Critics Choice Awards 2025: Shōgun, Hacks and The Penguin among the most acclaimed series

Leading the nominations, Shōgun did not fail to live up to its status as a favourite, taking home 4 out of a possible 5 awards. Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks‘ creation was crowned Best Drama Series and took home awards for Best Actor (Hiroyuki Sanada), Best Supporting Actor (Tadanobu Asano) and Best Supporting Actress (Moeka Hoshi) in a drama series. Only the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series eluded Shōgun, which went to Kathy Bates for her performance in Matlock.

On the comedy front, Hacks also had a near flawless performance, winning three of the four categories in which it was nominated. The HBO Max series won best comedy series, best actress (Jean Smart) and best supporting actress (Hannah Einbinder) in a comedy series.

The Penguin, also nominated 4 times, took home two awards, for Best Actor (Colin Farrell) and Best Actress (Cristin Milioti) in a Miniseries or TV Movie.

See the other Critics Choice Award winners below. Winners are in bold.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Evil (Paramount+)
Industry (HBO | Max)
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (AMC)
The Old Man (FX)
Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Bridges – The Old Man (FX)
Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who (Disney+)
Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)
Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Antony Starr – The Boys (Prime Video)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz)
Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)
Shanola Hampton – Found (NBC)
Keira Knightley – Black Doves (Netflix)
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Anna Sawai – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tadanobu Asano – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Michael Emerson – Evil (Paramount+)
Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Found (NBC)
Takehiro Hira – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
John Lithgow – The Old Man (FX)
Sam Reid – Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (AMC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Moeka Hoshi – Shōgun (FX / Hulu)
Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Nicole Kidman – Lioness (Paramount+)
Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)
Anna Sawai – Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Fiona Shaw – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
English Teacher (FX)
Hacks (HBO | Max)
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)
St. Denis Medical (NBC)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Brian Jordan Alvarez – English Teacher (FX)
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Asher Grodman – Ghosts (CBS)
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Michael Urie – Shrinking (Apple TV+)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Liza Colón-Zayas – The Bear (FX / Hulu)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Stephanie Koenig – English Teacher (FX)
Patti LuPone – Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)

BEST LIMITED SERIES
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
Mr Bates vs the Post Office (PBS)
The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Ripley (Netflix)
True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)
We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Great Lillian Hall (HBO | Max)
It’s What’s Inside (Netflix)
Música (Prime Video)
Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
V/H/S/Beyond (Shudder)

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Colin Farrell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Tom Hollander – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)
Kevin Kline – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Ewan McGregor – A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+)
Andrew Scott – Ripley (Netflix)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Cate Blanchett – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Jodie Foster – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)
Jessica Lange – The Great Lillian Hall (HBO | Max)
Cristin Milioti – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Phoebe-Rae Taylor – Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Naomi Watts – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Robert Downey Jr. – The Sympathizer (HBO | Max)
Hugh Grant – The Regime (HBO | Max)
Ron Cephas Jones – Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
Logan Lerman – We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu)
Liev Schreiber – The Perfect Couple (Netflix)
Treat Williams – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Dakota Fanning – Ripley (Netflix)
Leila George – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Betty Gilpin – Three Women (Starz)
Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Deirdre O’Connell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Kali Reis – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Acapulco (Apple TV+)
Citadel: Honey Bunny (Prime Video)
La Máquina (Hulu)
The Law According to Lidia Poët (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO | Max)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Senna (Netflix)
Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Batman: Caped Crusader (Prime Video)
Bluey (Disney+)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Invincible (Prime Video)
The Simpsons (Fox)
X-Men ’97 (Disney+)

BEST TALK SHOW
Hot Ones (YouTube)
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
The Graham Norton Show (BBC America)
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (Netflix)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC/Syndicated)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix)
Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny (Hulu)
Kevin James: Irregardless (Prime Video)
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO | Max)
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special (Netflix)
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings (HBO | Max)