Critics Choice Awards 2026 Live Streaming: The 31st  Critics Choice Awards 2026 will honor the year’s top films and television shows in a live ceremony from Santa Monica this Sunday. Here is how to watch the red carpet and main event, and which projects lead a competitive field of nominations.
When and where to watch the awards?
The ceremony will be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
- Red Carpet: LIVE from E!: Critics Choice Awards special begins at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET.
- Main Ceremony: Airs live from 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
- US Broadcast & Stream: Both the red carpet and awards air on E! and USA Network. They can be streamed live via services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Sling, or Hulu + Live TV. A replay will be available on Peacock the next day.
- India Stream: The event will stream live on JioHotstar, with the red carpet starting at 3:30 a.m. IST and the main show at 5:30 a.m. IST on Monday, January 5.
Which films and shows lead the nominations?
This year’s nominations set up several tight races, with the film ‘Sinners’ as the frontrunner.Top Film Nominations:
- ‘Sinners’: 17 nominations
- ‘One Battle After Another’: 14 nominations
- ‘Hamnet’ & ‘Frankenstein’: 11 nominations each
- Top Television Nominations:
- ‘Adolescence’: 6 nominations
- ‘Nobody Wants This’: 5 nominations
- Four nominations each: ‘All Her Fault’, ‘Death by Lightning’, ‘Ghosts’, ‘Hacks’, ‘Severance’, ‘The Diplomat’, ‘The Pitt’
The Critics Choice Awards are closely followed as an indicator for upcoming events like the BAFTAs and Oscars. Even if results don’t always coincide, the awards highlight important favorites and can reveal which candidates get significant momentum prior to the peak of awards season. The Critics Choice Association’s voting membership frequently makes it a reliable indicator of how the industry feels.
