The 2026 Critics Choice Awards have wrapped up, and there were some major and memorable moments from this year’s ceremony.
But, in case you missed the award show, The Australian Women’s Weekly is listing some of the best moments from the night.
Chelsea Handler paid tribute to Rob Reiner
Comedian Chelsea Handler was the host of the events for the fourth year in a row. Her opening monologue was the usual fare of poking fun at celebrities. However, this year she ended with a special tribute to the actor and director who was killed along with his wife in December 2025.
“Everyone in this room knows that the nicest guy in Hollywood was Rob Reiner,” she said in her speech.
“The minute you met him, he felt like an old friend. When you were in a conversation, he was present, he was focused, he was funny, and he would ask you a ton of questions, whether you were discussing politics, film or the latest beauty trends. He was all in.
After I sent him a text thanking him for dinner a few months ago, he sent me a text back saying, ‘We had so much fun with you last night. Thanks for explaining so much about plastic surgery. It was very edifying’.”
Sarah Snook forgot to prepare her speech
Some celebrities often feign modesty when they win, but it appears that Sarah Snook really did not expect to win Best Actress for her role in All Her Fault.
“My husband was like, ‘You seem a bit distant,’ in the car on the way here, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I just had forgotten what we were doing, and I didn’t write a speech or anything, and I’m just trying to go through some things now,'” she said in her speech. “And then I forgot when we got here again, ’cause it was so nice to see everybody, and now I’ve gotten up here, and I’m regretting all of it.”
However, she did thank many people and ended with “This is really great. Thank you! Bye!”
Jacob Elordi wins Best Supporting Actor
The Brisbane actor continued the wins for Australians, taking home the Best Supporting Actor for Frankenstein.
He thanked the film’s director, Guillermo del Toro. for making his dreams come true and ended his speech by thanking his parents.
He also shared a sweet moment with Owen Cooper (more on him below) and gave him a standing ovation on his win.
Owen Cooper makes history as the youngest person to win a Critics Choice Award
The 16-year-old actor made history with his win for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for his performance in Adolescence.
Stephen Graham’s four-episode Netflix series made a huge impact around the world as it highlighted the way in which a young man may become embroiled in misogyny and the “manosphere”.
Owen portrayed 13-year-old Jamie Miller who is accused of murdering a girl in his class who rejected him.
““Receiving this award means more to me than I can put even into words; to be standing here with you all tonight is something that I’ll never forget,” Owen said of his win.
He has also received an Emmy Award for his performance in 2025.
Kathy Bates, Chelsea Handler, and Hacks stars tease Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, who are in a relationship, wore very striking, bright orange coordinated outfits for the premiere of Timothée’s flick Marty Supreme complete with paddle handbag in December 2025.
Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs from Hacks recreated the look for the Critics Choice red carpet.
At one point at the award show, Chelsea Handler declared that “Someone in this room has a ping pong paddle under their seat. Whoever has it gets to spank Timothée Chalamet at the afterparty.”
The camera then pans to Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, who has the paddle and licks it. However, she breaks character and says, “So gross. So gross. I can’t believe I did that!”
Timothée and Kylie took it all well, and after Timothée won Best Actor thanked Kylie for her support and love:
“Thank you to my partner of three years. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
When the camera panned to Kylie, she mouthed “I love you” back.
What are the Critics Choice Awards?
The Critics Choice Awards are presented each year by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), a group made up of hundreds of film and television critics from the United States and Canada.
They recognise excellence across film, television, and streaming content.
The awards are often seen as a key predictor of Oscar and Emmy success because they reflect the views of critics rather than industry insiders or the general public.
The Critics Choice Awards are usually held early in awards season, placing them between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Because of that timing, they often help build momentum for films and performances that go on to win Oscars.
However, in 2026, they happened before the Golden Globes.
Read on for all the winners on the night:
Critics Choice Award Winners 2026:
Film categories
Best Picture
- Bugonia
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Jay Kelly
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another – WINNER
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
- Wicked: For Good
Best Actress
- Jessie Buckley, Hamnet – WINNER
- Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
- Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
- Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee
- Emma Stone, Bugonia
Best Actor
- Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme – WINNER
- Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
- Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
- Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
- Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Best Supporting Actress
- Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
- Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan, Weapons – WINNER
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actor
- Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein – WINNER
- Paul Mescal, Hamnet
- Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
- Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly
- Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Best Young Actor/Actress
- Everett Blunck, The Plague
- Miles Caton, Sinners – WINNER
- Cary Christopher, Weapons
- Shannon Mahina Gorman, Rental Family
- Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet
- Nina Ye, Left-Handed Girl
Best Director
- Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another — WINNER
- Ryan Coogler, Sinners
- Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
- Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
- Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
- Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Best Original Screenplay
- Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer, Jay Kelly
- Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
- Ryan Coogler, Sinners – WINNER
- Zach Cregger, Weapons
- Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
- Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another – WINNER
- Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams
- Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee, No Other Choice
- Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
- Will Tracy, Bugonia
- Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet
Best Casting and Ensemble
- Nina Gold, Hamnet
- Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold, Jay Kelly
- Jennifer Venditti, Marty Supreme
- Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After Another
- Francine Maisler, Sinners – WINNER
- Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey, Wicked: For Good
Best Cinematography
- Claudio Miranda, F1
- Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
- Łukasz Żal, Hamnet
- Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another
- Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
- Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams – WINNER
Best Production Design
- Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis, The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau, Frankenstein – WINNER
- Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton, Hamnet
- Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Marty Supreme
- Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne, Sinners
- Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales, Wicked: For Good
Best Editing
- Kirk Baxter, A House of Dynamite
- Stephen Mirrione, F1 – WINNER
- Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
- Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another
- Viridiana Lieberman, The Perfect Neighbor
- Michael P Shawver, Sinners
Best Costume Design
- Kate Hawley, Frankenstein – WINNER
- Malgosia Turzanska, Hamnet
- Lindsay Pugh, Hedda
- Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella, Kiss of the Spider Woman
- Ruth E. Carter, Sinners
- Paul Tazewell, Wicked: For Good
Best Hair and Makeup
- Flora Moody, John Nolan, 28 Years Later
- Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Frankenstein – WINNER
- Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry, Sinners
- Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal, The Smashing Machine
- Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins, Weapons
- Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount, Wicked: For Good
Best Visual Effects
- Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett — Avatar: Fire and Ash – WINNER
- Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson, F1
- Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell, Frankenstein
- Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
- Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean, Sinners
- Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams, Superman
Best Stunt Design
- Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda, Ballerina
- Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby, F1
- Wade Eastwood, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – WINNER
- Brian Machleit, One Battle After Another
- Andy Gill, Sinners
- Giedrius Nagys, Warfare
Best Animated Feature
- Arco
- Elio
- In Your Dreams
- KPop Demon Hunters – WINNER
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
- Zootopia 2
Best Comedy
- The Ballad of Wallis Island
- Eternity
- Friendship
- The Naked Gun – WINNER
- The Phoenician Scheme
- Splitsville
Best Foreign Language Film
- It Was Just an Accident
- Left-Handed Girl
- No Other Choice
- The Secret Agent – WINNER
- Sirāt
- Belén
Best Song
- “Drive”, Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin — F1
- “Golden”, Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters – WINNER
- “I Lied to You”, Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
- “Clothed by the Sun”, Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee
- “Train Dreams”, Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams
- “The Girl in the Bubble”, Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good
Best Score
- Hans Zimmer, F1
- Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
- Max Richter, Hamnet
- Daniel Lopatin, Marty Supreme
- Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
- Ludwig Göransson, Sinners – WINNER
Best Sound
- Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John, F1 – WINNER
- Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman, Frankenstein
- Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor, One Battle After Another
- Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler, Sinners
- Laia Casanovas, Sirāt
- Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner, Warfare
Television categories
Best Drama Series
- Alien: Earth
- Andor
- The Diplomat
- Paradise
- The Pitt — WINNER
- Pluribus
- Severance
- Task
Best Actor in a Drama Series
- Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
- Diego Luna, Andor
- Mark Ruffalo, Task
- Adam Scott, Severance
- Billy Bob Thornton, Landman
- Noah Wyle, The Pitt – WINNER
Best Actress in a Drama Series
- Kathy Bates, Matlock
- Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
- Britt Lower, Severance
- Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
- Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus – WINNER
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Patrick Ball, The Pitt
- Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
- Ato Essandoh, The Diplomat
- Wood Harris, Forever
- Tom Pelphrey, Task
- Tramell Tillman, Severance – WINNER
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show
- Denée Benton, The Gilded Age
- Allison Janney, The Diplomat
- Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt – WINNER
- Greta Lee, The Morning Show
- Skye P. Marshall, Matlock
Best Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- Elsbeth
- Ghosts
- Hacks
- Nobody Wants This
- Only Murders in the Building
- The Righteous Gemstones
- The Studio – WINNER
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
- Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
- Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
- David Alan Grier, St. Denis Medical
- Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones
- Seth Rogen, The Studio – WINNER
- Alexander Skarsgård, Murderbot
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
- Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This
- Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face
- Rose McIver, Ghosts
- Edi Patterson, The Righteous Gemstones
- Carrie Preston, Elsbeth
- Jean Smart, Hacks – WINNER
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Ike Barinholtz, The Studio — WINNER
- Paul W. Downs, Hacks
- Asher Grodman, Ghosts
- Oscar Nuñez, The Paper
- Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary
- Timothy Simons, Nobody Wants This
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Danielle Brooks, Peacemaker
- Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
- Janelle James, Abbott Elementary – WINNER
- Justine Lupe, Nobody Wants This
- Ego Nwodim, Saturday Night Live
- Rebecca Wisocky, Ghosts
Best Limited Series
- Adolescence – WINNER
- All Her Fault
- Chief of War
- Death by Lightning
- Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
- Dope Thief
- Dying for Sex
- The Girlfriend
Best Movie Made for Television
- Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy – WINNER
- Deep Cover
- The Gorge
- Mountainhead
- Nonnas
- Summer of ’69
Best Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
- Michael Chernus, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
- Stephen Graham, Adolescence – WINNER
- Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief
- Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
- Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
- Michael Shannon, Death by Lightning
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Made for Television Movie
- Jessica Biel, The Better Sister
- Meghann Fahy, Sirens
- Sarah Snook, All Her Fault – WINNER
- Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
- Robin Wright, The Girlfriend
- Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Made for Television Movie
- Owen Cooper, Adolescence — WINNER
- Wagner Moura, Dope Thief
- Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
- Michael Peña, All Her Fault
- Ashley Walters, Adolescence
- Ramy Youssef, Mountainhead
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Made for Television Movie
- Erin Doherty, Adolescence — WINNER
- Betty Gilpin, Death by Lightning
- Marin Ireland, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
- Sophia Lillis, All Her Fault
- Julianne Moore, Sirens
- Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Best Foreign Language Series
- Acapulco
- Last Samurai Standing
- Mussolini: Son of the Century
- Red Alert
- Squid Game — WINNER
- When No One Sees Us
Best Animated Series
- Bob’s Burgers
- Harley Quinn
- Long Story Short
- Marvel Zombies
- South Park — WINNER
- Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man
Best Talk Show
- The Daily Show
- Hot Ones
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! – WINNER
- Late Night with Seth Meyers
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Best Variety Series
- Conan O’Brien Must Go
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – WINNER
- Saturday Night Live
Best Comedy Special
- Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life
- Caleb Hearon: Model Comedian
- Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things
- Marc Maron: Panicked
- Sarah Silverman: PostMortem
- SNL50: The Anniversary Special – WINNER
