Peacock’s The Traitors continues its reign as the Critics Choice Real TV Awards top nominee, collecting the most nominations for three consecutive years. The Traitors earned six nominations, including Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, Best Show Host (Alan Cumming), Male Star of the Year (Cumming), Female Star of the Year (Lisa Rinna), and Male Star of the Year (Rob Rausch).
“We are proud to celebrate the best in unscripted programming with our eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards,” stated Critics Choice Association TV Branch President Ed Martin. “This year, the Critics recognize the enduring quality and long-running success of so many outstanding unscripted series, including programs that have achieved 20+ seasons on television – like Survivor in its 50th season – while also honoring relative newcomers carving out their own legacies in the genre, such as The Traitors and Love on the Spectrum.”
The annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards honor the best in nonfiction, unscripted, and reality programming. Winners will be revealed on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET via CriticsChoice.com.
EIGHTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS NOMINEES
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)
Survivor 50 (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)
BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
American Idol (ABC)
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans (Shudder)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
KPOPPED (Apple TV)
The Voice (NBC)
BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES
Below Deck Down Under (Bravo)
Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
Neighbors (HBO Max)
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island (Bravo)
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo)
BEST STRUCTURED SERIES
Age of Attraction (Netflix)
Couples Therapy (Paramount+ Premium)
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (Food Network)
It’s Florida, Man (HBO Max)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
BEST CULINARY SHOW
America’s Culinary Cup (CBS)
Be My Guest with Ina Garten (Food Network)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Magnolia Table: At the Farm (Magnolia Network)
Top Chef (Bravo)
Tucci in Italy (National Geographic)
BEST GAME SHOW
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
The Floor (Fox)
Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Match Game (ABC)
The Wall (NBC)
Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)
BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Expedition Unknown (Discovery Channel)
The Reluctant Traveler (Apple TV)
Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross (Roku Channel)
Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
Tucci In Italy (National Geographic)
BEST BUSINESS SHOW
Bar Rescue (Paramount Network)
The Fixer (Fox)
On Brand with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Maxxed Out (OWN)
Shark Tank (ABC)
BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW
Born to be Wild (Apple TV)
Kingdom (BBC America)
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age (Apple TV)
Secrets of the Bees (National Geographic)
Underdogs (National Geographic)
The Wild Ones (Apple TV)
BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW
The Curious Case of… (Investigation Discovery)
Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams (Syndicated)
Naming the Dead (National Geographic)
Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay (Bravo)
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)
Trust Me: The False Prophet (Netflix)
BEST SPORTS SHOW
30 for 30 (ESPN)
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Netflix)
Hard Knocks (HBO Max)
Quarterback (Netflix)
Untold (Netflix)
Welcome to Wrexham (FX/Hulu)
BEST SPORTS SHOW: TALK/ANALYSIS
The Dan Patrick Show (Peacock)
Good Sports with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson (Prime Video)
Inside the NBA (ESPN/ABC)
Pardon the Interruption (ESPN)
The Pat McAfee Show (ESPN)
The Rich Eisen Show (Disney+/ESPN+)
BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW
Age of Attraction (Netflix)
Couples Therapy (Paramount+ Premium)
Farmer Wants a Wife (Fox)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
Neighbors (HBO Max)
BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW: HOME/GARDEN
Bargain Block (HGTV)
Castle Impossible (HGTV)
Home Town (HGTV)
The Last Wright: Building the Final Home Design of America’s Greatest Architect (Magnolia Network)
That Thrifting Show with Lara Spencer (Freeform)
Ugliest House in America (HGTV)
BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW: FASHION/BEAUTY
Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind (E!)
Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out (Lifetime)
Project Runway (Freeform)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Boy Band Confidential (Investigation Discovery)
Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? (Hulu)
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model (Netflix)
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix)
Trust Me: The False Prophet (Netflix)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
House of Villains (E!)
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island (Bravo)
Summer House (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)
BEST SHOW HOST
Jonathan Bennett – Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
Alan Cumming – The Traitors (Peacock)
Kristen Kish – Top Chef (Bravo)
Padma Lakshmi – America’s Culinary Cup (CBS)
Joel McHale – House of Villains (E!)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
MALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Alan Cumming – The Traitors (Peacock)
Chris Hemsworth – Limitless: Live Better Now (National Geographic)
Robert Irwin – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Rob Rausch – The Traitors (Peacock)
Ryan Seacrest – American Idol (ABC) and Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)
Stanley Tucci – Tucci in Italy (National Geographic)
FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Heather Gay – The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo) and Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay (Bravo)
Whitney Leavitt – Dancing with the Stars (ABC) and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)
Dr. Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out (Lifetime)
Ciara Miller – Summer House (Bravo)
Tiffany “New York” Pollard – House of Villains (E!)
Lisa Rinna – The Traitors (Peacock)