Ryan Coogler’s horror film Sinners has emerged as the dominant force in the 2026 Critics Choice Awards nominations, securing an impressive 17 bids. These nominations, announced on Friday, December 5th, include accolades for best original score for Ludwig Göransson and best original song for “I Lied to You,” co-written by Göransson and Raphael Saadiq. Close behind, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another garnered 14 nominations, notably for Jonny Greenwood's best original score. Other leading films include Frankenstein and Hamnet with 11 nods each, followed by Marty Supreme (eight), and F1, Sentimental Value, and Wicked: For Good (seven nominations each).

The 2026 Critics Choice Awards introduced four new categories to recognize excellence across film and television. For films, new categories include best stunt design, best casting and ensemble, and best sound. On the television side, a new award for best variety series was added. The expansion reflects a broader appreciation for various cinematic and televisual crafts.

In the highly competitive film categories, Sinners and One Battle After Another are contenders for Best Picture, alongside Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, and Wicked: For Good. The Best Actor race features Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). For Best Actress, nominees include Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).

Directorial talent is recognized with nominations for Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet). The Best Original Score category sees Ludwig Göransson (Sinners) and Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another) competing with Hans Zimmer (F1), Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein), Max Richter (Hamnet), and Daniel Lopatin (Marty Supreme).

Best Original Song nominees include “I Lied to You” from Sinners, “Drive” from F1 by Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Blake Slatkin, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, “Clothed by the Sun” from The Testament of Ann Lee, “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams, and “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good. Other significant film categories with nominees provided include Best Animated Feature, Best Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Stunt Design, and Best Sound, all featuring a strong lineup of acclaimed productions.

On the television front, Netflix’s Adolesence leads with six nominations, followed by Nobody Wants This with five bids. Series such as All Her Fault, Death by Lightning, Ghosts, Hacks, Severance, and The Pitt each received four nominations. Drama Series contenders include Alien: Earth, Andor, The Diplomat, Paradise, The Pitt, Pluribus, Severance, and Task. For Comedy Series, Abbott Elementary, Elsbeth, Ghosts, Hacks, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, The Righteous Gemstones, and The Studio are vying for the award. The new Best Variety Series category features Conan O’Brien Must Go, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live, with SNL50: The Anniversary Special also nominated for Best Comedy Special.

The 31st Critics Choice Awards ceremony, hosted by Chelsea Handler for the fourth consecutive year, will be broadcast live on January 4th on E! and USA Network from Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. Following this, the Golden Globes, hosted by Nikki Glaser for her second year, will take place one week later on January 11th. This ceremony, which will also cover film, television, and, as of 2026, podcasting, will be broadcast live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.