Timothée Chalamet and Jessie Buckley win top prizes. Paul Thomas Anderson triumphs with “One Battle After Another”.
On January 4, 2026, the Critics Choice Awards were presented in Santa Monica, marking the start of the upcoming awards season in Hollywood. Who are the winners? How will the rest of the season go? And what else did the ceremony have to offer? Here’s an outlook.
The winners of the evening
The big winners of the evening are Timothée Chalamet and Jessie Buckley, who both won their categories for Best Actor and Best Actress. Chalamet won against Leonardo DiCaprio – the two Hollywood heavyweights entered the awards season as the main favorites.
Another big winner of the evening is director Paul Thomas Anderson: He was awarded the award for best director for his work “One Battle After Another”. The film also won the title of best film of the year.
Jacob Elordi was also happy. He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in “Frankenstein.” The best supporting actress award went to Mady Madigan for “Weapons.” Director Ryan Coogler took home the award for best screenplay for his film “Sinners.”
Outlook for the awards season
The big question after the ceremony is whether Timothée Chalamet is the favorite for the Oscar for Best Actor. Over the years, the actor has become a long-running favorite. He was already nominated last year for his portrayal of Bob Dylan, but had to admit defeat to Adrien Brody. His biggest competition this year is Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the acclaimed film “One Battle After Another.” So it remains exciting – the next important date is the Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2026, where both actors are nominated in the same category.
Declaration of love for Kylie Jenner
However, Timothée Chalamet not only attracted attention with his award win, but also with his joint appearance with his partner Kylie Jenner. The two appeared in partner looks for the ceremony and made a fashion statement.
In his acceptance speech, the actor dedicated touching words to the entrepreneur: “Thank you to my partner of three years. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. Without you I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
With this appearance, the couple silences all critics and rumors. There was always speculation about a separation between the two.