Emma Stone and More Stars Who Skipped the 2026 Critics Choice Awards

The 2026 Critics Choice Awards were a star-studded affair, but some nominees missed out on all the fun.

Awards season officially started on Sunday, January 4, with Chelsea Handler hosting the Critics Choice Awards for the fourth year in a row. Held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, Hollywood's biggest stars rubbed elbows as this year's first round of awards were handed out.

"You guys are all going to be spending the next three months together," Handler, 50, told the crowd in her opening monologue. "So, whoever wins tonight, get used to seeing them win."

Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi, Noah Wyle, Seth Rogen and Jessie Buckley won some of the night's biggest individual awards, while Frankenstein and Adolescence came out on top with the most wins for film and TV, respectively.

Along with Elordi's Best Supporting Actor trophy for Frankenstein, the Netflix thriller also took home Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and Best Hair and Makeup.

Adolescence, meanwhile, swept nearly all the categories for a limited series. Another Netflix hit, the four-episode show took home Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Stephen Graham, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Owen Cooper and Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Erin Doherty.

"Thank you to the critics and to everyone behind the scenes who made this night possible," Cooper, 16, told the crowd, becoming the youngest actor to win a Critics Choice trophy. "This past year has been a complete whirlwind for me and my family, honestly. It's changed our lives forever."

Some A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan were shown in the crowd throughout the night but didn't take home any wins. Other stars skipped out on the ceremony entirely.

Keep scrolling to see who missed the 2026 Critics Choice Awards:

George Clooney

Clooney's movie Jay Kelly was up for several Critics Choice Awards, but the actor was not present. His costar Adam Sandlerrepresented the film instead.

Pamela Anderson

While the actress wasn't nominated for any solo awards, her movie The Naked Gun took home Best Comedy. She was not spotted at the ceremony.

Liam Neeson

Fans were hoping for a reunion between Anderson and her Naked Gun costar on Sunday, but they both skipped the show.

Emma Stone

Despite her nomination for Bugonia, the actress was not at Sunday's awards ceremony.

Sean Penn

Penn appeared in One Battle After Another, which took home Best Picture, but he did not attend the Critics Choice Awards with costars DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow was noticeably absent from the awards ceremony, despite her Marty Supreme costar Chalamet taking home the Best Actor award.

Cynthia Erivo

Some Wicked: For Good stars were in attendance, but Erivo - who was not nominated - missed out on the ceremony.

Allison Janney

The actress received a nomination for her role on Netflix's The Diplomat but wasn't in the crowd during the Critics Choice Awards.

Billy Bob Thornton

Most of Thornton's Landman costars did attend the ceremony, but he skipped out on the awards show despite his nomination.

Billy Crudup

Crudup is usually a favorite to win for his role on The Morning Show, but the actor didn't attend Sunday's awards.

Renée Zellweger

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy won in the Best Movie Made for Television category, but the actress was not there to celebrate the accomplishment.

Greta Lee

Similar to her The Morning Show costar Crudup, Lee also missed out on Sunday's awards ceremony despite her nomination.

Julianne Moore

Her Sirens costar Meghann Fahy was present, but Moore did not attend this year's Critics Choice Awards.

Michelle Williams

Despite her limited series nomination for Dying for Sex, Williams missed out on the ceremony.

Robin Wright

Wright also passed on attending even though she was up for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for The Girlfriend.

US Weekly

This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 5:56 AM.