Jimmy Kimmel he didn’t mince words as he accepted the trophy for Best Talk Show for Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the Critics Choice Awards 2026.
“We share this award with our late-night colleagues, our fellow nominees who didn’t care enough to be here with you tonight,” Kimmel, 58, said during his speech at the awards show on Sunday, January 4, which was held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. “Thank you to all the writers and actors and producers and unionists, so many of you in this room who have supported us, who have really stepped up with us and reminded us that we don’t take free speech in this city or this country for granted. Your actions were important and we appreciate them.”
Kimmel went on to say thank you President Donald Trump“without whom we would go home empty-handed tonight,” referring to the 2025 scandal surrounding his late-night show.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for all the ridiculous things you do every day,” Kimmel concluded. “It’s been a banner couple of weeks, and we can’t wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about it.”
The 2026 Critics Choice Awards officially kicks off another awards season on Sunday, January 4. Chelsea Handler returned as host of the Critics Choice Awards for the fourth consecutive year, noting in a November 2025 statement: “Starting the year with the Critics Choice Awards feels good — nothing says ‘new beginnings’ like a (…)
Kimmel’s eponymous talk show was taken off the air briefly in September 2025 after the TV presenter received backlash following his comments about the murder of the conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead that same month while speaking at Utah Valley University.
“We hit new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything but one of them and doing everything they can to score political points,” Kimmel said during his show, also mocking how Trump, 79, reacted to the murder.
ABC made the decision to pull Kimmel’s show after the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission publicly threatened the network, parent company Disney and the host himself. Trump also took to social media to praise the decision, praising ABC for having the “courage” to take Kimmel off the air.
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 (…)
After six days, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned During his first monologue backKimmel praised his fans, as he did during Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards. (Kimmel’s show also went on a short hiatus in November 2025 after his longtime friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! band leader Cleto Escobedo III died unexpectedly at the age of 59.)
“It’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people in the last six days,” Kimmel said in September 2025. “I’ve heard from everyone in the last six days. Everyone I’ve met has reached out 10 or 11 times. People from my past, the guy who fired me from my first radio job, where we’re not in radio in Seattle.
He added: “You supported our show, you cared enough to do something about it to make your voices heard so that mine would be heard, and I’ll never forget that. It takes courage to speak out against this administration, and they did, and they deserve credit and thanks, to tell their fans that our government can’t control what we do and don’t say on TV.”