Khaberni - American media personality Jimmy Kimmel won the award for Best Talk Show at the Critics Choice Awards 2026, held in its 31st edition at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, a crowning that came after a year described as the most turbulent in the history of his program "Jimmy Kimmel Live".
During his speech on stage, Kimmel started with a sarcastic tone, pulling out a long paper and saying he didn’t expect to win, before thanking several critics by name, and then his program’s team. He also made a caustic comment about some other nominees, pointing out that they "didn’t bother to show up".
However, the most notable moment in the speech came when Kimmel sarcastically thanked U.S. President Donald Trump, who he often criticizes in his show, saying, "I would like to thank our President, Donald Trump, without whom we would leave tonight without any awards.. Thank you, Mr. President, for all the ridiculous things you do every day".
This nomination is the tenth for "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at the Critics' Choice Awards, after having previously won the award in 2018.
The crowning follows a difficult year for the program, as it was suspended in September after Kimmel made comments about political commentator Charlie Kirk, who was killed during a speech at Utah Valley University, which sparked widespread controversy.
Despite the temporary suspension, the program returned after six days, achieving a noticeable increase in viewership, before it was later announced that Kimmel's contract with ABC network was extended until 2027, though the challenges did not end there, as November saw the death of Kimmel’s childhood friend and the band leader of the program, Cleto Escobedo.
In the last episode of 2025, Kimmel directly addressed the audience, stating that the viewers' support was crucial in overcoming that period, confirming that the program was "pulled out of a deep pit" thanks to this support.
