Awards season has officially entered its stride, and the 2026 Critics Choice Awards wasted no time setting the tone. Big films, bigger performances, and just enough emotion to remind us why these nights still matter.
Among the evening’s standouts were Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, a lineup that made it clear this year’s competition wasn’t playing around.
When it came time to hand out the acting honours, the room landed on two clear winners. Timothée Chalamet took home Best Actor for Marty Supreme, while Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet.
Chalamet’s win felt earned, but not predictable. In Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, he plays Marty Mauser, a flawed, obsessive underdog chasing table tennis greatness through underground games and sheer willpower. It’s the kind of role that rewards restraint as much as ambition, and one that fits neatly into Chalamet’s ongoing pursuit of longevity rather than hype.
On stage in Los Angeles, the actor used his moment thoughtfully. He acknowledged his fellow nominees, thanked director Josh Safdie for trusting him with a story that didn’t moralise or over-explain, and admitted with a nervous smile that the moment had caught up to him.
But it was the closing seconds of his speech that truly landed.
In a rare public acknowledgment of his personal life, Chalamet turned his attention to Kylie Jenner, his partner of three years. Without theatrics or overstatement, he thanked her for being his foundation before ending with a simple, unguarded “I love you.”
The camera cut to Jenner in the audience, visibly emotional, mouthing the words back.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t rehearsed. And that’s exactly why it worked
