The Oscars and Golden Globes are pretty snazzy, I guess. Make mine the Critics Choice Awards.
Yes, those other shows are fancier and schmancier, but as a voting member of the Critics Choice Association, the CCAs are where I – and many of my fellow journalist types – get to have our voices heard annually during awards season at a glitzy show in an airplane hangar.
Hosted by Chelsea Handler for a fourth consecutive time, the 31st Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 4, is making a big splash as the first major ceremony out of the gate, with celebrities like Colman Domingo and Jeff Goldblum debuting their 2026 red-carpet finery and Oscar contenders gaining their first momentum. (Usually, the Globes are earlier, but they're Jan. 11 this year.)
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The last three best pictures ("Anora," "Oppenheimer" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once") started their winning paths at CCAs, as did recent best actor (Adrien Brody and Brendan Fraser) and best actress (Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain) honorees.
