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Kicking off 2026 strong, we’ve got the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, making a big splash out of the gate as the first award ceremony of the new year.
Honoring both TV shows and movies, the event will take place on Jan. 4, 2026, and will be available to watch live via the E! Network from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. PT. If you miss the live event, do not fret. You can stream the event the next day via Peacock.
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Comedian and actress Chelsea Handler will be hosting the star-studded occasion at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and a slew of notable nominees will be in attendance, including Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Wagner Moura, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone, Benicio del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Adam Sandler, Elle Fanning and Stellan Skarsgård, among others. Sinners leads the Critics Choice Awards film contenders with an impressive 17 nominations, nearly matching the record of 18 that Barbie achieved two years ago. Adolescence leads this year’s television nominees with six nominations, including a nod for Best Limited Series. Four new categories have been added to this year’s show, including Best Variety Series, Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble and Best Sound.
If you’re looking to tune into the award ceremony on TV, we’ve got you covered. We’ll be showing you how to watch the show live for free. Keep reading to find out more.
How to Watch the 2026 Critics Choice Awards for Free
As mentioned, the 2026 Critics Choice Awards will take place on Jan. 4, 2026 and will be available to watch live via the E! Network from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. PT.
If you’re looking to watch the award show through E!, consider DIRECTV. The network is available on DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT package. This package is currently on sale for $49.99 a month, down from $89.99 a month. This package is for those looking to tap into a slew of entertainment-based channels. If you’re unsure about committing to a new subscription, you can simply try the service out for free for five days, which will give you plenty of time to watch the award ceremony before canceling.
With a subscription, users will gain access to live TV, local networks such as NBC, ABC and PBS, and you can also watch various entertainment networks, including AMC, Bravo, E!, FX, FXX, Freeform, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Paramount Network. That’s more than 90-plus channels that you can tap into with the touch of a button.
Another option for our readers is a Hulu + Live TV subscription, given that E! is included in the live TV channel lineup. The service’s live package includes major networks, along with MTV, like ABC, NBC, and Fox for all your live TV viewing needs. A subscription to the service (with ads) will cost approximately $82.99 per month, while the plan without ads goes for $95.99 per month.
This subscription gives you access to the titles in Hulu’s library, along with live TV programs 24/7. This is one of the pricier plans on our list. However, the bundle is well worth the price, thanks to the added Hulu titles, which include music-themed shows and movies like American Idol, The Voice, The Masked Singer, The Beatles: 8 Days a Week, Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye, Billie, Madonna and the Breakfast Club, Bad Rap, 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez and more.
If you don’t have the time to catch the award show live, you can stream the show the next day, Jan. 5, via Peacock. The Peacock Premium Plus plan is $16.99 per month, while the ad-supported plan is only $10.99 per month.