If you were scrolling through social media during the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards, you probably saw Timothée Chalamet’s viral shoutout to Kylie Jenner or Kathy Bates brandishing a ping-pong paddle. But behind the memes and the Chrome Hearts outfits, the actual list of critics choice awards winners tells a much more interesting story about where Hollywood is heading in 2026. This wasn't just a coronation for the usual suspects.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another basically cleared the table, taking home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s a heavyweight. A thinking person's epic. Honestly, it feels like the critics are trying to send a message to the Academy: this is the bar. But while Anderson was the night's big victor, the wins were surprisingly spread out across a few massive technical powerhouses and some indie darlings that finally got their flowers.
The Big Movie Winners Everyone is Talking About
Most people expected a sweep, but we got a dogfight instead. One Battle After Another might have the top trophy, but Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners actually tied for the most individual wins in the film categories. Each took home four trophies.
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Frankenstein dominated the "vibe" categories. It snagged Best Production Design (Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau) and Best Costume Design (Kate Hawley). It also secured a huge win for Jacob Elordi, who took home Best Supporting Actor. Elordi’s height was a running gag for host Chelsea Handler, but his performance is the real deal—critics are finally looking past the "heartthrob" label.
On the other side, Sinners proved it has the best ensemble in the business. Casting director Francine Maisler won for Best Casting and Ensemble, leading the whole cast—including Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo—to pile onto the stage. It was one of those rare, unscripted moments that felt genuinely warm. Ryan Coogler also picked up Best Original Screenplay, and the film’s young star, Miles Caton, won Best Young Actor.
The Acting Heavyweights
- Timothée Chalamet (Best Actor): Won for Marty Supreme. He’s playing a ping-pong pro (hence the Kathy Bates paddle gag). His speech was surprisingly personal, thanking Kylie Jenner as his "partner of three years."
- Jessie Buckley (Best Actress): Won for Hamnet. She was incredibly charming on stage, jokingly telling the audience she "could drink Paul Mescal like water."
- Amy Madigan (Best Supporting Actress): A bit of a "vet" win for Weapons. She literally ran to the stage when her name was called.
Why The Pitt and The Studio Are Changing TV
Television felt like a total changing of the guard this year. HBO Max’s The Pitt secured the top drama honor, and Noah Wyle reminded everyone why he’s a staple of the medium by taking Best Actor in a Drama Series. It’s a gritty, smart show that feels like old-school HBO in the best way possible.
Then you have The Studio on Apple TV+. It won Best Comedy Series, and Seth Rogen took Best Actor in a Comedy. It’s meta. It’s cynical. It’s exactly what critics love. But the real standout in the comedy world remains Jean Smart. She won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks yet again. At this point, they should probably just rename the award after her.
Netflix also had a massive night with Adolescence. It won Best Limited Series and swept almost all the acting categories in that bracket. Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, and Erin Doherty all walked away with trophies. It’s a harrowing watch, but clearly, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) felt it was the most important thing on TV this year.
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Surprises and Technical Mastery
You can't talk about the critics choice awards winners without mentioning the tech. James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash won Best Visual Effects. Obviously. Pandora remains undefeated in that department.
The sound and editing categories were owned by F1. Stephen Mirrione won for editing, and the sound team took home the prize for making those engines roar. It’s a visceral movie that demands a theater, and the critics rewarded that technical precision.
Quick Hits from the Results
- Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters. It also won Best Original Song for "Golden."
- Best Comedy (Movie): The Naked Gun. Yes, the reboot actually landed.
- Best Foreign Language Film: The Secret Agent.
- Best Drama Series: The Pitt.
- Best Talk Show: Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Kimmel took a lot of shots at the political landscape during his speech).
What This Means for the Oscars
The Critics Choice Awards are usually the best "weather vane" for the Academy Awards. If you're looking at the winners list, Paul Thomas Anderson is the frontrunner for Director. Timothée Chalamet and Jessie Buckley are now the ones to beat in the lead categories.
The split between Frankenstein and Sinners suggests the technical Oscars will be a bloodbath. There isn't one single movie dominating the craft categories, which makes for a much more exciting season than the Oppenheimer or Barbie sweeps of years past.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve before the Oscars, start by catching up on the winners that aren't on your radar yet. Specifically, hunt down The Secret Agent and make time for Adolescence on Netflix. The critics are leaning into "heavy" themes this year, and these wins are a direct reflection of that shift toward serious, auteur-driven storytelling.
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Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the "Big Three": Prioritize One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, and Sinners to understand the current cinematic landscape.
- Stream the TV Winners: Start The Pitt on HBO Max and Adolescence on Netflix; these are the benchmark for quality television in 2026.
- Track the Momentum: Follow the upcoming SAG and BAFTA results to see if Chalamet and Buckley maintain their lead over the competition.