The 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards is taking place tonight, marking the official start of the 2026 awards season. The star-studded ceremony is set to be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
Comic host Chelsea Handler returns for her fourth consecutive year to guide the proceedings, blending humour with excitement as some of the biggest films and TV shows of 2025 compete for top honours.
The Critics Choice Awards, presented annually by the Critics Choice Association, honour the best achievements in film and television from the previous year. Known for its diverse voting body of critics, the event often foreshadows trends and potential winners in subsequent awards; including the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Leading Nominees This Year
Before tonight’s gala, several titles emerged as front-runners based on nominations:
- Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s period horror drama, leads all films with 17 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and multiple acting categories.
- One Battle After Another, the action epic by Paul Thomas Anderson, follows closely with 14 nominations, also in major categories like Best Picture and Best Actor.
- Netflix’s limited series Adolescence is the most-nominated television project, highlighted in the show’s TV category lineup.
Other films in contention include Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value, among others, spanning genres from drama to fantasy and international cinema.
The ceremony is being broadcast live on E! and USA Network, with red carpet coverage and pre-show specials earlier in the evening. International viewers may also follow live streams on network apps and platforms supporting E! and USA Network feeds.
You can also get updates and follow the show via our Film social media handle on Facebook/X
Tonight’s show begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT (approximate local U.S. time), with the red carpet arriving hours earlier as celebrities showcase their fashion on the Barker Hangar carpet.