On Friday, Feb. 7, Hollywood’s finest will be out in force for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards hosted by Chelsea Handler.
The award show, which was originally scheduled to happen on Jan. 12, was postponed amid the devastating wildfires in Southern California, making it the first film industry award show to take place in Los Angeles since the fires.
The Critics Choice Awards will also see Handler making her return to E!, the network that was home to her talk show for eight years (see details on how to watch the Critics Choice Awards for free here,) which means a homecoming for Handler and, potentially, a more daring show for the comedian.
“I’m pretty good at getting away with what I need to get away with — wherever I am,” Handler told The Hollywood Reporter on Feb. 7 of coming back to E! to host the award show. “This one is just especially fun because I’m returning to an ex-lover I broke up with so many years ago.
As for the nominees, viewers can look forward to a tight race that may predict Oscar winners.
Two Golden Globe Best Picture winners, The Brutalist and controversial musical Emilia Pérez will face off against other nominees A Complete Unknown, Anora, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Substance, Wicked in the Best Picture category. This category features almost all of the same nominees as the Oscars (I’m Still Here was nominated for an Oscar instead of Sing Sing.)
The Best Actor category includes nominees Adrien Brody for The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet, Daniel Craig for Queer, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Hugh Grant for Heretic.
Nominees for Best Actress are Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Emilia Pérez for Karla Sofía Gascón, Hard Truths star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Angelina Jolie for Maria, Mikey Madison for Anora, and Golden Globe winner Demi Moore for The Substance.
In the television categories, Shōgun leads the nominations after a successful Golden Globes with a win in the Best Drama category and wins for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada. In the comedy category, the show will deviate from the Golden Globes as their Best Actor winner Jeremy Allen White is not nominated at the Critics Choice Awards.
Who Is Hosting the 2025 Critics Choice Awards?
Chelsea Handler will host the 2025 Critics Choice Awards on Friday, Feb. 7. This will be third consecutive year hosting the award show.
The 2025 Critics Choice Awards will be broadcast live on E! at 7 p.m. ET, and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
“Returning for the third year to host the Critics Choice Awards has been made even sweeter knowing it will now air on E!,” Handler said in a statement announcing her as this year’s host. “I feel like I’m returning to my birthplace.”
To find see all the previous hosts of the Critics Choice Awards, keep reading.
2023-2025: Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler is continuing her Critics Choice Awards reign in 2025 after previously hosting the show in 2023 and 2024.
Some highlights from her 2024 hosting gig was the exciting Barbenheimer award show buzz when Barbie and Oppenheimer faced off in many categories.
In 2023, Handler made headlines when she poked fun at James Corden over his recent controversy over his treatment of wait staff and called out celebrities for using Ozempic for weight loss.
2022: Nicole Byer & Taye Diggs
For the 2022 Critics Choice Awards, they brought back host Taye Diggs to co-host alongside comedian Nicole Byer.
Major wins went to Will Smith for his leading role in King Richard, before his Oscars slap derailed his award season success, and Jessica Chastain for her role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
2019-2021: Taye Diggs
For three years in a row, Taye Diggs was the beloved host of the Critics Choice Awards, from 2019 to 2021.
During his first hosting gig, Diggs celebrated inclusivity in his opening monologue, shouting out nominated films Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman and If Beale Street Could Talk.
2020 saw wins for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the Best Picture category, Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker and Renée Zellweger won Best Actress for Judy.
2021 was a very different broadcast, hosted with almost no audience due to the ongoing pandemic. Winners gave their speeches virtually.
2018: Olivia Munn
Back in 2018, Olivia Munn was tapped to host the 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards. In an interview with NBC, she talked about how she wasn’t afraid to host after accusing director Brett Ratner of sexual harrasment in the height of the #MeToo movement.
“Hosting an awards show pales in comparison to the legal and illegal threats that I’ve had to (face) and that so many other women who have spoken out have had to go through,” she said. “It’s not as easy to name names as people think. And when you go out publicly and do that, as we know with one of Brett Ratner’s accusers, there’s defamation lawsuits that come forward.”
2016, 2017: T.J. Miller
T.J. Miller was a favorite for the Critics Choice Awards, so much so that he was brought back another year.
In 2016, Viola Davis received the first-ever #SeeHer Award, an honor that recognizes her work furthering the portrayal of three-dimensional women onscreen.
2015: Michael Strahan
Not only did Michael Strahan make a splash as host at the 20th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, but he even did a strip tease that sent the internet ablaze.
2014: Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was when she was hosting the 19th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, calling the award show awards are “a night for a bunch of people who absolutely hate movies telling you which movies they hated the least.”
To viewers planning to react to the award show on Twitter, she said: “Our show is #CriticsChoice. If you see something you like, let us know. See something you hate? Whine about it like a little baby. Congratulations, you’re a critic.”
2013: Sam Rubin
In 2013, journalist Sam Rubin shook things up as the host for the 18th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.
It was a big year for Ben Affleck who won the Best Picture and Best Director award for his film Argo.
2012: Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel
The Human Giant co-creators Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel were the co-hosts of the 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ceremony, making them the first co-host duo for the awards show.
Winners included The Artist for Best Picture, Viola Davis won Best Actress for The Help, George Clooney took home the Best Actor win for The Descendants.
2010: Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth brought the fun, flair, and music to the 15th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards when she hosted in 2011.
Big awards of the night included Best Picture winner The Social Network, Best Director David Fincher for his work on the film, Natalie Portman won for her role in The Black Swan while Colin Firth was awarded Best Actor for his role in The King’s Speech.
2008: D.L. Hughley
Actor and stand-up comedian D.L. Hughley was the host for the 13th annual Critics’ Choice Awards.
Best Picture was No Country for Old Men, which also secured a Best Director win for Joel and Ethan Coen. Daniel Day Lewis won Best Actor for There Will Be Blood and Julie Christie won Best Actress for her role in Away from Her.
2005: Eric McCormack
The first ever Critics Choice Awards host was actor Eric McCormack, who hosted the 2005 awards.
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