The 46th annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards will take place on Sunday, 1 February 2026 at The May Fair in London. The awards, voted for by the U.K.’s top film critics, will be hosted by renowned critic and BBC presenter Mark Kermode. The nominations will be announced virtually from The May Fair on 15 December 2025.
Kermode, who also hosted last year’s awards, said: “I’m really thrilled and honoured to be hosting the awards again. It’s always a great event and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
Last year’s winners included The Brutalist and Conclave, which won Film of the Year and British and Irish Film of the Year respectively. Ralph Fiennes and Marianne Jean-Baptiste won Actor of the Year and Actress of the Year for their roles in Conclave and Hard Truths. Hollywood icon and James Bond alumni Daniel Craig was honoured with the special Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film, while Zoe Saldaña gave a tearful speech on receipt of the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation. Saldaña was named Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, and Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain.
The Critics’ Circle Film Section is part of the Critics’ Circle, the U.K.'s longest-standing and most prestigious critics organisation. The Film Section recently announced a new leadership team with Jane Crowther as chair, Guy Lodge as vice chair and Linda Marric as honorary secretary. Emily Zemler will act as the awards lead for the 2026 London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.
Crowther said: “With a new leadership team in place we're looking forward to making our 46th awards the biggest and best yet. We’re excited as a circle to enter the awards season looking for inspiring and exemplary filmmaking and performances to celebrate.”
The London Critics' Circle Film Awards are voted for by Film Section’s 202 members. Films are automatically eligible if they are released in U.K. cinemas or on premiere streaming services between mid-February 2025 and mid-February 2026. Held since 1980, the annual awards ceremony is a star-studded event that honours the best of the year’s cinematic achievements. Each year showcases established performers and filmmakers alongside up-and-coming talent, with an effort to spotlight a group of winners who represent the ideals of the Critics’ Circle. The awards are streamed live on the Critics’ Circle Film Section’s YouTube channel.
The May Fair Hotel, part of Edwardian Hotels London, is the main sponsor of the event, and has hosted the awards for the past several years. Timing for the nominations and the awards ceremony will be announced at a later date. Sponsorship for specific awards categories and the pre-event reception and afterparty is currently open.