'Adolescence' continues to shine, 'Elsbeth' recognized for daring category change, and other highlights from the 2026 Critics Choice TV nominations

Following its strong performance at the Emmy Awards, Adolescence emerged as the front-runner at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards for television, securing six nominations. Nobody Wants This followed closely with five nominations, while All Her Fault, Death by Lightning, The Diplomat, Ghosts, Hacks, The Pitt, and Severance each received four nods.

Notably, Elsbeth earned recognition for switching from drama to comedy, receiving nominations for Best Comedy Series and for Carrie Preston as Best Comedy Actress. The CBS show had never been nominated in drama categories at major awards, marking a successful strategy shift.

Drama Series Highlights

New contenders for Best Drama Series include Alien: Earth, Pluribus, and Task, joining first-season shows Paradise and The Pitt, as well as second-year series Andor and Severance, and third-season The Diplomat.

The Pitt collected four nominations: Best Drama Series, Noah Wyle for Best Drama Actor, Patrick Ball for Best Drama Supporting Actor, and Katherine LaNasa for Best Drama Supporting Actress. Its rival Severance matched this with four nominations, including Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and Tramell Tillman in acting categories.

Other notable drama nominations: The Diplomat (four nods), HBO's Task (three), Apple TV's Pluribus (two), Andor (two), Paradise (two), and Alien: Earth (one).

Comedy Series Highlights

Long-running favorites and newer entries dominate the Best Comedy Series category. Returning shows include Abbott Elementary, Ghosts, Only Murders in the Building, Hacks, The Righteous Gemstones, and Elsbeth. Newcomers include the second season of Nobody Wants This and the debut season of The Studio.

Nobody Wants This leads comedy with five nominations: Best Comedy Series, Adam Brody (Best Comedy Actor), Kristen Bell (Best Comedy Actress), Timothy Simons (Best Comedy Supporting Actor), and Justine Lupe (Best Comedy Supporting Actress).

Other comedy nods: Hacks (four), Ghosts (four), The Studio (three), Abbott Elementary (three), The Righteous Gemstones (three), and Elsbeth (two).

Limited Series Spotlight

The Best Limited Series category features eight nominees, led by Adolescence with six nominations, followed by All Her Fault and Death by Lightning with four each. Other nominees include Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, Dope Thief, Dying for Sex, The Girlfriend, and Chief of War.

Adolescence received nods for Best Limited Series, Stephen Graham for Best Limited Actor, Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters for Best Limited Supporting Actor, and Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco for Best Limited Supporting Actress.

Company Standings

Netflix leads with 31 nominations, followed by HBO Max (27), Apple TV (19), Peacock (11), CBS (9), and NBC (5).

The 31st Critics Choice Awards will air live on January 4 on E! and USA Network, hosted by Chelsea Handler.

Author: Sophia Brooks