Critics Choice Awards 2026 announces nominees with Wagner Moura and The Secret Agent highlighted in the competition By Carolina Costa
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This Friday, December 5, 2025, Critics Choice Association announced the nominees for the 31st edition of Critics Choice Awards, an award that recognizes film and television productions. The event, held in Santa Mônica, at Califórnia, celebrates works from 2025 and serves as an indicator for Oscar. No Brasil, the film Agente Secreto, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, received two nominations: Melhor Filme Internacional and Melhor Ator for
The awards ceremony takes place on January 4, 2026, on Barker Hangar, broadcast live on Estados Unidos on E! and USA Network from 7pm to 10pm, Los Angeles local time. Brazilian production, the country’s official candidate for Oscar 2026, competes with titles from França, Taiwan, Coreia from Sul, Espanha and Wagner Moura, protagonist, makes history as the first Latino actor nominated for Melhor Ator at the awards.
Other highlights include the film Sinners, by Ryan Coogler, with 17 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another, by Paul Thomas Anderson, with 14. On television, the miniseries Adolescence, by
The full list of nominees reflects the diversity of genres, with comedies, dramas and animation represented.
- Sinners dominates in technical categories such as photography and editing.
- One Battle After Another stands out in direction and script.
- Agente Secreto reinforces the Latin presence in main performances.
Highlights in Brazilian cinema
The announcement of the nominees for Critics Choice Awards 2026 brought visibility to national cinema. Agente Secreto, launched in September 2025, accumulated more than 900 thousand viewers on Brasil in just a few weeks.
The production, filmed on location in Brazil, explores themes of identity and social conflict. Wagner Moura plays an undercover agent, a role that earned praise for its dramatic intensity.
Kleber Mendonça Filho, known as Bacurau, signs the script alongside the director. The film has already won awards at festivals such as Cannes, where Moura won Melhor Ator.
Favorite films in the main competition
Sinners leads the nominations with presence in 17 categories, including Melhor Filme and Melhor Diretor to Ryan Coogler. The horror and drama work explores family dilemmas in a supernatural context.
One Battle After Another follows with 14 nominations, strong at Melhor Diretor for Paul Thomas Anderson and Melhor Ator for Leonardo DiCaprio. The cast includes Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn in supporting roles.
Hamnet and Frankenstein tie with 11 nominations each. Hamnet, a literary adaptation of Chloé Zhao, competes in Melhor Filme and Melhor Atriz for Jessie Buckley. Frankenstein, from Guillermo del Toro, shines in visual effects and production design.
Other competitors in Melhor Filme include Bugonia, with Emma Stone; Marty Supreme, from Josh Safdie; Sentimental Value, from Joachim Trier; Train Dreams; and Wicked: For Good.
Performances that mark the season
Wagner Moura competes for Melhor Ator alongside Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, The category reflects performances in varied narratives, from biographies to thrillers.
In Melhor Atriz, Emma Stone by Bugonia faces Jessie Buckley by Hamnet, Rose Byrne by Ann Lee.
In supporting roles, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn for One Battle After Another compete with Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Para supporting actresses, Ariana Grande by Wicked: For Good and Wunmi Mosaku by
The category of Melhor Jovem Ator or Atriz includes Everett Blunck by The Plague and Nina Ye by A Garota Canhota, highlighting emerging talent.
Technical categories in focus
Technical indications reveal innovations in production. Em Melhor Fotografia, Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners compete with Claudio Miranda for F1: The Filme and Dan Laustsen for Frankenstein.
The Design of Produção awards Hannah Beachler for Sinners, Tamara Deverell for Frankenstein and Fiona Crombie for Em Montagem, Michael P. Shawver by Sinners and Andy Jurgensen by One Battle After Another lead.
Costume highlights Ruth E. Carter by Sinners and Kate Hawley by Frankenstein. Cabelo and Maquiagem includes indications for Sinners and Wicked: For Good.
Effects Visuais go to Avatar: Fogo and Cinzas and Superman, while the new category of
- Original soundtrack: Ludwig Göransson by Sinners and Hans Zimmer by F1: The Filme.
- Original song: “I Lied to You” by Sinners and “Drive” by F1: O Filme.
- Sound: Equipes of Sinners and Frankenstein.
Presence on television
Television also gained prominence, with Adolescence, from Netflix, in six categories, including Melhor Minissérie. Nobody Wants This, a comedy from the same platform, has five nominations.
Hacks and The Pitt tie with four each. Novas series like Pluribus, from Apple TV+, and Task, from HBO Max, enter the drama competition.
In Melhor Série of Drama, Alien: Earth and Andor compete. Para comedy, The Ballad of Wallis Island and Eternity are listed.
The category of Melhor Apresentador includes Jimmy Kimmel Live! and other variety programs.
Trending animations and comedies
Animations compete in Melhor Longa in Animação with Arco, In Your Dreams, Little Amélie or The Character of Rain,
Comedies like The Ballad of Wallis Island, Eternity, Amizade Tóxica, Essas productions balance humor and social criticism.
Agente Secreto, with its realistic approach, contrasts with these light options, but reinforces the versatility of global cinema in the awards.
Transmission and expectations
The ceremony on January 4, 2026 kicks off the 2026 awards season.
On Brasil, TNT and HBO Max broadcast from 9pm, Brasília time, allowing broad access to the public. The awards combine cinema and TV, with new categories such as Melhor Série, Variedades and Melhor Som.
Around 75% of those nominated for Critics Choice advance to Oscar, making the event a reliable barometer. Para o Brasil, the appointments of O Agente Secreto and Moura increase the chances in the international dispute.
