The best and worst moments from the 2026 Critics Choice Awards

The awards season has started with great enthusiasm at Critics’ Choice Awards 2026.

The event, organized by Chelsea managertook place on Sunday, January 4 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, with an impressive list of TV and film nominees gathered to celebrate this year’s biggest hits.

It was a huge evening for Ryan CooglerIt is Sinnerswhich leads the pack with 17 nominations, including Best Picture. Eventually, One battle after another ended up winning the coveted trophy for the biggest award of the evening. Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley won the Best Actress award for her role in Hamnet while Timothée Chalamet won the best actor award for his role in Marty Supreme.

And of course, one of the highlights of the evening was Handler’s always hilarious commentary, coupled with her eye-catching outfit changes throughout the evening. the ceremony, including a wink at the end Diane Keaton with a tailored black suit.

Scroll below to see the best and worst moments from the awards show.

Best: Chelsea Handler’s monologue

Chelsea Handler made people laugh with his hilarious monologuewith jokes about Leonardo Di Caprio, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor and more. At one point, she called Timothée Chalamet “little Labubu.”

Between all the jokes was an honest and heartfelt tribute to the late director. Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reinera month after they were found dead in their home in Brentwood, California. Handler remembers Reiner as “the nicest guy in Hollywood.” (Their son Nick Reiner was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder.)

“Anyone who has ever spent time with Rob Reiner knows that as soon as you met him, he felt like an old friend,” she said. “When you spoke with him, he was present, focused and funny, and he asked you tons of questions, whether you were talking about politics, movies or the latest beauty trends, he was all in.”

Worse: several stars missed the show

It appears that several stars decided not to participate in the evening’s festivities and were not seen on the red carpet or in the audience, as Cynthia Erivo, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow And Sean Penn. Kristen Bell It also appears that she attended the awards ceremony solo, while her husband, Dax Sheparddidn’t appear to be in the audience.

Best: Kathy Bates licking a ping pong paddle

All eyes were on Kathy Bates when Chelsea Handler announced to the crowd that Timothée Chalamet had arrived on site and that one lucky person had a ping pong paddle under their seat, in homage to his film Marty Supreme. Handler said whoever got the paddle would get the chance to spank Chalamet at the afterparty. The camera panned to Bates holding the paddle and starting to lick it, making everyone laugh.

Worst: no reunion of Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson

While many We we kept hoping to see The naked gun costars Pamela Anderson And Liam Neeson reunited on the red carpet, it just didn’t happen. The film won Best Comedy, it was announced during E!’s red carpet pre-show, but Neeson and Anderson weren’t there to celebrate.

Worst: Jessie Buckley is Paul Mescal’s best friend and we’re not

During her acceptance speech for Best Actress, Jessie Buckley paid tribute to her. Hamnet costar Paul Mescalwhat did We and millions watching at home rather jealous.

“Paul, I really love you, man,” she said as the camera panned to Mescal in the crowd. “And I know a lot of other women in this room do it too, but – it’s hard!”

Best: Owen Cooper and “Adolescence” win big

AdolescenceIt is Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham And Erin Doherty won trophies in their respective categories, as well as the show’s win for Best Limited Series. At just 16 years old, Cooper is already blazing an incredible trail in show business.

“Even though the past year has been a whirlwind for my family and I, honestly. It has changed our lives forever and we will be forever grateful,” the teen said in his acceptance speech. “We cherished every moment of it. To the directors, to the producers, to the cast, to the crew, you took me on an emotional journey that I never imagined I could continue.”

“You believed in me, you pushed me when things were tough, and you showed incredible patience when it took me to get there,” Cooper continued. “Some of these moments have been really, really difficult, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Receiving this award means more to me than I can express in words.”

Best: Chelsea Handler pays tribute to Diane Keaton

Later in the series, Chelsea Handler appeared on stage in a black pantsuit to honor Diane Keaton.

“This little outfit is my nod to Diane Keaton, another person I think we should remember tonight,” she said after honoring the late director Rob Reiner in her opening monologue.

Handler said Keaton was “someone who made a great contribution to all of us and everyone in the room here. So I think it’s good vibes to remember all these good people, right. Let’s keep the vibes high.”

Keaton, who died on October 11, 2025 of primary bacterial pneumonia, was known for her tailored red carpet looks and structured pantsuits in addition to her dynamic film roles over the years.

Worst: Adam Sandler leaves empty-handed

For the people who supported Adam Sandler this awards season for his role in Jay Kellyit shockingly failed at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards. It was Jacob Elordi who won the trophy for best supporting actor at the ceremony Frankenstein. (Don’t worry, we’ll still have your back at the Golden Globes, Adam!)

Best: Teyana Taylor’s Iconic Reactions

Not only Teyana Taylor She looked stunning on the red carpet in a tailored look with fur accents, but she proved to be the audience’s ultimate support queen throughout the evening. When Paul Thomas Anderson‘s name was called for the Best Director honor, Taylor immediately stood up to hug him. When the film won Best Picture, Taylor and his co-stars took the stage alongside Anderson, supporting him during his emotional speech.