> At a Glance
> – The 31st annual Critics Choice Awards took place on January 4, 2026 in Santa Monica
> – Chelsea Handler hosted the ceremony broadcast on E! and USA at 7 p.m. EST
> – Nominees hailed from 2025 hits including Wicked, Severance, Hacks, The Gilded Age, KPop Demon Hunters, Marty Supreme, and One Battle After Another
> – Why it matters: Awards season officially kicks off as TV and film stars celebrate the year’s most talked-about projects
Hollywood wasted no time diving into 2026’s awards circuit. Hours after New Year’s confetti settled, the Critics Choice Association welcomed screens’ biggest names to Santa Monica for a red-carpet launch packed with style and anticipation.
Red-Carpet Arrivals
The arrivals list read like a pop-culture yearbook. Jeff Goldblum, Hannah Einbinder, Denée Benton, and Quinta Brunson led early waves of photographers’ flashes.
They were joined by a cross-generational mix of talent:
- Jessie Buckley, Patricia Arquette, Ali Larter, Danielle Brooks
- Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco arriving together
- Rising faces Chase Sui Wonders, Odessa A’zion, Noah Schnapp, Mckenna Grace
- Veteran scene-stealers Alicia Silverstone, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Craig Robinson
- International presence Lee Byung-hun, Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo
- Comedy duos Paul W. Downs & Megan Stalter, plus presenters Rebecca Wisocky, Timothy Simons
What’s Up for Honors
Projects generating chatter spanned genres and formats.
Screen favorites in contention:
- Movie musical Wicked
- Animated breakout KPop Demon Hunters
- Sports drama Marty Supreme
- War series One Battle After Another
- Mind-bending thriller Severance
- Period hit The Gilded Age
- Comedy hit Hacks
See the full nomination roster on the show’s official site.
Key Takeaways
- The Critics Choice Awards mark the first major stop of the 2026 awards season
- Nominees reflect the previous year’s TV and streaming phenomena alongside box-office standouts
- Chelsea Handler steered the three-hour ceremony live across E! and USA
- Santa Monica’s red carpet delivered fashion moments before any envelopes were opened
Hollywood now pivots toward the coming weeks of guild honors and the march to the Oscars, but Sunday night’s coastal gala set an energetic tone for what lies ahead.
