Started in 1995, the Critics Choice Awards honor the best achievements in film and television as voted by members of the Critics Choice Association (CCA) – a collective of 500+ film and television critics and entertainment journalists from the United States and Canada.
The 31st Critics’ Choice Awards will take place on January 4, 2026, with Chelsea Handler hosting for the fourth time in a row. Here’s how to watch it online and anywhere with a VPN.
The Critics’ Choice Awards, which take place before the Golden Globes this year, will kick-start awards season. It also means that winners here can enjoy early momentum and shape opinion heading into the Oscars and Emmys, which are the more significant events. In fact, many CCA winners have gone on to major awards, e.g Oppenheimer (2024), Everything everywhere at once (2023), and Succession (TV).
This year’s ceremony will feature 23 film categories and 21 television categories, including four new additions: Best Casting and Ensemble, Best Variety Series, Best Sound and Best Stunt Design.
Ryan Cooller Sinners leads with 17 nominations – only second behind Barbie in 2023 – including Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Actress (Miles Caton), Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and more. Youth dominates the TV nominations with performances in six categories, including Best Actor (Stephen Graham), Best Supporting Actor (Owen Cooper) and Best Supporting Actress (Erin Doherty).
Read on below and watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony live or on-demand, wherever you are in the world.
How to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards online in the US
Tune in on January 4 when the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards air live on E! and the USA network at 7:00 PM ET/PT. If you miss the first broadcast, don’t worry: you can just stream the next day on Peacock. Subscriptions to the NBC streamer start at just $7.99 a month.
Don’t have cable? Don’t worry, you can get E! and the USA network via one of the best cable alternative providers. Sling TV is our top recommendation as it is good value and has 40+ channels to choose from. E! and USA Network are both available on Sling Blue, which starts at $46/month, but you can currently get $10 off your first month.
Subscribe to a service that shows the Critics’ Choice Awards but is currently gone? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to access your usual services anywhere – more details below.
How to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards anywhere
If you’re traveling overseas when the Critics’ Choice Awards air, you won’t be able to watch the show like you normally would due to pesky regional restrictions. Fortunately, there is an easy solution.
Downloading a VPN allows you to stream online no matter where you are. It’s a simple piece of software that changes your IP address, meaning you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.
Use one of those best VPNs to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards anywhere.
How to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards around the world
Can I watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards online in Canada?
There is currently no indication if and when Canadian users will be able to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards. If that changes, we’ll make sure to provide all the most up-to-date information here.
A US Citizen Abroad? You can overcome geo-blocks and access your Peacock subscription with a good VPN, no matter where in the world you stream from.
Can I watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards in the UK?
There is currently no way to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards in the UK. Peacock is exclusive to the US and no UK network has yet picked up the rights to broadcast the prestigious event.
As mentioned earlier, if you’re out of the country when the Critics’ Choice Awards air, try using a VPN – that way you can still access the same streaming services you enjoy at home. We recommend NordVPN.
How to watch the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards in Australia
Although Australian streaming service Stan broadcast last year’s Critics’ Choice Awards – and it’s available to watch on demand right now – there’s been no word so far from the provider on whether it will broadcast the ceremony live this year.
A US citizen in Australia? If you’re trying to stream the great Critics’ Choice Awards bash but encounter geo-blocks, you can download a VPN such as NordVPN will change your IP address and let you use the services you already pay for at home.
Critics’ Choice Awards 2026 Nominations
FILM
Best picture
- Bugonia
- Frankenstein
- The port
- Jay Kelly
- Marty Supreme
- One match after another
- Sentimental value
- Sinners
- Train dreams
- Wicked: Too Good
Best instructor
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One match after another
- Ryan Cooller – Sinners
- Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
- Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Joachim Trier – Sentimental
- Chloé Zhao – The port
Best actor
- Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One match after another
- Joel Edgerton – Train dreams
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Wagner Moura – The secret agent
Best Actress
- Jessie Buckley – The port
- Rose Byrne – If I had legs, I’d kick you
- Chase Infiniti – One match after another
- Renate Reinsve – Sentimental value
- Amanda Seyfried – Ann Lee Will
- Emma Stone – Bugonia
Best Supporting Actor
- Benicio del Toro – One match after another
- Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal – The port
- Sean Penn – One match after another
- Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
- Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental value
Best Supporting Actress
- Elle Fanning – Sentimental value
- Ariana Grande – Wicked: Too Good
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental value
- Amy Madigan – Arms
- Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
- Teyana Taylor – One match after another
Best Original Screenplay
- Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly
- Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Ryan Cooller – Sinners
- Zach Cregger – Arms
- Eva Victor – Sorry, honey
- Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental value
Best Foreign Language Film
- It was just an accident
- Left handed girl
- No other choice
- The secret agent
- Sirat
- Belém
TV
Best Drama Series
- Alien: Earth
- Andor
- The Diplomat
- Paradise
- The Pitt
- Multibus
- Resignation
- Task
Best Actor in a Drama Series
- Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
- Diego Luna – Andor
- Mark Ruffalo – Task
- Adam Scott – Resignation
- Billy Bob Thornton – Farmer
- Noah Wyle – The Pitt
Best Actress in a Drama Series
- Kathy Bates – Matlock
- Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
- Britt Lower – Resignation
- Bella Ramsey – The last of us
- Keri Russell – The Diplomat
- Rhea Seehorn – Multibus
Best Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- Elizabeth
- Ghosts
- Hacks
- Nobody wants this
- Only murder in the building
- The righteous gems
- The studio
Best Limited Series
- Youth
- All her fault
- war chief
- Death by Lightning
- Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
- Dope thief
- die for sex
- The boyfriend
You can find the full list of categories and nominees on the official Critics’ Choice Awards website.
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