'This Plate Is So Sad!': Critics' Choice Awards Mocked for Cheese, Fruit & Crackers Dinner, Image Goes Viral

The 31st Annual Critics' Choice Awards, which took place on 4 January 2026, at Los Angeles' Fairmont Century Plaza, gained a fair amount of conversation. From Sinners losing Best Picture to One Battle After Another to Timothee Chalamet finally winning Best Actor for Marty Supreme, the night was buzzing.

However, it also took a humorous turn when an image of a dinner plate being served to attendees went viral.

The moment took off after New York Times journalist Kyle Buchanan posted a photo on X showing the so-called 'snack plate' served to guests. Within hours, the image that has a sparse arrangement of grapes, cheese wedges, crackers, hummus, caprese skewers, dried apricots, and a single piece of spanakopita was everywhere.

The Plate That Sparked the Backlash

According to attendees, the plate was presented as the main pre-show meal during the roughly three-hour ceremony. There was no full dinner service, a choice that has become increasingly common at awards shows due to tight schedules and concerns about delays inside the ballroom.

However, even by awards-season standards, this year's offering struck a nerve. The plate's minimal portions became the focus of mockery, with commenters calling it 'sad' 'embarrassing,' and 'what you get at a conference, not a Hollywood awards show.'

The ceremony honoured major titles including Sinners, One Battle After Another, The Studio and KPop Demon Hunters.

Janelle James Turns Hunger Into a Punchline

The catering controversy made its way onstage when Abbott Elementary star Janelle James accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress.

'I realise they will never feed us at this thing,' James joked during her speech. 'It's going to be grapes and ice cream every year, but this makes up for it.'

Her comment landed instantly, drawing laughs in the room and spreading quickly online. Many viewers saw it as a knowing acknowledgement of a problem that has quietly followed awards shows for years.

'Fyre Festival' Comparisons Take Over Social Media

Once the image circulated, the internet did what it does best. Comparisons to the infamous 2017 Fyre Festival cheese sandwich flooded X, Reddit, and Instagram. Memes followed, along with jokes about celebrities surviving on air and grapes while celebrating billion-dollar entertainment franchises.

Viewers then started speculating that dietary restrictions like vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free may have contributed to the scaled-back menu. One viral post joked about dressing as the Critics' Choice snack plate for Halloween.

Why Awards Show Food Keeps Becoming a Story

The Critics' Choice incident fits into a familiar pattern. In recent years, several major ceremonies have faced criticism for underwhelming meals, snack boxes, or plant-based menus that left attendees hungry.

According to reports, organisers often cite sustainability efforts, waste reduction, and tight production timelines as reasons for limiting food service. While no official statement has been issued by the Critics' Choice Association, those factors have been mentioned by sources following the event.

However, the optics proved hard to ignore. The image of A-list stars and media figures clutching snack plates while celebrating Hollywood's biggest achievements struck many as unintentionally absurd.