2026 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Nominees Announced: A Celebration of Diverse Storytelling
AARP has announced the nominees for the annual Movies for Grownups Awards, with top contenders like “Hamnet,” “A House of Dynamite,” “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners,” and “Train Dreams” vying for the best picture award. The best actress category features Laura Dern in “Is This Thing On?,” Jodie Foster in “A Private Life,” Lucy Liu in “Rosemead,” Julia Roberts in “After the Hunt,” and June Squibb in “Eleanor the Great.” In the best actor race, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Ethan Hawke, and Dwayne Johnson are the nominees. The best director nominees include Paul Thomas Anderson, Kathryn Bigelow, Scott Cooper, Guillermo del Toro, and Spike Lee. AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan emphasized the importance of representation in storytelling and the industry's recognition of diverse experiences.
The award ceremony for the Movies for Grownups Awards is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2026, at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Alan Cumming will host the event, which will be broadcast on “Great Performances” on Feb. 22, 2026, on PBS and the PBS app. Check out the full list of nominees below.