Film awards: ‘Sinners’ leads Critics Choice nominations with 17 nods

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners took the most nominations, 17, for the 31st Critics Choice Awards, the organisation revealed on Friday.

A major component of the film awards season will take place on Sunday, January 4 2026. 

Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence takes a look at the nominees.

‘Sinners’ leads the pack

Sinners, one of the films of 2025, has been lavishly praised by the Critics Choice Association (CCA) with 17 nominations being bestowed upon the vampire horror. 

The list of nominations was impressive, one shy of the record set by Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Sinners earned a nod for Best Picture, with Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton recognised for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Young Actor/Actress respectively. 

Coogler’s immense talents have landed him nominations in the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay categories, with Sinner also in the running for Best Casting and Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Stunt Design, Best Song, Best Score, and Best Sound.

The best of the rest

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another followed Sinners with 14 nominations, including Best Actor and Actress for Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti, respectively.

Best Picture was another of its accolades, and Anderson was, of course, nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Sinners and One Battle After Another were big winners at the recent Gotham Awards, and these nominations prove they’re likely to do battle right through until the 2026 Oscars. 

Hamnet and Frankenstein, meanwhile, earned 11 nominations apiece.

Behind these flicks among the well-loved nominees were Marty Supreme (eight), F1, Sentimental Value, and Wicked: For Good (seven), Jay Kelly and Weapons (four), and Bugonia (three).

READ MORE: Film news: ‘One Battle After Another’ ignites Oscars race with Gotham Awards win

Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ leads television nominees 

On the small screen, it was Netflix’s limited drama series Adolescence that stole the spotlight with six nominations. 

The show was nominated for Best Limited Series, with Stephen Graham nominated for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. 

Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters were nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, with Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco racing into the Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television category. 

In light of the nominations across film and television, CCA CEO Joey Berlin said, “We are so excited to kick off awards season in the new year, gathering hundreds of TV, film and streaming stars in one glamorous room for the first major awards show of 2026.

“Our voters are the critics and entertainment reporters who help audiences find the best of the best every day, all year long,” Berlin added. 

“Their collective opinions are the most informed and reliable in the business. 

“We are thrilled to share this incredible group of nominees with audiences around the world today, and can’t wait to celebrate this year’s outstanding performances and projects at the Critics Choice Awards on January 4th.”

READ NEXT: Netflix news: SAG-AFTRA to assess Netflix-WB merger before taking a position

The 2026 Critics Choice Nominations

Film

Best Picture

Bugonia (Focus Features)

Frankenstein (Netflix)

Hamnet (Focus Features)

Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Marty Supreme (A24)

One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Sentimental Value (Neon)

Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Train Dreams (Netflix)

Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (A24)

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams (Netflix)

Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (Neon)

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)

Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)

Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Paul Mescal – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Best Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Best Young Actor / Actress

Everett Blunck – The Plague (Independent Film Company)

Miles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Cary Christopher – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)

Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Chloé Zhao – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Best Original Screenplay

Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)

Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)

Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)

Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)

Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Best Casting and Ensemble

Nina Gold – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (A24)

Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Cinematography

Claudio Miranda – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Łukasz Żal – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams (Netflix)

Best Production Design

Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)

Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Marty Supreme (A24)

Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Editing

Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)

Stephen Mirrione – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbour (Netflix)

Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Best Costume Design

Kate Hawley – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Lindsay Pugh – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)

Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)

Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Hair and Makeup

Flora Moody, John Nolan – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)

Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine (A24)

Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Visual Effects

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)

Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)

Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams – Superman (Warner Bros.)

Best Stunt Design

Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda – Ballerina (Lionsgate)

Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Wade Eastwood – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)

Brian Machleit – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Andy Gill – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Giedrius Nagys – Warfare (A24)

Best Animated Feature

Arco (Neon)

Elio (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

In Your Dreams (Netflix)

KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS)

Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Best Comedy

The Ballad of Wallis Island (Focus Features)

Eternity (A24)

Friendship (A24)

The Naked Gun (Paramount)

The Phoenician Scheme (Focus Features)

Splitsville (Neon)

Best Foreign Language Film

It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

No Other Choice (Neon)

The Secret Agent (Neon)

Sirat (Neon)

Belén (Amazon MGM Studios)

Best Song

“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)

“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

“Clothed by the Sun” – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)

“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)

“The Girl in the Bubble” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Score

Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)

Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Best Sound

Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Laia Casanovas – Sirat (Neon)

Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner – Warfare (A24)

TV

Best Drama Series

Alien: Earth (FX)

Andor (Disney+)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Paradise (Hulu)

The Pitt (HBO Max)

Pluribus (Apple TV)

Severance (Apple TV)

Task (HBO Max)

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown – Paradise (Hulu)

Diego Luna – Andor (Disney+)

Mark Ruffalo – Task (HBO Max)

Adam Scott – Severance (Apple TV)

Billy Bob Thornton – Landman (Paramount+)

Noah Wyle – The Pitt (HBO Max)

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)

Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)

Britt Lower – Severance (Apple TV)

Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us (HBO Max)

Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus (Apple TV)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Patrick Ball – The Pitt (HBO Max)

Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV)

Ato Essandoh – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Wood Harris – Forever (Netflix)

Tom Pelphrey – Task (HBO Max)

Tramell Tillman – Severance (Apple TV)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Nicole Beharie – The Morning Show (Apple TV)

Denée Benton – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)

Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt (HBO Max)

Greta Lee – The Morning Show (Apple TV)

Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)

Best Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Elsbeth (CBS)

Ghosts (CBS)

Hacks (HBO Max)

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)

The Studio (Apple TV)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Ted Danson – A Man on the Inside (Netflix)

David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC)

Danny McBride – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)

Seth Rogen – The Studio (Apple TV)

Alexander Skarsgard – Murderbot (Apple TV)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face (Peacock)

Rose McIver – Ghosts (CBS)

Edi Patterson – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)

Carrie Preston – Elsbeth (CBS)

Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ike Barinholtz – The Studio (Apple TV)

Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO Max)

Asher Grodman – Ghosts (CBS)

Oscar Nuñez – The Paper (Peacock)

Chris Perfetti – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Timothy Simons – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Danielle Brooks – Peacemaker (HBO Max)

Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)

Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Justine Lupe – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Ego Nwodim – Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Rebecca Wisocky – Ghosts (CBS)

Best Limited Series

Adolescence (Netflix)

All Her Fault (Peacock)

Chief of War (Apple TV)

Death by Lightning (Netflix)

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)

Dope Thief (Apple TV)

Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)

The Girlfriend (Prime Video)

Best Movie Made for Television

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)

Deep Cover (Prime Video)

The Gorge (Apple TV)

Mountainhead (HBO Max)

Nonnas (Netflix)

Summer of ’69 (Hulu)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Michael Chernus – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)

Stephen Graham – Adolescence (Netflix)

Brian Tyree Henry – Dope Thief (Apple TV)

Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)

Matthew Rhys – The Beast in Me (Netflix)

Michael Shannon – Death by Lightning (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Jessica Biel – The Better Sister (Prime Video)

Meghann Fahy – Sirens (Netflix)

Sarah Snook – All Her Fault (Peacock)

Michelle Williams – Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)

Robin Wright – The Girlfriend (Prime Video)

Renée Zellweger – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Owen Cooper – Adolescence (Netflix)

Wagner Moura – Dope Thief (Apple TV)

Nick Offerman – Death by Lightning (Netflix)

Michael Peña – All Her Fault (Peacock)

Ashley Walters – Adolescence (Netflix)

Ramy Youssef – Mountainhead (HBO Max)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Erin Doherty – Adolescence (Netflix)

Betty Gilpin – Death by Lightning (Netflix)

Marin Ireland – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)

Sophia Lillis – All Her Fault (Peacock)

Julianne Moore – Sirens (Netflix)

Christine Tremarco – Adolescence (Netflix)

Best Foreign Language Series

Acapulco (Apple TV)

Last Samurai Standing (Netflix)

Mussolini: Son of the Century (Mubi)

Red Alert (Paramount+)

Squid Game (Netflix)

When No One Sees Us (HBO Max)

Best Animated Series

Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

Harley Quinn (HBO Max)

Long Story Short (Netflix)

Marvel Zombies (Disney+)

South Park (Comedy Central)

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man (Disney+)

Best Talk Show

The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

Hot Ones (YouTube)

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)

Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen (Bravo)

Best Variety Series

Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max)

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO Max)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Best Comedy Special

Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life (HBO Max)

Caleb Hearon: Model Comedian (HBO Max)

Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things (Netflix)

Marc Maron: Panicked (HBO Max)

Sarah Silverman: PostMortem (Netflix)

SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)