The awards season is getting off to an early start in the 2026 TV schedule with the 31st Critics Choice Awards, honoring the best in film and television from 2025. Among the nominees is ABC's Abbott Elementary, which earned three nominations in categories that will be announced during the broadcast across E! and USA Netflix on January 4. Abbott has been the only consistently nominated network TV sitcom since hitting the circuit in 2023, and nominees Janelle James and Chris Perfetti spoke with CinemaBlend about their show representing the classic 22-minute comedy.
Unlike The Bear, which has scooped up many controversial Comedy wins, nobody has ever argued whether Abbott Elementary belongs in the category! The ABC hit is in the running for Best Comedy Series at the CCAs, against CBS' Elsbeth and Ghosts as well as Hacks (HBO Max), Nobody Wants This (Netflix), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max), and The Studio (Apple TV+).
Additionally, Chris Perfetti is up for the CCAs' Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Jacob for the second time, while Janelle James is up for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her fourth consecutive year as Ava. When I spoke with the stars ahead of the ceremony, I got their thoughts on how Abbott has been keeping 22-minutes network TV sitcoms on the awards circuit from its very first season. Janelle James shared:
I'm happy, and also I think it's a testament to how much work we're doing, particularly the writers, into being able to fit so much story in the 22 minutes and then compete with sometimes hour long shows, that also are not only longer, but have permission to curse [and have] sexual scenes. You know, they just have broader subject matters. We're a sitcom on network television, so we have tighter parameters and more story to tell in a short amount of time. I think that should be its own award, really. [laughs] If you want to ask me, like, that's amazing, what we're doing.
While Abbott Elementary is available streaming next day with a Hulu subscription, Janelle James noted the additional challenges facing a network TV comedy like the ABC hit. In fact, this is the first year since Abbott's premiere that more than one network TV show from the 2025 TV schedule earned a Critics Choice nomination in Comedy categories, while Abbott hasn't missed a year since its premiere. She elaborated on how Abbott holds its own without the kinds of humor that are possible on HBO Max and Netflix:
I'm not saying that it's needed, but it's another weapon in your belt... that you can pull for extra comedy, and we don't have that ability, so I think that's amazing, that we're keeping pace with all these shows that do.
Janelle James' competition to kick off 2026 is Danielle Brooks (HBO Max's Peacemaker), Hannah Einbinder (HBO Max's Hacks), Justine Lupe (Netflix's Nobody Wants This), Ego Nwodim (NBC's Saturday Night Live), and Rebecca Wisocky (CBS' Ghosts).
For his part, Chris Parfetti is competing against Ike Barinholtz (Apple TV+'s The Studio), Paul W. Downs (HBO Max's Hacks), Asher Grodman (CBS' Ghosts), Oscar Nuñez (Peacock's The Paper), and Timothy Simons (Netflix's Nobody Wants This). He shared his own thoughts on Abbott Elementary consistently getting awards love as a 22-minute TV sitcom, including in 2024, when there were no other network TV comedies even nominated. (The Bear was the big comedy winner that year.) He said:
I think if you had asked me a few years ago, I was still very much like, 'Awards, who needs them?' I think any actor has to sort of be good about guarding yourself against all forms of external validation. But it's not lost on me. It's so incredible. These events always fall sort of smack dab in the middle of our shooting schedule, and so we literally go to work one day, and then we go to the Emmys, and I get to see all my beautiful cast dressed up. And there's so many people telling you how much they love your work and it's just this real tsunami of love.
While there's no way of knowing if Abbott's success in earning more critical attention over the years (including at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards as well as CCAs) affected other traditional 22-minute network comedies getting back in the awards game, it has been the most consistent. Perfetti continued:
So as much as I pretend like it doesn't matter, it's so gratifying. It's so cool, it's so nice to be included in that way. As you said, really, the only network show to be honored like that. It's a real testament, I think, to what [creator] Quinta [Brunson] has done, and to our vibe as an ensemble. It's intense. It's a really kind of emotional night, and they've learned to give us the day off after and so we really turn up. The Abbott crew likes to have a good time, and so it's really amazing and I'm super grateful for it.
The wait is nearly over to find out if the Abbott Elementary team will leave the 31st Critics Choice Awards with any trophies for Best Comedy Series, Best Supporting Actress, and/or Best Supporting Actor. You can watch the CCAs for yourself on Sunday, January 4 on E! and USA Network starting at 7 p.m. PT. Chelsea Handler returns as the host. Adolescence earned the most nominations among TV shows this year with a total of six, while Sinners accumulated a total of 17 on the film side of the awards.
As for Abbott Elementary, the fifth season returns to ABC on Wednesday, January 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET, following Shifting Gears.
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