Critics have named the thriller Battle by Battle the best film of the year

The Warner Bros. film became the main victor at the Critics Choice Awards, while Timothée Chalamet surpassed Leonardo DiCaprio in the acting race.

The 31st Critics Choice Awards ceremony, held on January 4, 2026, summarized the cinematic year. The absolute winner of the evening in the main category was the thriller Battle by Battle, which critics named the best film of the year.

Major Triumph for Battle by Battle

The Warner Bros. film didn't stop at just one key award. Its creator, Paul Thomas Anderson, secured a double victory, receiving trophies for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Thus, the film became one of the year's main symbols for the professional film community.

Acting Awards and Major Victories

In the Best Actor category, the winner was Timothée Chalamet for his work in the A24 sports drama Marty the Magnificent, beating out, among others, Leonardo DiCaprio. The Best Actress of the year was Jessie Buckley, who played the lead role in the Focus Features historical melodrama Hamnet.

The awards for Best Supporting Roles went to Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) and Amy Madigan (Tools).

Other Winners of the Film Awards

Among the notable winners of the ceremony were several major studios and streaming platforms. Netflix was recognized for the animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: To the Hashira Training, which won in the Best Animated Feature and Best Song categories. Apple received awards for the drama Formula 1, honored for its sound and editing.

Critics named The Secret Agent the Best Foreign Language Film, while the title of Best Comedy went to The Naked Gun. The blockbuster Sinners collected four awards, including the prize for Best Original Screenplay, which went to Ryan Coogler, as well as for casting and ensemble.

Visual achievements were separately honored: Best Visual Effects went to James Cameron's fantasy Avatar 3: Fire and Ash. Awards were also given to the production designer of the drama Train Dreams and the stunt coordinator of the action film Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two.

Television Results of the Critics Choice Awards

In the television categories, the best drama series was the HBO Max medical drama Pitt Hospital, and its star, Noah Wyle, received the award for Best Actor. The best comedy series was recognized as Apple TV's Studio, with Seth Rogen acknowledged for his acting work.

Awards for Best Actress in a Series went to Ree Sehorn (From Many) in the drama category and Jean Smart (Hacks) in the comedy category.

Netflix's miniseries Transition Age was one of the leaders of the television portion of the ceremony, winning four awards, including Best Limited Series and acting prizes for Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, and Erin Doherty.

Results for Studios and Platforms

In terms of total awards, the clear leader of the evening was Netflix, winning 12 trophies—seven in the film division and five in television. Second place went to Warner Bros. with eight awards, followed by HBO/Max and Apple TV, each receiving five trophies.