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One Battle After Another tops Critics Choice Awards 2026
The Critics Choice Awards 2026 delivered a night of clear favorites and surprising victories, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another taking home the ceremony’s highest honor: Best Picture. The film’s sweep didn’t stop there—Anderson also won Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, cementing the film’s place as one of the most celebrated releases of the year. For cinephiles tracking awards momentum, this kind of critics’ embrace can be a bellwether for other season prizes and public interest.
The evening also highlighted two films that tied for attention in the technical and artistic categories: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Each walked away with four wins, showcasing how both lavish genre filmmaking and socially charged original storytelling are thriving in today’s cinema landscape.
"Paul Thomas Anderson has always balanced formal rigor and emotional clarity," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "This sweep feels like recognition not just of a single film’s excellence but of Anderson’s continued influence on contemporary American cinema—he’s still setting the bar for auteur-driven storytelling."
Why these wins matter
One Battle After Another’s success is notable for a few reasons. First, it reinforces the appetite for dense, director-led films in a market often dominated by franchise releases. Anderson’s earlier works—There Will Be Blood, The Master, Phantom Thread—have long been critics’ darlings; this latest recognition suggests audiences and critics are still invested in cinematic voices that demand attention and patience.
Frankenstein’s haul underlines another trend: genre filmmaking with an arthouse sensibility is being rewarded for both craft and design. The film won for production design, makeup and hair, costume, and other technical categories—areas where del Toro’s singular visual language naturally excels. Meanwhile, Sinners, which earned Best Original Screenplay and several acting honors, signals that younger filmmakers who mix social themes with dramatic urgency are finding both critical acclaim and awards-season legs.
Television at the Critics Choice: Adolescence and The Pitt shine
On the television side, the limited series Adolescence dominated with four wins, including Best Limited Series. The full-throttle performance-driven mini-series format continues to be a playground for complex storytelling and star turns—actors like Steven Graham (who won Best Actor in a Limited Series) and Sarah Snook (Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie) proved that TV’s shorter formats are fertile ground for bold acting and tight narrative arcs.
The Pitt took home Best Drama Series, with Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa earning acting awards and anchoring a show that critics praised for its writing and ensemble strength. Comedy fans had their moment as well: The Studio won Best Comedy Series, and Seth Rogen was named Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Highlights and notable winners
Cinema:
- Best Picture: One Battle After Another
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
- Best Actor: Timothée Chalamet — Marty Supreme
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley — Hamnet
- Best Supporting Actor: Jacob Elordi — Frankenstein
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan — Weapons
- Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler — Sinners
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
- Best Cinematography: Adolfo Veloso — Train Dreams
- Best Animation: KPop Demon Hunters (also won Best Song: "Golden")
- Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Television:
- Best Drama Series: The Pitt (Noah Wyle — Best Actor; Katherine LaNasa — Best Supporting Actress)
- Best Comedy Series: The Studio (Seth Rogen — Best Actor; Ayk Barinholtz — Best Supporting Actor)
- Best Limited Series: Adolescence (Steven Graham — Best Actor; Owen Cooper — Best Supporting Actor; Erin Doherty — Best Supporting Actress)
- Best TV Movie: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Other winners included South Park for Best Animated Series, Squid Game for Best Non-English Series, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Best Talk Show.
Context and takeaways
Critics groups often act as a bridge between festival buzz and broader awards chatter. This year’s balance—between auteur-driven drama, genre spectacle, and high-impact limited series—mirrors wider industry tendencies: streaming platforms continue to invest in prestige limited series, while theatrical releases that push craft and singular visions still find critical homes. Fans and cinephiles should expect strong awards season conversations around Anderson, del Toro, and Coogler as ceremonies roll on.
A final note for viewers: this Critics Choice roster is eclectic, rewarding everything from meticulous production design to intimate performances. Whether you follow awards to discover new films or to track industry trends, this year’s winners list offers plenty of titles worth checking off your watchlist.
Comments
Armin
Is this even true? KPop Demon Hunters as best animation, Train Dreams for cinematography — hmm. Are critics out of step with audiences or just setting taste? feels odd, maybe i'm missing context
mechbyte
Wow Anderson sweep? didn't see that coming. One Battle After Another must be wild, his best yet maybe... curious if Oscars will follow. del Toro scoring all the craft awards makes sense, gotta watch Sinners asap lol
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