How To Watch The Critics Choice Awards 2025 Online
Watch Critics Choice Awards – Preview
Despite a postponement, awards season is set to continue when one of the most diverse nights in film and TV takes place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Chelsea Handler returns to hosting duties for a third consecutive year, with the comedian set to deliver more iconic moments after ‘going rouge’ last year and calling Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie up on stage to deliver an impromptu acceptance speech. With Conclave, Wicked and Shōgun leading the pack, read on to find out everything you need to know about how to watch the Critics Choice Awards for free and from anywhere with a VPN.
Originally set to take place on January 12, the devastating wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles have caused the event to be postponed. The fires, which have also led to the Oscar nomination announcements being delayed, have torn through the heart of Hollywood with the latest blazes mere blocks from Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. It’s also been reported that many in the movie and TV business have lost their homes in the destruction, including former Oscars host Billy Crystal and Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller. But in true Hollywood fashion, the show must go on, and despite the delay, the Critics Choice Awards are still set to try and bring cause for celebration to a community rocked by disaster.
On the movie front, papal thriller Conclave and musical sensation Wicked are up for the most awards – including Best Picture and Best Director – with a whopping 11 nods each. And they’re also being recognised for their performances, with Ralph Finnes up for Best Actor for his role as Thomas Cardinal Lawrence in Conclave while Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is nominated for her take on Elphaba.
For the small screen, historical epic Shōgun leads the charge with six nominations in categories including Best Drama Series, Best Actor (Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga) and Best Actress (Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko). Meanwhile, two British drama sensations get nods in the Best Limited Series category with Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Baby Reindeer fighting it out, while Netflix smash hit Squid Game is up for Best Foreign Language Series.
But what really makes the Critics Choice Awards so much fun is its lack of snobbery when it comes to categories and nominations. Sure, all the usual prestige film and TV is there, but you’ll also see nods for Doctor Who‘s Ncuti Gatwa in Best Actor, a Best Animated Series category that pits Batman, Bluey and Bob’s Burgers against each other and a Best Talk Show award featuring the likes of Graham Norton, Stephen Colbert and Kelly Clarkson among its nominations.
You can view the full list of nominations below as the 2025 awards season continues, so read on for all you need to watch the Critics Choice Awards online and stream the 30th Annual Awards from anywhere.
How to watch Critics Choice Awards 2025 in the US
While originally set to go out on Sunday, January 12, the 2025 Critics Choice Awards has been delayed as a result of the devastating LA wildfires. The event will now take place on Sunday, January 26, with live coverage going out on E! at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
If you receive E! as a part of your cable package already, you’re all set, but for cord cutters, there’s still plenty of options to live stream the event.
FuboTV, for example, is a comprehensive cable replacement. The entry-level Pro Plan will set you back $79.99 a month (after the introductory offer where you get $5 off your first month) and provides you with around 200 channels, including E!. And, if you’re new to the service, you won’t pay anything for your first week thanks to its 7-day FREE trial.
If you’re happy to watch on catch-up, the event will be available to stream the following day (Monday, January 27) on Peacock.
You can purchase a Peacock subscription from $7.99 a month. Alternatively, pay more and skip the commercials by opting for its Premium Plus plan, which costs $13.99 a month.
Although Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial you can save 17% when signing up to its annual plans ($79.99 or $139.99 a year respectively).
US viewers travelling overseas can use a VPN to stream the show just as they would back home.
How to watch Critics Choice Awards 2025 online from anywhere
If you’re an American citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch the 2025 Critics Choice Awards online just as you would at home.
While services like FuboTV and Peacock block access from IP addresses outside of the US, there’s a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address, allowing you to watch US TV online by making it look like you’re accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, American citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a US-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN.
2. Connect to a server – for FuboTV, for example, you’ll want to connect to a server based in the US.
3. Go to the live stream you wish to access – for the Critics Choice Awards, head to FuboTV.
Can I watch Critics Choice Awards 2025 in Canada, Australia and the UK?
While some local affiliates broadcast the 2024 ceremony in Canada, unfortunately it looks like the 2025 event will be exclusive to the US with no international airings set to be available, including in Australia, the UK and beyond.
This means that US viewers travelling overseas may want to look at a VPN to access their usual stream.
The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards Nominees
Best Picture
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Nickel Boys
- Sing Sing
- The Substance
- Wicked
Best Director
- Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
- Sean Baker – Anora
- Edward Berger – Conclave
- Jon M. Chu – Wicked
- Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
- Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
- RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
- Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two
Best Actor
- Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
- Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
- Daniel Craig – Queer
- Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
- Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
- Hugh Grant – Heretic
Best Actress
- Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
- Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
- Angelina Jolie – Maria
- Mikey Madison – Anora
- Demi Moore – The Substance
Best Acting Ensemble
- Anora
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Saturday Night
- Sing Sing
- Wicked
Best Comedy
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Hit Man
- My Old Ass
- A Real Pain
- Saturday Night
- Thelma
Best Animated Feature
- Flow
- Inside Out 2
- Memoir of a Snail
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- The Wild Robot
Best Drama Series
- Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
- The Day of the Jackal
- The Diplomat
- Evil
- Industry
- The Old Man
- Shōgun
- Slow Horses
Best Actor in a Drama Series
- Jeff Bridges – The Old Man
- Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who
- Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal
- Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun
- Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat
- Antony Starr – The Boys
Best Actress in a Drama Series
- Caitríona Balfe – Outlander
- Kathy Bates – Matlock
- Shanola Hampton – Found
- Keira Knightley – Black Doves
- Keri Russell – The Diplomat
- Anna Sawai – Shōgun
Best Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- English Teacher
- Hacks
- Nobody Wants This
- Only Murders in the Building
- Somebody Somewhere
- St. Denis Medical
- What We Do in the Shadows
Best Limited Series
- Baby Reindeer
- Disclaimer
- Masters of the Air
- Mr Bates vs The Post Office
- The Penguin
- Ripley
- True Detective: Night Country
- We Were the Lucky Ones
Best Animated Series
- Batman: Caped Crusader
- Bluey
- Bob’s Burgers
- Invincible
- The Simpsons
- X-Men ’97
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