Alex Warren to Host 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards as Taylor Swift Leads Nominations

Alex Warren is trading his music career spotlight for hosting duties, and there may be a whole lot of green slime involved. CBS and Nickelodeon have announced that the Grammy-nominated singer will host the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, November 14, bringing one of pop culture’s messiest celebrations to broadcast television for the first time.

The ceremony will air live on both CBS and Nickelodeon, with Paramount+ also carrying the event. Warren will preside over an evening featuring some of the biggest names in music, movies, television, sports, and digital entertainment, with fans getting the final say on who takes home the famous orange blimps.

Taylor Swift Leads the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards Nominations

Taylor Swift is heading into this year's ceremony with six nominations, more than any other individual contender. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter aren't far behind, earning five nominations apiece and setting up some interesting battles across the music categories.

Swift, Grande, and Carpenter are all competing for Favorite Female Artist alongside Cardi B, Karol G, Miley, Olivia Rodrigo, and ROSÉ. The competition extends to Favorite Album, where Swift's The Life of a Showgirl faces releases from Carpenter, Grande's fellow nominees, and other major recording artists, including BTS, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber.

The Favorite Song category is similarly crowded, with Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia," Carpenter's "Manchild," Bieber's "Daisies," and Rodrigo's "drop dead" among the contenders. Whether the fanbases can agree on anything remains to be seen, but the voting should give them plenty to argue about.

2026 Kids’ Choice Awards: Complete List of Nominees

Movie nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Movie	Avatar: Fire and Ash; How to Train Your Dragon; Jurassic World Rebirth; Lilo & Stitch; Moana; Spider-Man: Brand New Day; Superman; Wicked: For Good
Favorite Movie Actress	Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada 2); Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good); Catherine Laga’aia (Moana); Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good); Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes 3); Scarlett Johansson (Jurassic World Rebirth); Zendaya (Spider-Man: Brand New Day); Zoe Saldaña (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Favorite Movie Actor	Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore 2); David Corenswet (Superman); Dwayne Johnson (Moana); Hugh Jackman (The Sheep Detectives); John Cena (Coyote vs. Acme); Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary); Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Brand New Day); Zach Galifianakis (Lilo & Stitch)
Favorite Animated Movie	Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender; KPop Demon Hunters; Minions & Monsters; PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie; The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants; The Super Mario Galaxy Movie; Toy Story 5; Zootopia 2
Favorite Female Animated Voice From a Movie	Anya Taylor-Joy (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie); Arden Cho (KPop Demon Hunters); Brie Larson (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie); Gabrielle Union (GOAT); Ginnifer Goodwin (Zootopia 2); Joan Cusack (Toy Story 5); Mckenna Grace (PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie); Rihanna (Smurfs)
Favorite Male Animated Voice From a Movie	Ahn Hyo-seop (KPop Demon Hunters); Chris Pratt (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie); Jack Black (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie); Jason Bateman (Zootopia 2); Michael B. Jordan (Swapped); Tim Allen (Toy Story 5); Tom Hanks (Toy Story 5); Tom Kenny (The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants)
Watch Party: Kids’ Choice (New)	A Very Jonas Christmas Movie; Camp Rock 3; Clash of the Thundermans; Descendants: Wicked Wonderland; Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado; Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires
Favorite Villain	Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada 2); Jack Black (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie); Jeff Goldblum (Wicked: For Good); John Cena (Coyote vs. Acme); Julia Garner (Fantastic Four: First Steps); Mark Hamill (The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants); Sadie Sink (Spider-Man: Brand New Day); Zach Galifianakis (Lilo & Stitch)

Television nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Kids TV Show	Avatar: The Last Airbender; Percy Jackson and the Olympians; Soy Luna: Let’s Roll Again; The Thundermans: Undercover; Vampirina: Teenage Vampire; Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Favorite Family TV Show	Abbott Elementary; Ghosts; Ginny & Georgia; Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair; One Piece; Stranger Things; Wednesday; XO, Kitty
Favorite TV Show Reality Competition	American Idol; American Ninja Warrior; America’s Got Talent; LEGO Masters; Survivor; The Voice
Favorite Cartoon	Big City Greens; Phineas and Ferb; SpongeBob SquarePants; Teen Titans Go!; The Bad Guys: The Series; The Simpsons
Favorite Female TV Star (Kids)	Elizabeth Yu (Avatar: The Last Airbender); Janice LeAnn Brown (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place); Kenzi Richardson (Vampirina: Teenage Vampire); Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans: Undercover); Leah Sava’ Jeffries (Percy Jackson and the Olympians); Maya Le Clark (The Thundermans: Undercover)
Favorite Male TV Star (Kids)	Alkaio Thiele (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place); Aryan Simhadri (Percy Jackson and the Olympians); David Henrie (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place); Gordon Cormier (Avatar: The Last Airbender); Jack Griffo (The Thundermans: Undercover); Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
Favorite Female TV Star (Family)	Anna Cathcart (XO, Kitty); Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia); Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wednesday); Emma Myers (Wednesday); Jenna Ortega (Wednesday); Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things); Sadie Sink (Stranger Things); Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
Favorite Male TV Star (Family)	Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair); Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood); David Harbour (Stranger Things); Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things); Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair); Isaac Ordonez (Wednesday); Joe Keery (Stranger Things); Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary)
Favorite On-Screen Duo/Trio (New)	Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo & May Hong (KPop Demon Hunters); Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good); Gaten Matarazzo & Joe Keery (Stranger Things); Ginnifer Goodwin & Jason Bateman (Zootopia 2); Jamie Lee Curtis & Lindsay Lohan (Freakier Friday); Jenna Ortega & Emma Myers (Wednesday); Joan Cusack, Tim Allen & Tom Hanks (Toy Story 5); Meryl Streep & Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada 2)

Music nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Female Artist	Ariana Grande; Cardi B; Karol G; Miley; Olivia Rodrigo; ROSÉ; Sabrina Carpenter; Taylor Swift
Favorite Male Artist	Benson Boone; Bruno Mars; Drake; Ed Sheeran; Harry Styles; Justin Bieber; Lil Uzi Vert; Tyler, The Creator
Favorite Music Group or Duo	BLACKPINK; BTS; Jonas Brothers; Maroon 5; Twenty One Pilots; Weezer
Favorite Female Breakout Artist/Group	ADÉLA; Ella Langley; KATSEYE; Olivia Dean; RAYE; Stella Lefty
Favorite Male Breakout Artist/Group	BigXthaPlug; Don Toliver; Noah Kahan; Role Model; SOMBR; Temper City
Favorite Song	“Daisies” – Justin Bieber; “drop dead” – Olivia Rodrigo; “hate that i made you love me” – Ariana Grande; “I Just Might” – Bruno Mars; “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter; “SWIM” – BTS; “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift; “The Time of My Life” – Benson Boone
Favorite Song From a Movie	“Big Guy” – Ice Spice (The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants); “Dream As One” – Miley (Avatar: Fire and Ash); “For Good” – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good); “Golden” – EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami (KPop Demon Hunters); “I Knew It, I Knew You” – Taylor Swift (Toy Story 5); “Just Keep Watching” – Tate McRae (F1); “RUNWAY” – Lady Gaga & Doechii (The Devil Wears Prada 2); “Zoo” – Shakira (Zootopia 2)
Favorite Viral Song	“Babydoll” – Jamie Miller; “Boston” – Stella Lefty; “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley; “E85” – Don Toliver; “Hit the Wall” – Gracie Abrams; “Man I Need” – Olivia Dean; “TIT FOR TAT” – Tate McRae; “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – RAYE
Favorite Music Collaboration	“Bloodline” – Alex Warren with Jelly Roll; “Bring Your Love” – Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter; “Dai Dai” – Shakira & Burna Boy; “Dracula (with JENNIE)” – Tame Impala & JENNIE; “I Can’t Love You Anymore” – Ella Langley featuring Morgan Wallen; “Safe” – Cardi B featuring Kehlani; “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson; “The Life of a Showgirl” – Taylor Swift featuring Sabrina Carpenter
Favorite Album	Am I the Drama? – Cardi B; ARIRANG – BTS; ICEMAN – Drake; Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter; SWAG – Justin Bieber; The Romantic – Bruno Mars; The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift; you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love – Olivia Rodrigo
Favorite Global Music Star	Tyla (Africa); BINI (Asia); Tame Impala (Australia); Zara Larsson (Europe); Karol G (Latin America); Taylor Swift (North America); Olivia Dean (UK)

Digital creator nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Female Creator	Brooke Monk; Charli D’Amelio; Haley Kalil; Lexi Rivera; Pokimane; Salish Matter; Sofie Dossi; Taylen Biggs
Favorite Male Creator	Airrack; Dude Perfect; IShowSpeed; Jesser; Kai Cenat; MrBeast; SeanDoesMagic; Unspeakable
Favorite Creator Family	Earle Family; Familia Diamond; Jordan and Salish Matter; Ninja Kidz TV; The Bucket List Family; The Fun Squad; Vlad and Niki

Sports nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Female Sports Star	A’ja Wilson; Alysa Liu; Angel Reese; Caitlin Clark; Chloe Kim; Coco Gauff; Mikaela Shiffrin; Trinity Rodman
Favorite Male Sports Star	Anthony Edwards; LeBron James; Lewis Hamilton; Lionel Messi; Patrick Mahomes; Shohei Ohtani; Stephen Curry; Travis Kelce
Favorite Clutch Player of the Year (New)	Caleb Williams; Eileen Gu; Freddie Freeman; Hilary Knight; Jack Hughes; Jalen Brunson; Nelly Korda; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gaming and podcast nominations

Category	Nominees
Favorite Video Game	Among Us; Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game; Fortnite; Minecraft; Roblox; Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Favorite Podcast	anything goes with emma chamberlain; Avatar: Braving the Elements; Baby, This is Keke Palmer; Hey Jonas!; LOL Podcast; New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce; Percy Jackson and the Olympians Official Podcast; Stuff You Should Know

Wednesday, Stranger Things, and Abbott Elementary Join the TV Race

Television fans have several familiar favorites to support this year, particularly in the Favorite Family TV Show category. Abbott Elementary, Ghosts, Ginny & Georgia, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair, One Piece, Stranger Things, Wednesday, and XO, Kitty are all competing for the award.

The acting categories are just as competitive. Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, and Catherine Zeta-Jones represent Wednesday in Favorite Female TV Star (Family), while Stranger Things stars Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Sink are also nominated. Quinta Brunson earns a spot for Abbott Elementary, joining Anna Cathcart and Antonia Gentry in the category.

Over in Favorite Male TV Star (Family), Bryan Cranston and Frankie Muniz are both recognized for Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair. David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, and Joe Keery represent Stranger Things, while Tyler James Williams earns a nomination for Abbott Elementary.

Younger viewers will also have their favorites represented, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Vampirina: Teenage Vampire, and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place among the nominees for Favorite Kids TV Show.

Wicked: For Good, Toy Story 5, and More Compete for Movie Honors

The movie categories bring together superheroes, animated characters, musicals, and a few returning franchises that audiences have followed for years.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World Rebirth, Lilo & Stitch, Moana, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Superman, and Wicked: For Good are nominated for Favorite Movie. Meanwhile, Favorite Movie Actress features Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: For Good, alongside Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, Zendaya, Millie Bobby Brown, Catherine Laga'aia, and Zoe Saldaña.

The Favorite Movie Actor race includes Adam Sandler, David Corenswet, Dwayne Johnson, Hugh Jackman, John Cena, Ryan Gosling, Tom Holland, and Zach Galifianakis. Animation is getting plenty of attention, too. KPop Demon Hunters, Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants are among the titles competing for Favorite Animated Movie.

Three New Categories Join This Year's Awards

Nickelodeon is introducing three categories for 2026, giving fans additional ways to recognize their favorite entertainment moments and sports personalities.

Watch Party: Kids' Choice celebrates projects including Camp Rock 3, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, and Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. Favorite On-Screen Duo/Trio recognizes memorable partnerships, including Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers in Wednesday, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good, and Gaten Matarazzo and Joe Keery in Stranger Things.

Sports fans also have a new category, Favorite Clutch Player of the Year, featuring athletes including Jalen Brunson, Jack Hughes, Freddie Freeman, Hilary Knight, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The new additions bring the total to 36 voting categories, which means fans have quite a few decisions to make before the winners are announced.

When and Where to Watch the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards

The 2026 Kids' Choice Awards will broadcast live from Television City in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 14, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Nickelodeon. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream the ceremony live, while both Premium and Essential subscribers will have access to the show on demand the following day in the United States.

Fan voting opens Thursday, October 8, at the official Kids' Choice Awards website. Additional celebrity appearances and musical performances will be announced closer to the event.

With Alex Warren hosting, some major television favorites competing, and plenty of music superstars hoping to add an orange blimp to their collections, the 2026 ceremony has all the ingredients for an entertaining night. The only remaining question is who gets slimed, because somebody is definitely going home green.