Critics Choice Awards 2026: The Studio’s Ike Barinholtz Shares Sweet Shoutout to Daughters
Seth Rogen really got the critics laughing.
Indeed, the Studio actor scored the win for Best Actor in a Comedy Series during the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted for the fourth year in a row by Chelsea Handler in Santa Monica, Calif., Jan. 4, and knew immediately what his next move would be.
“This is so nice as someone who deeply, deeply, deeply cares what critics think of them and their work,” Seth joked from the stage while accepting the award.” This is what I’m looking for. I can cancel therapy this week, this is like—I’m good. I’m fixed. I’m fine, I think.”
The 43-year-old—who beat out fellow nominees Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This, Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside, David Alan Grier for St. Denis Medical, Danny McBride for The Righteous Gemstones and Alexander Skarsgård for Murderbot—added that his co-creator Evan Goldberg “is literally in the bathroom, but we’ll tell him that I won when we get back.”
“Thank you all for this,” Seth said to the crowd. “I love all your work so much, it’s an honor to be in a room with you all.”
In addition to Seth winning for Best Actor, The Studio picked up the award for Best Comedy Series, beating Nobody Wants This, Abbott Elementary, Elsbeth, Ghosts, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building and The Righteous Gemstones.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
While Nobody Wants This led the TV pack with a total of five nominations, the film side of this year’s Critics Choice was filled with many heavy hitters. In fact, multiple movies nabbed double-digit nominations, with Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners earning 17 total.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another didn’t trail far behind with 14 nominations, including an acting nod for newcomer Chase Infiniti. Plus, Paul Mescal and Jacob Elordi scored nominations for Hamnet and Frankenstein, respectively, which each garnered 11 total nominations.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
Ahead of this year’s event, Chelsea used her signature wit—which she had on display during her opening monologue—to get viewers excited for the first awards show of the season.
“Kicking off the year with the Critics Choice Awards feels right,” the former Chelsea Lately host said when her gig was announced in November. “Nothing says ‘new beginnings’ like a room full of critics ready to tell you how you did last year.”
Of course, the Best Actor in a Comedy Series trophy wasn’t the only award handed out during the night. Read on to see who else won gold at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.
Best Young Actor/Actress
Everett Blunck – The Plague (Independent Film Company)
WINNER: 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 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)
WINNER: Tramell Tillman – Severance (Apple TV)
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
WINNER: 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
WINNER: 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.)
WINNER: Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Paul Mescal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (Neon)
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Director
WINNER: 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 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.)
WINNER: Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
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
Hair and Makeup Team – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)
WINNER: 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
WINNER: 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 Animated Feature
Arco (Neon)
Elio (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: The Secret Agent (Neon)
Sirat (Neon)
Belén (Amazon MGM Studios)
Best Song
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)
WINNER: “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 Drama Series
Alien: Earth (FX)
Andor (Disney+)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Paradise (Hulu)
WINNER: 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+)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus (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)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: Seth Rogen – The Studio (Apple TV)
Alexander Skarsgård – 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)
WINNER: Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Justine Lupe – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Ego Nwodim – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Rebecca Wisocky – Ghosts (CBS)
Best Limited Series
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: 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)
WINNER: 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
WINNER: 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)
Watch the Critics Choice Awards 2026 live Sunday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. on E! and USA Network.
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