Critics Choice Awards 2026: Streaming date and time in India, how to watch, nominations and all you need to know about the 31st edition

The Hollywood awards season officially kicks into high gear with the 31st Critics’ Choice Awards. Known for spotlighting both critical favourites and mainstream successes, the prestigious award show celebrates outstanding achievements in films and television released in 2024. This year’s edition promises a star-studded night, a tightly contested nominations race and a few new categories.

Where and how to watch 31st Critics Choice Awards

For Indian viewers eager to catch the action live, the Critics’ Choice Awards will premiere on January 5, 2026. The ceremony will be streamed live in India on JioHotstar. Red carpet coverage is scheduled to begin at 3:30 am IST, giving fans an early glimpse of celebrity arrivals and fashion moments, while the main awards ceremony will kick off at around 5:20–5:30 am IST. In the US, the event will air live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, across E! and USA Network.



Comedian and television host Chelsea Handler returns as the host for the fourth consecutive year, continuing her association with the awards. As per the Critics Choice Association, the ceremony will be broadcast live across both US coasts for nearly three hours, underlining the scale and importance of the event in the awards calendar.

Nominations of Critics Choice Awards

When it comes to nominations, Ryan Coogler’s period horror film Sinners has emerged as the clear frontrunner. The film leads the pack with an impressive 17 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and multiple technical and supporting categories. In the highly competitive Best Picture race, Sinners will go head-to-head with titles such as One Battle After Another, Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams and Wicked: For Good.

The Best Actor category is equally stacked, featuring Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). The strong lineup highlights a year that offered a wide range of powerful performances across genres.


On the television front, Adolescence leads with six nominations, including Best Limited Series. It is closely followed by Nobody Wants This, which secured five nods. The organisers have also introduced four new categories this year - Best Variety Series, Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble, and Best Sound.

Adding to the excitement, several A-list stars, including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone and Ariana Grande, are expected to attend the ceremony. The presenters’ lineup features a mix of acclaimed actors and filmmakers such as Colman Domingo, Diego Luna, Quinta Brunson, Regina Hall, Jeff Goldblum, Kaley Cuoco, Ava DuVernay and William H. Macy, among others.

Fans can stay updated with live moments, winners and red-carpet highlights by following the Critics’ Choice Awards on Instagram and X (@CriticsChoice), TikTok (@OfficialCriticsChoice) and Facebook. The buzz won’t end here, as the awards season continues with the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, scheduled to take place on January 11 in Beverly Hills.