One Battle After Another Wins National Society of Film Critics’ Best Picture; Full Winners

On Jan. 3, 2026, the National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) named Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another its Best Picture at the group’s 60th annual awards voting meeting. The wide-ranging adventure drama, which has earned more than $205 million worldwide, also secured Best Director for Anderson and two supporting acting prizes for Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro. More than 60 critics—meeting in Los Angeles and New York and participating virtually—cast votes that highlighted both mainstream box-office successes and smaller international and experimental titles. This report lists winners, provides context, and examines what the results may mean for awards season and distribution.

Key Takeaways

• One Battle After Another was named Best Picture by the NSFC on Jan. 3, 2026; the film has grossed over $205 million globally.
• Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Director for the same film; the title also earned Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor) and Best Supporting Actor (Benicio del Toro).
• The NSFC’s 60th awards were decided by more than 60 critics, with in-person votes in Los Angeles and New York and virtual participation nationwide.
• Other top winners included Kathleen Chalfant (Best Actress, Familiar Touch) and Ethan Hawke (Best Actor, Blue Moon), with Jafar Panahi winning Best Screenplay.
• The Secret Agent was named Best Film Not in the English Language; My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow won Best Nonfiction Film.
• Sinners took the cinematography prize (Autumn Durald Arkapaw) and featured as a frequent runner-up across several categories.
• Special recognition went to films and organizations preserving cinema heritage, and Landmarks by Lucrecia Martel received a special award for awaiting U.S. distribution.

Background

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in 1966 and is composed of more than 60 critics from major U.S. outlets; its annual awards are long-regarded within critics’ circles for highlighting both mainstream and art-house achievements. The NSFC’s choices often differ from larger industry awards in their emphasis on critical consensus over commercial metrics, though winners sometimes overlap with later prizes. This year marked the Society’s 60th voting meeting, held on Jan. 3, 2026, with members convening in person in Los Angeles and New York and contributing remotely.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another arrived in that context as a film that bridged critical acclaim and commercial reach, surpassing $205 million worldwide at the box office. The NSFC recognized the film across multiple categories, reflecting broad support among critics. At the same time, the Society awarded a mix of international cinema, nonfiction, and experimental work—underscoring its historic interest in a wide cinematic spectrum and in films that may lack mainstream U.S. distribution.

Main Event

At the Society’s 60th awards meeting, One Battle After Another emerged as the consensus Best Picture. Members also elevated Paul Thomas Anderson to Best Director, while the film’s ensemble received acting honors: Teyana Taylor won Best Supporting Actress and Benicio del Toro won Best Supporting Actor. The dual acting wins indicate strong appreciation for the film’s supporting performances in critics’ voting.

Other top-category winners included Kathleen Chalfant for Best Actress in Familiar Touch and Ethan Hawke for Best Actor in Blue Moon; Jafar Panahi was recognized with Best Screenplay for It Was Just an Accident. The Secret Agent was chosen as Best Film Not in the English Language, with It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value as runners-up in several foreign-language and screenplay categories.

Nonfiction and experimental cinema were also singled out: My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow won Best Nonfiction Film, and Morning Circle by Basma al-Sharif was named Best Experimental Film. The NSFC additionally presented a Special Award to Landmarks by Lucrecia Martel as a film still awaiting U.S. distribution, drawing attention to titles not yet widely available to American audiences.

Analysis & Implications

The NSFC’s selection of One Battle After Another as Best Picture and its multiple category wins strengthen the film’s profile heading into the awards calendar. Critical endorsements from groups like the NSFC can boost awards-season momentum, especially when a title combines box-office success with widespread critical admiration. That said, critics’ awards have limited direct influence on Academy voting; they do, however, shape narratives around frontrunners and can affect screening room attention and media coverage.

The Society’s mix of winners—from established U.S. filmmakers to international auteurs and experimental work—reinforces its reputation for diverse tastes. Naming The Secret Agent as Best Film Not in the English Language highlights that international contenders remain central to critics’ conversations. The inclusion of a special award for films without U.S. distribution underscores ongoing distribution gaps and signals to distributors and festivals about titles critics deem important.

Economically, the recognition may help prolong theatrical runs or accelerate VOD and streaming deals for winners. For One Battle After Another—already above $205 million—critical awards can translate into late-season box-office stability and heightened visibility during marketing for award campaigns. For smaller films and international releases, NSFC honors can be crucial leverage when negotiating U.S. release windows and publicity budgets.

Comparison & Data

The table above condenses the main winners and runners-up to allow quick comparison. The NSFC frequently distinguishes films that receive critical praise but limited commercial exposure; this year’s winners show a blend of widely seen titles and those needing expanded distribution. Cinematography and screenplay nods also reveal where critics concentrated technical and narrative praise.

Reactions & Quotes

The official winners list and industry coverage prompted commentary across outlets and among festival programmers and distributors. Short excerpts from the NSFC winners list and the announcement framed several of the selections succinctly:

Best Picture: One Battle After Another

National Society of Film Critics (official winners list)

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another

National Society of Film Critics (official winners list)

Special Award for a Film Awaiting U.S. Distribution: Landmarks — Lucrecia Martel

National Society of Film Critics (official winners list)

Industry observers noted that critics’ groups often aim to highlight both widely visible achievements and films in need of broader U.S. exposure; the NSFC’s selections this year followed that pattern. Festival programmers and distributors commonly watch these results for titles that might merit further theatrical or archival resources.

Unconfirmed

• Whether NSFC wins will materially change Academy Award nominations or results remains unconfirmed and depends on separate voting bodies and campaign dynamics.
• Exact U.S. distribution plans and release dates for Landmarks and other titles without U.S. release are not yet publicly confirmed.
• Any internal vote tallies or point totals from the NSFC’s balloting have not been released publicly and remain unconfirmed.

Bottom Line

The NSFC’s 60th awards highlighted One Battle After Another as the critics’ top film of the season, reinforcing Paul Thomas Anderson’s film as both a critical and commercial presence at over $205 million global box office. Multiple acting and directing nods suggest sustained critical momentum for the title as awards season progresses, even if critics’ prizes do not deterministically predict industry awards.

Beyond the headline winners, the Society used its platform to draw attention to international cinema, nonfiction, and experimental work, as well as to films lacking U.S. distribution—an outcome that could influence programmers, distributors, and audiences in the coming months. Readers tracking the awards season should watch how these critical endorsements align with subsequent guild and Academy recognition and whether they help secure wider release or archival attention for lesser-seen titles.

Sources

• Deadline (entertainment news)
• National Society of Film Critics (official organization)