The 2026 Critics Choice Awards have been met with ridicule online after guests were served a meagre snack plate instead of a full dinner. The ceremony, held in Santa Monica, California, and hosted by Chelsea Handler, drew A-list nominees including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, and Timothée Chalamet.
The New York Times' Kyle Buchanan shared a photo of the food on X, showing a plate of grapes, cheeses, bruschetta chips, bread, and cherry tomato and cheese skewers. Social media users were quick to compare the offering to the infamous catering at the 2017 Fyre Festival, with one person writing: 'Plate giving Fyre Festival.' Another remarked: 'This looks like a meal on a United flight, not at an award show.'
Abbott Elementary star Janelle James addressed the sparse catering while accepting her award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. 'The best thing about being nominated four times is I finally realised they're never gonna feed us at this thing. It’s gonna be grapes and ice cream every year, but this makes up for it!' she joked on stage.
The Independent has contacted the Critics Choice Awards for comment. Elsewhere at the event, Hacks co-stars Paul Downs and Meg Stalter paid homage to Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner by replicating their orange outfits from the Marty Supreme premiere, joking that they had 'borrowed from friends.'
