Critics Choice Awards 2026: ‘One Battle After Another‘ Takes Top Honors
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The 2026 Critics Choice Awards saw Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerge as a major frontrunner in the awards season, securing wins for Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. While Sinners led in overall nominations with 17, the evening saw a spread of wins, with Sinners taking Original Screenplay, Young Actor, Casting, and Score, and Frankenstein excelling in technical categories.
Key Winners
- Best Picture: One Battle after Another
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler – Sinners
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas anderson – 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 Young Actor/Actress: Miles Caton – Sinners
A Competitive Awards Season
The awards season is shaping up to be a competitive one, with no clear frontrunner emerging after the Critics Choice Awards. Several films are vying for attention, including One Battle After Another and Sinners. Films like Bugonia, Sentimental Value, and Jay kelly, while not major winners this time, are still considered contenders for Oscar nominations. Other films in the mix include The Secret Agent, It Was Just An accident, and F1.
Technical Awards: A Win for Craftsmanship
The technical awards showcased a diverse range of films. Frankenstein took home awards for Costume Design, Production Design, and Hair and Makeup, while F1 and Avatar: Fire and Ash were recognized for their Sound and Visual Effects, respectively.
- Best Cinematography: Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams
- Best Production Design: Tamara Deverell, Shane vieau – Frankenstein
- Best Editing: Stephen Mirrione – F1
- Best Costume Design: Kate Hawley – Frankenstein
- Best Hair and Makeup: Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein
- Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Best Sound: F1
Television Accolades
On the television side, The Pitt was a significant winner, taking home Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series (Noah Wyle), and best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Katherine LaNasa). Severance and Hacks also received recognition, along with The Studio being awarded Best Comedy Series.
- Best Drama Series: The Pitt
- Best Comedy Series: The Studio
- Best Limited Series: Adolescence
- Best Movie Made for television: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Looking Ahead to the Golden Globes and Oscars
With the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards on the horizon, the race for Oscar nominations is heating up. The Critics Choice Awards have offered a glimpse into potential contenders and could signal the direction in which the awards season is heading. Though, given the spread of wins, the Oscars could see a more diverse range of victors than originally anticipated.