning.
With “Sinners” leading film nominations and “Adolescence” dominating television drama, January 4’s ceremony promises dramatic competition across every major category as Hollywood’s awards season reaches fever pitch.