The Film Critics Guild and WPP Motion Entertainment have announced the nominations for the 8th Critics’ Choice Awards 2026. The annual awards recognise notable work across short films, feature films, web series, and documentaries. In the feature film category, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound leads with six nods this year. It is followed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s Sundance-winning Sabar Bonda and Raam Reddy’s Jugnuma, which have three nominations each. Anusha Rizvi’s The Great Shamsuddin Family, Mari Selvaraj’s Bison Kaalamaadan, and the BAFTA-winning Manipuri film Boong received two nominations each.
Here’s the full list of nominees of Critics’ Choice Awards 2026:
SHORT FILM NOMINEES
Best Short Film
Aasmaani Jhoola (The Giant Wheel of Life)
Direct Recruitment
Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings)
Nighiyaan Chhavan (Warm Shadows)
Tumhari Baari Jo (Jo’s Turn)
Best Director
Mohammed Ali Rukadikar for Aasmaani Jhoola (The Giant Wheel of Life)
Apurva Bardapurkar for Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings)
Yash Saraf for Moti
Aakash Chhabra for Nighiyaan Chhavan (Warm Shadows)
Samir Zaidi for Two Sinners
Best Actor
Aamir Aziz for Aasmaani Jhoola (The Giant Wheel of Life)
Suhas Shirsat for Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings)
Koosilab Sengupta for Moti
Sunny Hinduja for That’s A Wrap
Shardul Bhardwaj for Two Sinners
Best Actress
Smita Tambe for Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings)
Sheeba Chaddha for Nighiyaan Chhavan (Warm Shadows)
Snehalata Siddharth for Roses Are…
Piihu Sand for The Cycle
Yashaswini Dayama for Tumhari Baari Jo (Jo’s Turn)
Best Writing
Mohammed Ali Rukadikar, Keshav Naidu and Sarat T. Rao for Aasmaani Jhoola (The Giant Wheel of Life)
Apurva Bardapurkar for Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings)
Aakash Chhabra for Nighiyaan Chhavan (Warm Shadows)
Swati Das and Vinoo Choliparambil for Tumhari Baari Jo (Jo’s Turn)
Samir Zaidi for Two Sinners
Best Cinematography
Saurabh Suman for Aasmaani Jhoola (The Giant Wheel of Life)
Sachin Gadankush for Khooh Waala Ghar (Room at the Farm)
Rusha Bose for Moti
Vignesh S for Nighiyaan Chhavan (Warm Shadows)
Ajatshatru Singh for Two Sinners
DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES
Best Documentary
1PB Mein Sufiyana Qalam (Music in a Village Named 1PB)
Chaar Phool Hain Aur Duniya Hai
I, Poppy
Loving Karma
Marriage Cops
WEB SERIES NOMINEES
Best Web Series
Black Warrant
Black, White & Gray – Love Kills
Paatal Lok S2
Perfect Family
The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Best Director
Vikramaditya Motwane, Satyanshu Singh, Arkesh Ajay, Rohin Raveendran Nair and Ambiecka Pandit for Black Warrant
Pushkar Sunil Mahabal for Black, White & Gray – Love Kills
Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan for Khauf
Avinash Arun Dhaware for Paatal Lok S2
Aryan Khan for The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Best Actor
Zahan Kapoor for Black Warrant
Roshan Mathew for Kankhajura
Jaideep Ahlawat for Paatal Lok S2
Manoj Bajpayee for The Family Man S3
Amit Sial for The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Best Actress
Surveen Chawla for Criminal Justice S4
Shabana Azmi for Dabba Cartel
Monika Panwar for Khauf
Girija Oak Godbole for Perfect Family
Priyamani for The Family Man S3
Best Supporting Actor
Anurag Thakur for Black Warrant
Paramvir Singh Cheema for Black Warrant
Rahul Bhat for Black Warrant
Manoj Pahwa for Perfect Family
Raghav Juyal for The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Best Supporting Actress
Nimisha Sajayan for Dabba Cartel
Geetanjali Kulkarni for Khauf
Shalini Vatsa for Khauf
Tillotama Shome for Paatal Lok S2
Seema Pahwa for Perfect Family
Best Writing
Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay for Black Warrant
Pushkar Sunil Mahabal for Black, White & Gray – Love Kills
Sudip Sharma, Rahul Kanojia, Abhishek Banerjee and Tamal Sen for Paatal Lok S2
Aryan Khan, Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan for The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Nagesh Kukunoor, Rohit G. Banawlikar and Sriram Rajan for The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
FEATURE FILM NOMINEES
Best Film
Bison Kaalamaadan
Boong
Homebound
Humans in the Loop
Jugnuma (The Fable)
Ponman
Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)
Sthal (A Match)
Su from So
The Great Shamsuddin Family
Best Director
Lakshmipriya Devi for Boong
Neeraj Ghaywan for Homebound
Aranya Sahay for Humans in the Loop
Raam Reddy for Jugnuma (The Fable)
Jayant Digambar Somalkar for Sthal (A Match)
Best Actor
Mounesh Nataranga for Hebbuli Cut
Vishal Jethwa for Homebound
Mammootty for Kalamkaval
Basil Joseph for Ponman
Abhishek Banerjee for Stolen
Best Actress
Priyanka Bose for Agra
Geetha Kailasam for Angammal
Yami Gautam Dhar for Haq
Amruta Subhash for Jarann
Sharmila Tagore for Puratawn (The Ancient)
Best Supporting Actor
Pasupathy for Bison Kaalamaadan
Akshaye Khanna for Dhurandhar
Dhritiman Chatterjee for Putulnacher Itikatha (The Puppet’s Tale)
Dileesh Pothan for Ronth
Boman Irani for The Mehta Boys
Best Supporting Actress
Shalini Vatsa for Homebound
Anita Date for Jarann
Lijomol Jose for Ponman
Sandhya Arakere for Su From So
Shreya Dhanwanthary for The Great Shamsuddin Family
Best Writing
Bahul Ramesh for Eko
Bheemarao and Anantha Shandreya for Hebbuli Cut
Basharat Peer, Neeraj Ghaywan, Sumit Roy, Varun Grover, and Shreedhar Dubey for Homebound
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade for Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)
Jayant Digambar Somalkar for Sthal (A Match)
Best Cinematography
Bahul Ramesh for Eko
Sunil Borkar for Jugnuma (The Fable)
Nimish Ravi for Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
Sayak Bhattacharya for Putulnacher Itikatha (The Puppet’s Tale)
Vikas Urs for Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)
Best Editing
Sooraj E. S. for Eko
Nitin Baid for Homebound
Chaman Chakko for Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
Tinni Mitra for Putulnacher Itikatha (The Puppet’s Tale)
Shreyas Beltangdy for Stolen
Also read: Oscar 2026 Nominations: Sinners leads with 16 nods, full breakdown
