Awards season began with much excitement Critics Choice Awards 2026.
The event, organized by Chelsea Handlertook place on Sunday, January 4 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, with an impressive slate of TV and film nominees to celebrate this year’s biggest hits.
It was a huge night for Ryan Coogler‘s sinnerswhich led the pack with 17 nominations, including Best Picture. In short, One battle after another ended up winning the coveted trophy for the biggest prize of the night. In another place, Jessie Buckley she took home the award for best actress for her role in Hamnet while Timothée Chalamet won the award for best actor for his role in Martí Suprem.
And of course, one of the highlights of the night was Handler’s always hilarious commentary along with her eye-catching outfit changes throughout the ceremony, including a nod to late Diane Keaton in a tailored black suit.
The stars’ fashion choices were off the charts at the Critics Choice Awards 2026. This year, stars like Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan and more were nominated for a trophy. Thank you! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By registering, I accept the (…)
Scroll below to see the best and worst moments from the awards show.
Best: Chelsea Handler Monologue
Chelsea Handler brought the laughs with his hilarious monologuewith jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor and more At one point, he referred to Timothée Chalamet as a “little Labubu”.
Amongst all the banter was a sincere and heartfelt tribute to the late director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reinera month after they were found dead in their home in Brentwood, California. Handler remembered Reiner as “the nicest guy in Hollywood.” (His son Nick Reiner was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.)
“Anyone who has spent time with Rob Reiner knows that the moment you met him, he felt like an old friend,” he said. “When you were in a conversation with him, he was present and he was focused and he was funny, and he would ask you a lot of questions, whether you were talking about politics, movies or the latest beauty trends, he was on point.”
Worst: Several stars missed the show
It seems that several stars decided to skip the evening’s festivities and were not seen on the red carpet or in the public, as Cynthia Erivo, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow i Sean Penn. Kristen Bell she also apparently attended the awards ceremony alone, like her husband, Dax Shepardhe didn’t seem to be in the audience.
Best: Kathy Bates licking a ping pong paddle
All eyes were on Kathy Bates when Chelsea Handler told the crowd that Timothée Chalamet had arrived at the venue and one lucky person had a ping-pong paddle under their seat, in an ode to his film. Martí Suprem. Handler said that whoever had the paddle would have a chance to beat Chalamet at the after party. The camera panned to Bates holding the popsicle and proceeding to lick it, making everyone laugh.
Justin Theroux’s wife Nicole Brydon Bloom showed off her baby bump at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards in a chic ensemble. Brydon Bloom, 31, cradled her pregnant belly as she posed for photos on the red carpet on Sunday, January 4 in a champagne gown covered in iridescent sequins. She wore her long brunette (…)
Worst: No Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson Reunion
While many of we they kept hoping to see The naked gun to cost Pamela Anderson i Liam Neeson meet again on the red carpet, that didn’t happen. The film won best comedy, it was announced during E!’s red carpet pre-show, but Neeson and Anderson weren’t there to celebrate.
Worst: Jessie Buckley is Paul Mescal’s best friend and we’re not
During her Best Actress acceptance speech, Jessie Buckley gave her a shout out Hamnet to cost Paul Mescalwhat did he do we and millions of people watching at home rather jealously.
“Paul, I love you, man,” he said, as the camera panned to Mescal in the crowd. “And I know a lot of other women in this room do too, but…hard shit!”
Best: Owen Cooper and ‘Adolescence’ Win Big
adolescence‘s Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham i Erin Doherty took home trophies in their respective categories, as well as the show’s win for Best Limited Series. At just 16 years old, Cooper is already blazing an incredible path in the world of entertainment.
“While this past year has been a complete whirlwind for my family and me, honestly. It has changed our lives forever, and we are eternally grateful,” the teenager said in his acceptance speech. “We cherished every moment of it. To the directors, to the producers, to the cast, to the crew, you took me on an emotional journey that I never imagined I could go on.”
“You believed in me, pushed me when things were tough, and showed incredible patience when I struggled to get there,” Cooper continued. “Some of these moments were very, very hard, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Receiving this award means more to me than words can say.”
Best: Chelsea Handler pays tribute to Diane Keaton
Later in the show, Chelsea Handler appeared on stage in a black pantsuit in honor Diane Keaton.
“This little dress is my tribute to Diane Keaton, another person I think we should remember tonight,” she said after honoring the late director Rob Reiner in her opening monologue.
Handler said that Keaton was “someone who made a great contribution to all of us and to all the people in the room here. So I think it’s a good vibe to remember all these good people, right. Let’s keep the vibes high.”
Keaton, who died on October 11, 2025 of primary bacterial pneumonia, was known for her tailored red carpet looks and structured pantsuits, in addition to her dynamic film roles over the years.
Worst: Adam Sandler leaves empty-handed
For the people who were rooting Adam Sandler this awards season for his role in Jay Kellycame up surprisingly short at the Critics Choice Awards 2026. It was Jacob Elordi who took home the Best Supporting Actor trophy at the ceremony for Frankenstein. (Don’t worry, we’ll still be rooting for you at the Golden Globes, Adam!)
Best: Teyana Taylor’s iconic reactions
He didn’t just do it Teyana Taylor looking stunning on the red carpet in a tailored look with leather accents, but proved to be the ultimate crowd-supporting queen throughout the night. when Paul Thomas Anderson‘s name was called for the best director honor, Taylor immediately stood up to hug him. When the film won Best Picture, Taylor and her co-stars took the stage with Anderson, rooting for him during his emotional speech.