Shadows on the Wall | London Film Critics' Circle

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Shadows @ the Critics’ Circle
46th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards Nominations 15.Dec.25 • Awards ceremony 1.Feb.26 at the May Fair Hotel The Critics' Circle is the world's oldest body of critics, established in 1913 and made up of six sections: art, books, film, dance, music and theatre. After working on the awards organising committee for 20 years, this is my first year just voting and watching from the sidelines. Unlike the Oscars or Bafta, our 200+ members watch almost all of the movies and generally vote on what we admire rather than trying to follow the buzz or being lured by over-hyped films. Rich's comments: London critics tend to vote just a little against the grain, and because nominations are a free vote, all kinds of intriguing things end up scattered throughout the categories. This year's nominations feel a little more buzz-oriented, although there are some lovely surprises scattered throughout the lists. The winners feel somewhat predictable, aside from the British/Irish categories, which have a nice kick to them - Pillion, 28 Years Later and Josh O'Connor! Rich Cline joined the Critics' Circle in January 2003, chaired the awards 2012-2025 and the Film Section 2020-2025.
W I N N E R S . . . 4/9 ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 2/3 PILLION 1/8 HAMNET 1/7 SINNERS 1/6 MARTY SUPREME 1/4 I SWEAR THE MASTERMIND SENTIMENTAL VALUE 1/3 WEAPONS 1/2 PALESTINE 36 1/1 28 YEARS LATER THE HISTORY OF SOUND KPOP DEMON HUNTERS THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR WAKE UP DEAD MAN N O M I N E E S . . . 5 SORRY, BABY 4 SIRAT 2 THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND DIE MY LOVE THE SECRET AGENT TRAIN DREAMS URCHIN 1 ARCO • BLUE MOON • BRIDES • BUGONIA • THE CARPENTER'S SON • COVER-UP • ELIO • FRANKENSTEIN • HARVEST • THE ICE TOWER • IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU • IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT • LITTLE AMELIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN • THE LONG WALK • MICKEY 17 • MY FATHER'S SHADOW • NO OTHER CHOICE • ON FALLING • ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO • ORWELL: 2+2=5 • RIEFENSTAHL • SOUND OF FALLING • THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB • WASTEMAN • ZOOTROPOLIS 2	A L L T H E N O M I N E E S
	F I L M Hamnet Marty Supreme The Mastermind One Battle After Another Sentimental Value Sinners Sirat Sorry, Baby Train Dreams Weapons	D O C U M E N T A R Y Cover-Up One to One: John & Yoko Orwell: 2+2=5 The Perfect Neighbor Riefenstahl
		B R I T I S H / I R I S H F I L M The Ballad of Wallis Island Bugonia Hamnet I Swear Pillion
	F O R E I G N - L A N G U A G E F I L M It Was Just an Accident No Other Choice The Secret Agent Sentimental Value Sirat	A N I M A T E D F I L M Arco Elio KPop Demon Hunters Little Amelie or the Character of Rain Zootropolis 2
	A C T R E S S 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	A C T O R Timothee Chalamet - Marty Supreme Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent Josh O'Connor - The Mastermind
	S U P P O R T I N G A C T R E S S Odessa A'zion - Marty Supreme Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value Amy Madigan - Weapons Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another	S U P P O R T I N G A C T O R Benicio del Toro - One Battle After Another Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein Delroy Lindo - Sinners Sean Penn - One Battle After Another Alexander Skarsgard - Pillion
	D I R E C T O R Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another Ryan Coogler - Sinners Oliver Laxe - Sirat Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme Chloe Zhao - Hamnet	S C R E E N W R I T E R Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another Ryan Coogler - Sinners Josh Safdie & Ronald Bronstein - Marty Supreme Eva Victor - Sorry, Baby Chloe Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet
	B R I T I S H / I R I S H P E R F O R M E R 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	Y O U N G B R I T I S H / I R I S H P E R F O R M E R Scott Ellis Watson - I Swear Ebada Hassan - Brides Jacobi Jupe - Hamnet Noah Jupe - Hamnet/The Carpenter's Son Alfie Williams - 28 Years Later
	B R E A K T H R U P E R F O R M E R Robert Aramayo - I Swear/Palestine 36 Miles Caton - Sinners Frank Dillane - Urchin/Harvest Chase Infiniti - One Battle After Another Eva Victor - Sorry, Baby B R E A K T H R U B R I T I S H / I R I S H F I L M M A K E R 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 B R I T I S H / I R I S H S H O R T I Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash Leaving Ikorodu in 1999 Milk Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites Two Black Boys in Paradise	T E C H N I C A L A C H I E V E M E N T Die My Love - Editing, Toni Froschhammer 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 Goransson Sirat - Sound Design, Laia Casanovas Sound of Falling - Costume Design, Sabrina Kramer Train Dreams - Cinematography, Adolpho Veloso Weapons - Makeup & Hairstyling, Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat and Jason Collins S P E C I A L A W A R D S DILYS POWELL AWARD - EXCELLENCE IN FILM: 2026 Guillermo del Toro DEREK MALCOLM AWARD - INNOVATION: 2026 Cynthia Erivo CRITICS' CIRCLE AWARD - SERVICES TO ART: 2025 Tilda Swinton
	C R I T I C S ’ C I R C L E T O P 2 0 F I L M S O N B F I P L A Y E R 1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) 2. Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019) 2. Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay, 2002) 2. Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu, 1953) 2. Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984) 6. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959) 7. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) 8. Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966) 8. Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terence Davies, 1988) 10. Manhunter (Michael Mann, 1986) 10. High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963) 12. Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) 12. Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996) 14. Cléo from 5 to 7 (Agnès Varda, 1962) 14. After Life (Hirokazu Koreeda, 1998) 14. Nosferatu (FW Murnau, 1922) 14. Aguirre, Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) 14. Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) 19. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) 19. Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1959) February 2026
“With the Critics’ Circle awards, it’s just a bunch of guys hanging out and we have a drink. My bag. I love that award. I appreciate that award so much. That was a good year.” — Billy Bob Thornton, Actor of the Year 2001 “The Critics’ Circle Film Awards are a bit like how the Golden Globes used to be when they were a party and not a pre-Oscar industry occasion.” — Michael Caton Jones
REPORTS/PICS FROM CRITICS' CIRCLE FILM AWARDS: 2004 \| 05 \| 06 \| 07 \| 08 \| 09 \| 10 \| 11 \| 12 \| 13 \| 14 \| 15 \| 16 \| 17 \| 18 \| 19 \| 20
© 2026 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK