KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners & F1 take home music & sound Critics Choice Awards 2026

The 31st Critics' Choice Awards were presented on January 4, 2026, at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, honouring the finest achievements of filmmaking and television programming in 2025.

One Battle After Another won named best picture, while the film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson was awarded the best director award. Elsewhere, hit horror movie, Sinners took home four awards, including the trophy for best casting and ensemble, a new category this year, which went to Francine Maisle.

Here are the winners in the music and audio categories:

Best Song

Drive – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Golden – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix) (WINNER)

I Lied to You – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Clothed by the Sun – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)

Train Dreams – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)

The Girl in the Bubble – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Best Score

Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)

Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)

Best Sound

Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 (Apple Original Films) (WINNER)

Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Laia Casanovas – Sirat (Neon)

Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner – Warfare (A24)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures