This year's Critics Choice Awards sparked backlash after photos of the food served to celebrities at the event began circulating online. The criticism intensified when one of the night’s winners publicly roasted the ceremony’s food, joking that guests were being fed subpar meals yet again.
The moment reignited references to last year’s catering controversy, though some netizens also argued that critics were overreacting to the event’s catering choices.
Highlights
- Photos of the food served during this year's Critics Choice Awards sparked strong reactions from netizens.
- A winner roasted the ceremony's catering choices onstage.
- Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to humor, though some viewers pushed back, defending the menu as practical and healthy.
A photo of the event’s food left some netizens genuinely stunned
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With some of the biggest names in film and television gathered in one room, many netizens noted that the food served at the Critics Choice Awards should match the prestige of the event.
A photo from the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan immediately caught a lot of attention.
“Hello from the Critics Choice Awards and our dinner, this snack plate,” Buchanan wrote in a post on X, showing his modest plate with grapes, crackers, and cheese.
Image credits: Getty/Kevin Winter
The reaction from social media users was immediate. “This is what they’re feeding you?!” one person commented. Another reacted more bluntly, writing: “That is savage.”
Comparisons soon followed, with a third user joking: “This looks like a meal on a United flight, not at an award show.”
A fourth one observed that the food from the Critics Choice Awards was “giving Fyre Festival,” the infamous, ill-fated, fraudulent, luxury music festival in the Bahamas back in 2017.
Janelle James used her win to roast the ceremony’s catering choices
The online reaction escalated after Janelle James, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her work on Abbott Elementary, addressed the issue directly during her acceptance speech, according to Unilad.
James promptly turned the event’s catering choices into a punchline. “The best thing about being nominated four times is I finally realized they’re never gonna feed us at this thing.
“It’s gonna be grapes and ice cream every year, but this makes up for it!” James joked.
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Her comment drew laughter inside the room and quickly spread online, where viewers praised her for saying what many of the event’s attendees were probably thinking.
One person on X later wrote: “Janelle James just won her first Critics’ Choice award ever, and her speech was perfect lol.”
Last year’s controversial “pizza in a bag” moment surfaced once more
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The backlash was amplified by references of the Critics Choice Awards’ viral food moment from the previous year.
In 2025, the event became a punchline after guests were served individually wrapped slices of pizza, which were quickly nicknamed “pizza in a bag.”
Footage from the event showed celebrities appearing less than thrilled. These included Oprah Winfrey, Fantasia Barrino, and Taraji P. Henson, among others.
Image credits: Getty/Stefanie Keenan
Actor Paul Giamatti later leaned into the controversy, joking onstage about needing an endorsement deal for “pizza in a bag.”
Awards shows do not really have the best reputation for serving excellent food. At the 2023 Golden Globes, the show’s decision to serve vegan meals was mocked by comedian Ricky Gervais.
“It's a great idea that 800 people are trying to save the planet and arriving all in separate limos to have some veg,” Gervais said.
Image credits: Getty/Stefanie Keenan
After hosting the Oscars for the fourth time, late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel also noted that attendees typically eat fast food at outlets like In-N-Out after awards shows.
“In-N-Out is definitely the award show tradition. Nothing against McDonald's, but on award show night, it's In-N-Out,” Kimmel said.
Big wins and relationship chatter competed for attention
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Despite the catering controversy, the night still delivered headline-making moments. Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for Marty Supreme and sparked intense online chatter after thanking Kylie Jenner during his speech.
“Thank you to my partner of three years. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you,” he said, prompting fans to fixate on the length of their relationship and speculate on their potential engagement.
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“Omg he will propose this year,” one fan suggested, while another added: “THREE WHOLE YEARS?!?!?!”
Owen Cooper also made history as the youngest male actor to ever win a Critics Choice Award, taking home Best Supporting Actor for his role in Adolescence.
Despite the jokes and roasts, not everyone thought the outrage was fair
While many netizens slammed the menu, others defended it. Some argued that serving a simple spread avoided logistical headaches, dietary restrictions, and endless complaints.
“I think that’s a nice little filler,” one person wrote. “If they serve steak they have to worry about what temperature everybody wants or if they don’t eat meat whether to serve fish, chicken or snail. So everybody’s gets fruit and cheese and ALL THE BOOZE THEY CAN DRINK!”
Another commenter pushed back against the criticism entirely, saying: “Imagine being salty you’re served a healthy ‘peasant food’ platter as a snack.”
Image credits: The Academy
Others echoed that sentiment, calling the spread reminiscent of Mediterranean-style eating and pointing out that many families would be grateful for a similar meal.
“When there are kids, and families who would love a meal like this, it sickens me to see people complaining about this. Honestly this is one of my fave meals to have. Fruit, cheese, veg, carbs!” another wrote.
Netizens shared their thoughts about the catering choices at this year’s Critics Choice Awards on social media
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