The road to awards season picked up speed this week as the Critics Choice Association revealed its shortlists for the below-the-line categories at the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards. These craft categories, which range from casting, cinematography, production design, score, song, editing, and more, often predict which films will dominate the technical races all season long. And this year, a number of Black-led projects and creatives made an especially strong showing.
Warner Bros.’ Sinners, which has been building momentum since its release in April, led the pack with recognition in every below-the-line category. The film scored 13 shortlist mentions, including nods for Hannah Beachler’s production design, and Ruth E. Carter’s costume work—marking yet another high-profile year for the Oscar-winning designer.
Following closely behind was F1, Apple and Warner Bros.’ drama starring Damson Idris as a rising Formula One driver. The film earned nine mentions across categories such as cinematography, visual effects, editing, and best film score. With its technical precision and Idris’ breakout performance anchoring the narrative, F1’s strong below-the-line showing signals that it may be one of the season’s stealth contenders.
Elsewhere, the shortlists acknowledged a wide range of talent: Paul Tazewell received recognition for his costume design on Wicked: For Good, while rising artists like Aiyana-Lee appeared on the Best Song list for “Highest 2 Lowest.” The music from Sinners also showed strong support, shortlisting three original songs, including entries from Raphael Saadiq, along with “Last Time (I Seen the Sun),” from Miles Caton and Alice Smith.
This year’s Critics Choice Awards telecast will air live on E! and USA Network on January 4, 2026, continuing its combined film and television format. Full nominations arrive on December 5, offering the first major glimpse at what could shape January’s awards landscape—and ultimately, the Oscars.
The complete shortlists can be found below.
31ST ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS BELOW-THE-LINE SHORTLISTS:
BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE
Susanne Scheel – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Nina Gold – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Rich Delia – The Long Walk (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (A24)
No Other Choice (Neon)
Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Rebecca Dealy – The Plague (IFC)
Kei Kawamura, Yumi Takada – Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)
Gabriel Domingues – The Secret Agent (Neon)
Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anthony Dod Mantle – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)
Claudio Miranda – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Łukasz Żal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Linus Sandgren – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Darius Khondji – Marty Supreme (A24)
Kim Woo-hyung – No Other Choice (Neon)
David Chambille – Nouvelle Vague (Netflix)
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Steven Breckon – The Plague (IFC)
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams (Netflix)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Jeremy Hindle, David Schlesinger – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Ben Munro, Mark Tildesley, Reynan Castro Del Rosario, Andrew McCarthy, Véronique Melery – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Cara Brower, Stella Fox – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Marty Supreme (A24)
Ryu Seong-hie – No Other Choice (Neon)
Inbal Weinberg, Kendall Anderson – Roofman (Paramount Pictures)
Jørgen Stangebye Larsen, Catrine Gormsen – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST EDITING
Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Stephen Mirrione – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Evan Schiff – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Chloé Zhao, Affonso Gonçalves – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Amir Etminan – It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Kim Sang-bum, Kim Ho-bin – No Other Choice (Neon)
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Bob Ducsay – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Joe Murphy – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alexandra Byrne – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Lindsay Pugh – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Colleen Atwood – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
Miyako Bellizzi – Marty Supreme (A24)
Colleen Atwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Rita Azevedo – The Secret Agent (Neon)
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Ernesto Martinez – Song Sung Blue (Focus Features)
Małgorzata Karpiuk – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)
Bugonia (Focus Features)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
Kokuho (Gkids)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
The Smashing Machine (A24)
Superman (Warner Bros.)
The Ugly Stepsister (IFC)
Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
How to Train Your Dragon (Universal Pictures)
Mickey 17 (Warner Bros.)
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Predator: Badlands (20th Century Studios)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Sketch (Angel)
Superman (Warner Bros.)
Tron: Ares (Walt Disney Pictures)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST STUNT DESIGN
Ballerina (Lionsgate)
F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Predator: Badlands (20th Century Studios)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
The Smashing Machine (A24)
Superman (Warner Bros.)
Thunderbolts* (Marvel Studios)
Warfare (A24)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
BEST SONG
“Clothed by the Sun” – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
“Dear Me” – Diane Warren – Diane Warren: Relentless (Greenwich Entertainment)
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“The Girl in the Bubble” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
“Highest 2 Lowest” – Howard Drossin, Aiyana-Lee – Highest 2 Lowest (A24/Apple Original Films)
“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” – Alice Smith, Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Lose My Mind” – Don Toliver, Doja Cat, Hans Zimmer, Ryan Tedder, Grant Boutin – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“No Place Like Home” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
“Pale, Pale Moon” – Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)
BEST SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia (Focus Features)
Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Johan Lenox – The Plague (IFC)
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Kangding Ray – Sirāt (Neon)
Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares (Walt Disney Pictures)
BEST SOUND
A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
The Lost Bus (Apple Original Films)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Sirāt (Neon)
Superman (Warner Bros.)
Warfare (A24)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)