Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another has topped the nominations for the 46th annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, securing nine nods overall, closely followed by Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, with eight. Both films were nominated for Film of the Year, with their leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jessie Buckley, also nominated for Actor of the Year and Actress of the Year, respectively.
Ryan Coogler’s deep-South horror Sinners was nominated in seven categories, including Film of the Year. Also nominated in that category are Josh Safdie’s sports comedy Marty Supreme, with six nominations, while the dark comedy-drama Sorry, Baby landed five, four of them for first-time writer-director-star Eva Victor. Three Cannes premieres from earlier this year landed four nominations apiece: Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value and Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind. Rounding out the critics’ top ten are Zach Cregger’s summer hit Weapons, with three nominations, and Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams, with two.
Harry Lighton’s queer drama Pillion was nominated for three awards, including British/Irish Film of the Year, where it will compete alongside Hamnet, Tom Basden and Tim Key’s
musically-driven comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi satire Bugonia, and Kirk Jones’ crowdpleaser I Swear.
Jane Crowther, London Critics’ Circle film section chair, said: ‘At a time when A.I. and homogeny seems to be the shorthand answer to everything, it’s encouraging to see the films that our members voted for are teeming with human life, creativity and unique perspectives. Boasting bold, vital stories, real experiences and artistry, these movies and their creative teams are evidence that not everything can be made by an algorithm. The LFCC is delighted to be inviting such a diverse group of artists to our awards in February to celebrate their achievements.’
The winners in all categories will be announced at The May Fair in London on 1 February 2026 during a ceremony hosted by acclaimed critic Mark Kermode. Sponsors for the upcoming awards ceremony include The May Fair, Double Dutch, Fords Gin, Excel Executive Cars, Gusbourne Sparkling Wine, MTA Digital, Onlooker.tv and Wild Idol. Awards category sponsors include Abbey Road Studios, BFI Player, BritBox, Celtx, Cinemadix, Hollywood Authentic, Regent Street Cinema, SeeSaw Media and WS Hair Pro.
The London Film Critics’ Circle is one of the oldest and most distinguished critical bodies in the UK, and is part of the wider Critics’ Circle, which was established in 1913. The awards are voted on by 207 members of the Film section, who represent print, digital, broadcast and social outlets. Films are eligible if they are released in UK cinemas or on premiere streaming services between mid-February 2024 and mid-February 2025. The awards have been presented annually since 1980. The film section is chaired by Jane Crowther, editor of Hollywood Authentic.
The 45th annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, held in February 2025, awarded Film of the Year to The Brutalist. Ralph Fiennes won Actor of the Year for his role in Conclave, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste won Actress of the Year for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths. American actor Zoe Saldaña was honoured twice, first with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation and for Supporting Actress of the Year for her Spanish-language turn in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez. Bond star Daniel Craig was awarded the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.
