Awards season kicked off with a great deal of pleasure on the 2026 Critics Selection Awards.
The occasion, hosted by Chelsea Handler, passed off on Sunday, January 4, on the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, with a powerful record of nominees in TV and movie gathering to rejoice this yr’s greatest hits.
It was an enormous night time for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which led the pack with 17 nominations, together with Greatest Image. Finally, One Battle After One other ended up profitable the coveted trophy for the most important award of the night time. Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley took house the award for Greatest Actress for her position in Hamnet whereas Timothée Chalamet received the Greatest Actor honor for his position in Marty Supreme.
And naturally, one of many highlights of the night time was Handler’s ever-hilarious commentary coupled along with her eye-catching outfit modifications all through the ceremony, together with a nod to late Diane Keaton with a tailor-made black swimsuit.
Scroll beneath for the most effective and worst moments of the awards present.
Greatest: Chelsea Handler’s Monologue
Chelsea Handler introduced the laughs along with her hilarious monologue, that includes jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor and extra. At one level, she referred to Timothée Chalamet as a “little Labubu.”
In between the entire quips was an sincere and heartfelt tribute to late director Rob Reiner and his spouse, Michele Singer Reiner, one month after they had been discovered lifeless of their Brentwood, California, house. Handler remembered Reiner as “the nicest man in Hollywood.” (Their son Nick Reiner was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree homicide.)
“Anybody who ever frolicked with Rob Reiner is aware of that the minute you met him, he felt like an outdated pal,” she stated. “If you had been in a dialog with him, he was current and he was targeted and he was humorous, and he would ask you tons of questions, whether or not you had been discussing politics or movie or the most recent magnificence tendencies, he was all in.”
Worst: A number of Stars Missed the Present
It looks like a number of stars determined to skip out on the night time’s festivities and weren’t seen on the crimson carpet or within the viewers, like Cynthia Erivo, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sean Penn. Kristen Bell additionally seemingly attended the awards present solo, as her husband, Dax Shepard, didn’t look like within the viewers.
Greatest: Kathy Bates Licking a Ping Pong Paddle
All eyes had been on Kathy Bates when Chelsea Handler informed the group that Timothée Chalamet had arrived on the venue and one fortunate individual had a ping pong paddle beneath their seat, in ode to his movie Marty Supreme. Handler stated whoever had the paddle would get the prospect to spank Chalamet on the afterparty. The digicam panned to Bates holding the paddle and continuing to lick it, inflicting everybody to chortle.
Justin Theroux’s spouse, Nicole Brydon Bloom, put her child bump on full show on the 2026 Critics Selection Awards in a trendy ensemble. Brydon Bloom, 31, cradled her pregnant stomach whereas posing for images on the crimson carpet on Sunday, January 4, in a champagne-colored costume coated in iridescent sequins. She wore her lengthy brunette […]
Worst: No Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson Reunion
Whereas a lot of Us had been holding out hope to see The Bare Gun costars Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson reunite on the crimson carpet, that simply didn’t occur. The movie received the award for Greatest Comedy, it was introduced throughout E!’s crimson carpet pre-show, however Neeson and Anderson weren’t there to rejoice.
Worst: Jessie Buckley Is Paul Mescal’s BFF and We’re Not
Throughout her acceptance speech for Greatest Actress, Jessie Buckley gave a shout-out to her Hamnet costar Paul Mescal, which made Us and hundreds of thousands of individuals watching at house somewhat jealous.
“Paul, I bloody love you, man,” she stated, because the digicam panned to Mescal within the crowd. “And I do know a great deal of different ladies on this room do too, however — powerful s***!”
Greatest: Owen Cooper and ‘Adolescence’ Win Massive
Adolescence’s Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty took house trophies of their respective classes, in addition to the present’s win for Greatest Restricted Sequence. At simply 16 years outdated, Cooper is already paving an unimaginable means for himself in present enterprise.
“Whereas this previous yr has been an entire whirlwind for my household and me, actually. It’s modified our lives perpetually, and we’re perpetually grateful,” the teenager stated in his acceptance speech. “We’ve cherished each single second of it. To the administrators, to the producers, to the solid, the crew, you took me on an emotional journey I by no means imagined I may go on.”
“You believed in me, you pushed me when issues had been arduous and confirmed unimaginable endurance when it took me to get there,” Cooper continued. “A few of these moments had been actually, actually powerful, and I couldn’t have completed it with out you. Receiving this award means extra to me than I can put into phrases.”
Greatest: Chelsea Handler Pays Homage to Diane Keaton
In a while within the present, Chelsea Handler appeared on stage in a black pantsuit to honor Diane Keaton.
“This little outfit is my nod to Diane Keaton, one other individual I believe we needs to be remembering tonight,” she stated after honoring late director Rob Reiner in her opening monologue.
Handler stated Keaton was “someone who made a giant contribution to all of us and all of the folks within the room right here. So I believe it’s good vibrations to recollect all of those good folks, proper. Let’s maintain the vibes excessive.”
Keaton, who died on October 11, 2025, from major bacterial pneumonia, was recognized for her tailor-made crimson carpet seems to be and structured pantsuits along with her dynamic movie roles over time.
Worst: Adam Sandler Walks Away Empty-Handed
For folk who had been rooting for Adam Sandler this awards season for his position in Jay Kelly, he shockingly got here up brief on the 2026 Critics Selection Awards. It was Jacob Elordi who took house the Greatest Supporting Actor trophy on the ceremony for Frankenstein. (Don’t fear, we’ll nonetheless be rooting for you on the Golden Globes, Adam!)
Greatest: Teyana Taylor’s Iconic Reactions
Not solely did Teyana Taylor look gorgeous on the crimson carpet in a tailor-made look with fur accents, however she proved to be the last word supportive queen within the viewers all through the night time. When Paul Thomas Anderson‘s title was known as for the Greatest Director honor, Taylor jumped to her ft instantly to hug him. When the movie received the Greatest Image honor, Taylor and her costars took the stage with Anderson, rooting him on throughout his emotional speech.
