Chelsea Handler delivered a roast of A-list stars during her opening monologue at the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Friday.
The comedian, 49, took aim at Blake Lively, 37, and Justin Baldoni‘s, 41, ongoing legal battle, before poking fun of Nicole Kidman‘s Babygirl sex scenes and teasing Ariana Grande for ‘dating a munchkin’ during the star-studded show.
Chelsea, who introduced herself as ‘your DEI host’, started by roasting It Ends With Us stars Blake and Justin, who were not present, as she thanked them for providing the country with a ‘distraction.’
‘Waking up every day not knowing what news we are going to hear that will disappoint or horrify us, it is so important in times like these to have a distraction, and that’s why I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. Thank you for providing us with that distraction. I’m grateful, we’re all grateful.’
‘I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you’re on, we can all agree to accept that there’s probably not gonna be a sequel,’ she joked.
‘It ends with us, guys,’ Chelsea, who hosted the show for the third time, humorously added.
Chelsea Handler, 49, delivered a roast of A-list stars during her opening monologue at the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Friday
The It Ends With Us stars’ showdown has completely captivated the globe and has even now erupted into a massive legal battle involving multiple lawsuits and a slew of shocking claims, including accusations of sexual harassment.
The former E! late night talk show host went on to rib Ariana, 31, and her relationship with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, 32, making a pun at the 5′ 7″ actor’s role in the movie as well as his height.
She told the crowd: ‘It’s nice to see some of our most beloved child stars grown up and thriving. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande are all nominated tonight.
‘And now Ariana has even found love with a munchkin,’ she added in regards to Slater, who plays a Munchkin named Boq in the 2024 film adaptation of the musical Wicked
After hearing the crowd’s surprised reaction, she said: ‘That’s good news, everybody.’
She went on: ‘It wasn’t just the young actresses. We had a 95-year-old female action star, June Squibb. How cool is that?’
‘From Ariana to June, to succeed this year, you had to either survive Nickelodeon or World War II.’
‘I saw that documentary and Nickelodeon looked harder,’ she quipped.
She also joked about Ariana and her co-star Cynthia Erivo’s emotional Wicked press tour, telling the crowd, ‘I loved the Wicked press tour, the two of them were all over each other,’ before adding, ‘I remember the first time I did molly.’
The comedian took aim at Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle, before poking fun of Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl sex scenes and teasing Ariana Grande for ‘dating a munchkin’
‘I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you’re on, we can all agree to accept that there’s probably not gonna be a sequel,’ she joked about Blake and Justin’s movie, It Ends With Us; the two stars seen on set in 2024
‘It ends with us, guys,’ Chelsea, who hosted the show for the third time, humorously added
Chelsea went on to rib Ariana and her relationship with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, 32, making a pun at the 5′ 7″ actor’s role in the movie as well as his height
‘It’s nice to see some of our most beloved child stars grown up and thriving. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande are all nominated tonight,’ she said; Ariana and Ethan pictured inside
‘And now Ariana has even found love with a munchkin,’ she added in regards to Slater, who plays a Munchkin named Boq in the 2024 film adaptation of the musical Wicked
Chelsea then poked fun of Nicole’s steamy sex scenes in Babygirl. ‘There were so many incredible musical performances: Nicole Kidman in Babygirl face down in a carpet,’ she joked
‘Okay, technically Babygirl wasn’t a musical, but she definitely hit a few notes I’ve never heard before,’ Chelsea added
Nicole was pictured burying her head in her hands after the joke
Chelsea then poked fun of Nicole’s steamy sex scenes in Babygirl.
‘There were so many incredible musical performances: Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez, that was beautiful, Sing Sing, which is not a musical but I thought it would be. Nicole Kidman in Babygirl face down in a carpet.’
‘Okay, technically Babygirl wasn’t a musical, but she definitely hit a few notes I’ve never heard before.’
Nicole was pictured burying her head in her hands after the joke.
Chelsea also made a hilarious comment about Hollywood legend Ralph Fiennes, after she mentioned his film Conclave, where he stars as Cardinal Lawrence.
‘Ralph Fiennes, don’t think I’m not gonna talk about you. You’ve played a ruthless Nazi, evil Lord Voldemort, and now a celibate Cardinal, and somehow made me want to have sex with you in all three movies,’ she quipped as the camera panned to Ralph, who was pictured laughing.
Chelsea went on: ‘I am not alone. You’ve made some truly unsexy people, very sexy. I’m begging you, please never play Vladimir Putin. I can’t do that again.’
‘And my other big takeaway from Conclave you Vatican b*****s really love to gossip.’
Later in her opener Chelsea joked about first lady Melania Trump.
‘Musicals weren’t the only incredible films this year, we also had movies for straight people. It was a huge year for biopics. A Complete Unknown about Bob Dylan. Maria about Maria Callas. And Anora about Melania Trump.’
Chelsea also made a hilarious comment about Hollywood legend Ralph Fiennes, after she mentioned his film Conclave, where he stars as Cardinal Lawrence
‘You’ve played a ruthless Nazi, evil Lord Voldemort, and now a celibate Cardinal, and somehow made me want to have sex with you in all three movies,’ she quipped
Chelsea went on: ‘I am not alone. You’ve made some truly unsexy people, very sexy. I’m begging you, please never play Vladimir Putin. I can’t do that again’
Another star who received a mention in her opening monologue was Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell, whose HBO series The Penguin is nominated in a number of categories
‘Colin spent four hours every day transforming into the Penguin. So I guess now we know how long it takes to make Colin Farrell unf***able. Honestly, I’d still hit those flippers,’ she joked, as the camera caught Colin’s surprised reaction
Anora is a comedy-drama film that follows the story of a young woman named Anora (played by Mikey Madison) who works as a stripper in Brooklyn, before meeting and marrying the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.
Chelsea then quipped that Janelle James’ character from the show Abbott Elementary is ‘so incompetent’ that she was surprised Janelle ‘hasn’t been tapped to run the real department of education.’
Chelsea then teased Kristen Bell, the star of Netflix series Nobody Wants This.
‘Hollywood was on the vanguard of social justice this year,’ she said, adding, ‘Netflix fought back against the rising tide of anti-semitism by having Kristen Bell get penetrated by a sexy rabbi.’
Another star who received a mention in her opening monologue was Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell, whose HBO series The Penguin is nominated in a number of categories.
‘While we talk about incredible TV, I would be remiss to not mention Colin Farrell. Colin spent four hours every day transforming into the Penguin. So I guess now we know how long it takes to make Colin Farrell unf***able.’
‘Honestly, I’d still hit those flippers,’ she joked, as the camera caught Colin’s surprised reaction.
Demi Moore was also mentioned, as Chelsea told the crowd: ‘I want you to know that you are in good hands. If there’s one thing I can assure you, it’s that I’m very professional when it comes to having a good time. I’ve been doing it for as long as Demi Moore has been acting and I, too, hope to receive an award for it finally.’
Chelsea also touched on her former stint as late night host: ‘I spent seven years on this network, I was the only woman hosting a late-night show. Now 11 years later, look how far we’ve come. In 2025, the easiest way for a woman to get a late-night show is to get the creators of Hacks to write a fictional story about it.’
She capped off her segment with a joke about actress Cheryl Hines and her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent Senate hearings.
‘On a less personal note and in the spirit of making tonight a celebration, I want you all to know that you’re in good hands. Some of you will win. Some of you will lose. Some of you will be in the background questioning your life choices like Cheryl Hines at a Senate confirmation hearing.’
Chelsea then teased Kristen Bell, the star of Netflix series Nobody Wants This, telling the audience: ‘Netflix fought back against the rising tide of anti-semitism by having Kristen Bell get penetrated by a sexy rabbi’
Chelsea then quipped that Janelle James’ character from the show Abbott Elementary is ‘so incompetent’ that she was surprised Janelle ‘hasn’t been tapped to run the real department of education’
The Critics Choice Awards are finally taking place after twice being delayed due to the LA fires.
The show was first slated to take place on Sunday, January 12, before being pushed to Sunday, January 26.
But due to the venue’s close proximity to the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, ceremony officials decided to push the show to February.
Wicked, Conclave and Shogun lead the nominations.
Wicked scored the most Critics Choice Awards 2025 nominations, including major nods for its stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, as the musical ties Conclave for the most nominations with 11.
Both Wicked and Conclave are also up for the biggest prize of the night in Best Picture.
The two films will face off against an impressive field including: A Complete Unknown, Anora, The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing and The Substance.
Ariana, 31, is up for Best Supporting actress, and she will take on Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Nickel Boys, Margaret Qualley — The Substance, Isabella Rossellini — Conclave, and Zoe Saldaña –—Emilia Pérez.
Cynthia, 38, will also face stiff competition in the coveted Best Actress category, as she is up against: Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez, Marianne Jean-Baptiste — Hard Truths, Angelina Jolie — Maria, Mikey Madison — Anora, and Demi Moore — The Substance.
Wicked leads the way with the most Critics Choice Awards 2025 nominations, including major nods for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The musical earned 11 tying the film Conclave for the most
Transgender actress Gascon, who has been slammed for resurfaced ‘racist’ social media posts, is not expected to be in attendance with her Emilia Pérez castmates.
Wicked is centered around Elphaba (Erivo), a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda (Grande), a popular girl. The two become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz, but after an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.
Meanwhile, Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes leads the Best Actor field, which includes: Adrien Brody — The Brutalist, Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown, Daniel Craig — Queer, Colman Domingo — Sing Sing, and Hugh Grant — Heretic.
Conclave is centered around Fiennes’ character, Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope. But he soon finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.
Rounding out the top individual honors is the Best Supporting Actor category, which features: Yura Borisov — Anora, Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain, Clarence Maclin — Sing Sing, Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown, Guy Pearce — The Brutalist, and Denzel Washington — Gladiator II.
Both Wicked and Conclave are up for Best Acting Ensemble against Anora, Emilia Pérez, Saturday Night and Sing Sing.
Best Director will be a contentious category, as the field includes: Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker — Anora, Edward Berger — Conclave, Brady Corbet — The Brutalist, Jon M. Chu — Wicked, Coralie Fargeat — The Substance, RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys, and Denis Villeneuve — Dune: Part Two.
Behind the two frontrunners with the most nominations were Dune: Part Two and Emilia Perez, which each landed 10 nods.
The Brutalist had nine while Anora and The Substance trailed slightly with seven nominations each.
The Critics Choice Awards don’t only honor the finest in films, but television as well.
Conclave tied with Wicked for most nominations including a Best Actor nod for Ralph Fiennes
Ariana (pictured), 31, is up for Best Supporting actress. She will take on Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Nickel Boys, Margaret Qualley — The Substance, Isabella Rossellini — Conclave, and Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who has been slammed for resurfaced ‘racist’ social media posts, is not expected to be in attendance with her Emilia Pérez castmates – seen with Zoe Saldaña in the film
FX series Shōgun led the way for TV with six nominations
FX series Shōgun leads the way with six nominations. The show earned a nod for Best Drama Series, while the cast was recognized in multiple categories, including Hiroyuki Sanada for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Anna Sawai for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira are both up for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, while Moeka Hoshi could take home the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award.
Abbott Elementary, Disclaimer, Hacks, The Diplomat, The Penguin and What We Do in the Shadows followed with an impressive four nominations each.
Abbott Elementary, Hacks and What We Do in the Shadows will all face off in the Best Comedy Series category, while Disclaimer and The Penguin are up for Best Limited Series and The Diplomat earned a nod for Best Drama Series.
Abbott Elementary earned additional nods for Quinta Brunson for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Tyler James Williams for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Janelle James for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Disclaimer received nominations for Kevin Kline for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, Cate Blanchett for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and Leila George for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
The cast of Hacks was recognized in several categories, earning nods for Jean Smart for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Paul W. Downs for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and for Hannah Einbinder for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
The Diplomat earned nominations for Rufus Sewell and Keri Russell, who are up for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series, respectively, while Allison Janney garnered a nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Colin Farrell could take home the Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television award for his role in The Penguin, while the show’s Cristin Milioti is up for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and Deirdre O’Connell was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
What We Do in the Shadows garnered nominations for Kayvan Novak for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Natasia Demetriou for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Harvey Guillén for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Netflix sensation Baby Reindeer is also up for four awards, including nods for Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning and Best Limited Series.
Historically, the awards are considered the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
Another major change for the ceremony is there will no longer be a Live from E!: Critics Choice Awards two-hour red carpet special ahead of the telecast.
The Critics Choice Awards are presented by the American–Canadian Critics Choice Association, which is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists.
It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content.
The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards will air on E! from 7 p.m.–10 p.m. EST/PST.