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.

Full list of nominations:

FILM OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Hollywood Authentic

Hamnet

Marty Supreme The Mastermind

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value  

Sinners Sirāt

Sorry, Baby

Train Dreams Weapons

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

It Was Just an Accident

No Other Choice

The Secret Agent Sentimental Value Sirāt

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

Cover-Up

One to One: John & Yoko

Orwell: 2+2=5

The Perfect Neighbor

Riefenstahl

ANIMATED FEATURE OF THE YEAR

Arco

Elio

KPop Demon Hunters

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Zootopia 2

BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by BFI Player

The Ballad of Wallis Island  

Bugonia

Hamnet

I Swear

Pillion

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Óliver Laxe – Sirāt

Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Celtx

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Josh Safdie & Ronald Bronstein – Marty Supreme

Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet

ACTOR OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Cinemadix

Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Josh O’Connor – The Mastermind

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by WS Hair Pro – Imperial Collection 

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love

Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value

Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Seesaw Media

Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo – Sinners

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another Alexander Skarsgård – Pillion

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Regent Street Cinema

Robert Aramayo – I Swear/Palestine 36

Miles Caton – Sinners

Frank Dillane – Urchin/Harvest

Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another

Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR

Tom Basden & Tim Key – The Ballad of Wallis Island

Laura Carreira – On Falling

Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow

Harris Dickinson – Urchin

Harry Lighton – Pillion

BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by BritBox

Naomi Ackie – Sorry, Baby/Mickey 17/The Thursday Murder Club

Robert Aramayo – I Swear/Palestine 36

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

David Jonsson – Wasteman/The Long Walk

Josh O’Connor – The Mastermind/The History of Sound/Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Scott Ellis Watson – I Swear Ebada Hassan – Brides

Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet

Noah Jupe – Hamnet/The Carpenter’s Son

Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Sponsored by Abbey Road Studios

Die My Love – Editing, Toni Froschhamer

The Ice Tower – Production Design, Julia Irribarria

Marty Supreme – Casting, Jennifer Venditti

The Mastermind – Music, Rob Mazurek

One Battle After Another – Editing, Andy Jurgensen

Sinners – Music, Ludwig Göransson

Sirāt – Sound design, Laia Casanovas

Sound of Falling – Costume Design, Sabrina Krämer

Train Dreams – Cinematography, Adolpho Veloso

Weapons – Makeup and Hairstyling, Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat and Jason Collins     

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR

Two Black Boys In Paradise – Directed by Baz Sells

Leaving Ikordoru in 1999 – Directed by Rashida Seriki

I Saw The Face Of God In The Jet Wash – Directed by Mark Jenkin

Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites – Directed by Duncan Cowles

Milk – Directed by Naomi Waring