Timothée Chalamet strengthened his position in the Oscar race Monday, winning best actor at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards for his performance in Marty Supreme, a victory that has sharpened questions about whether the 30-year-old star is headed for Academy Awards history.
Chalamet’s win, decided by film critics, came at a pivotal moment in the season, just days before the Golden Globes and as Oscar nomination voting is set to begin. According to Variety, the Critics' Choice Awards often serve as one of the final and most influential signals before Academy members cast their ballots.
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Timothée Chalamet at the Critics' Choice Awards, 2026
(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)
Frontrunner with history at stake
In Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, Chalamet portrays a driven 1950s table tennis champion consumed by ambition. Accepting the award, the French-American actor praised Safdie.
“Josh, you made a story about a flawed man with a relatable dream,” Chalamet said. “And you didn’t preach to the audience about what’s right and wrong. I think we should all be telling stories like that. Thank you for this dream.”
Chalamet’s acceptance speech also included a rare public acknowledgment of his personal life. Thanking his partner, Kylie Jenner, he told the audience, “Thank you to my partner of three years. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you,” as the camera cut to Jenner in the crowd mouthing “I love you” back. The moment, brief but intimate, stood out in an otherwise career-focused speech and underscored the heightened visibility surrounding Chalamet’s awards-season campaign.
Now 30, Chalamet has never concealed his ambition to win multiple Oscars. If he prevails at the Academy Awards on March 15, he would become the second youngest best actor winner in Oscar history — a milestone that adds both momentum and pressure to his campaign. He also acknowledged the pressure of the moment, admitting during his speech, “I’m more nervous than I thought I’d be.”
Industry observers note that while Critics' Choice wins do not guarantee Oscar success, they often cement frontrunner status, particularly when paired with a high-profile performance and sustained campaigning, though recent awards history offers cautionary examples of critics’ favorites who fell short on Oscar night.
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Jennifer Venditti, Odessa A'zion, Josh Safdie, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the Critics' Choice Awards, 2026
(Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Best picture race takes shape
While Chalamet claimed the evening’s top acting prize, the biggest film winner was Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which took best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay. The sweep positions the political satire as the film to beat as awards season accelerates.
“This is the kind of filmmaker-driven vision that tends to perform well on a preferential ballot,” Variety noted, pointing to the film’s broad appeal across Academy branches.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the film, was among those Chalamet beat in the best actor category, underscoring the competitiveness of this year’s race.
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Leonardo DiCaprio in 'One Battle After Another'
(Photo: Courtesy of Tulip Entertainment)
Acting wins and emotional moments
Jessie Buckley won best actress for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in the historical drama Hamnet, delivering what many critics described as one of the evening’s most emotionally resonant victories. Jacob Elordi took best supporting actor for his turn as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, while Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her performance in Weapons. According to Variety, Elordi’s win could significantly boost his Oscar nomination prospects, as no Critics' Choice supporting actor winner has ever missed an Academy nomination.
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Jacob Elordi poses with the Best Supporting Actor award at Critics Choice Awards, 2026
(Photo: Caroline Brehman/REUTERS)
The vampire drama Sinners and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein were among the most decorated films of the night, each earning multiple awards, underscoring a season marked by genre storytelling and bold stylistic choices. Miles Caton was named best young actor for Sinners, which also earned best original screenplay for Ryan Coogler.
Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters won best animated feature, while The Secret Agent was named best foreign-language film.
Television standouts and political humor
On the television side, The Pitt won best drama series, with Noah Wyle taking best actor in a drama. The Studio was named best comedy series, and Seth Rogen won best actor in a comedy for his role as a frazzled Hollywood executive.
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Jimmy Kimmel accepts the Best Talk Show Award at Critics Choice Awards, 2026
(Photo: Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS)
Best limited series went to Adolescence, with Stephen Graham winning best actor. Sarah Snook took best actress in a limited series for All Her Fault. Jimmy Kimmel, who won best talk show, used his acceptance speech to joke about his public feud with President Donald Trump, underscoring the ceremony’s mix of awards-season seriousness and political humor.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day,” Kimmel said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Eyes on the Oscars
This year’s Critics' Choice Awards were held on the first weekend of January, a slot traditionally occupied by the Golden Globes, which will take place Jan. 11 in Beverly Hills. With Oscar nomination voting imminent, Chalamet’s win places him at the center of the awards conversation — as both a statistical curiosity and a serious contender.
As awards season gathers pace, the Critics' Choice Awards offered one of the clearest snapshots yet of the Oscar race taking shape. With major guild ceremonies still ahead, the coming weeks will determine whether early critical support translates into Academy votes. But for now, Timothée Chalamet stands as the actor to beat — with history, and an Oscar statuette, firmly within reach.
Notable winners at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards
- Best picture: One Battle After Another
- Best director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
- Best actor: Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Best actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
- Best supporting actor: Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
- Best supporting actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Best original screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
- Best adapted screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
- Best animated feature: KPop Demon Hunters
- Best foreign-language film: The Secret Agent
Television
- Best drama series: The Pitt
- Best comedy series: The Studio
- Best limited series: Adolescence
First published: 13:09, 01.05.26