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Hosted for the fourth consecutive year by Chelsea Handler, the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards will be broadcast live on both coasts on Sunday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. It’s preceded by the two-hour red carpet special at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET.
Since the ceremony and carpet will air on E! and USA Network, cord-cutters can stream the annual broadcast live on any TV streaming service that carries those networks, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV.
At a Glance: How to Watch the Critics Choice Awards 2026
- When: Sunday, Jan. 4, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (red carpet starts at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET)
- Channel: E!, USA Network
- Stream online: DirecTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV; next day on Peacock
Since select streamers are offering free trials and limited-time discounts, viewers can catch the star-studded evening at no cost; keep reading to learn more about each option, and scroll down for this year’s film and TV nominees.
How to Watch Critics Choice Awards 2026: Air Date and Time, Where to Stream Online
The three-hour awards show airs live from the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport on Sunday, Jan. 4, from 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET. The ceremony is preceded by the televised red carpet, officially titled LIVE from E!: Critics Choice Awards red carpet special, at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET.
Both the ceremony and red carpet air on E! and USA Network (and can be livestreamed with DirecTV, Sling or Hulu + Live TV). The Critics Choice Awards will also be available on Peacock the following day.
DirecTV
Five-day free trial; packages from $29.99 per month
E! and USA Network are included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier. Plus, DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial for its streaming service.
Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $29.99 per month), at directv.com.
Sling
Half off first month for select plans
Both E! and USA Network are included in Sling’s Blue Plan ($50.99 per month) and Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, which is currently half off for the first month: $33 for the first month and $65.99 monthly thereafter.
Hulu + Live TV
Three-day free trial; packages from $82.99 per month
Watch E! and USA Network for free with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, starting at $89.99 per month.
Critics Choice Awards 2026 Nominations
Sinners leads the film nominees with 17 nods, followed by One Battle After Another with 14 and Hamnet and Frankenstein with 11 nods apiece. As for TV, Adolescence tops the nominees with six nods, followed by five-time nominee Nobody Wants This and four-time nominees All Her Fault, Death by Lightning, Ghosts, Hacks, Severance, The Diplomat and The Pitt.
See here for the full list of 2026 Critics Choice Awards’ film and TV nominees.
Critics Choice Awards 2026 Winners
The Hollywood Reporter will be updating the 2026 Critics Choice Awards winners lists live here.
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