Media Play News

February 23, 2026

Fan voting has begun for the 2026 Home Entertainment Media Play Awards. This is the 16th year of the annual home entertainment industry honors, and the ninth year they have been presented by Media Play News.

Through March 31, film and TV fans and home entertainment enthusiasts can visit MediaPlayNews.com/awards/ballot to select their favorite home entertainment releases of 2025 as nominated by studios, distributors and home entertainment industry professionals.

The awards cover a wide array of home entertainment options, including streaming, from SVOD to AVOD and FAST channels; DVD, Blu-ray Disc and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray; premium video-on-demand (PVOD) and digital sellthrough.

The results of the consumer vote will be combined with ballots submitted by a panel of expert judges.

“Best of show” winners are then selected from among all eligible submissions for Packaged-Media Title of the Year, TV Disc Release of the Year and Best Blu-ray Disc. A “Fan-Favorite” trophy also will be awarded for the single title receiving the most consumer votes. Judges may also present awards based on special merit.

Winners will be announced in the April issue of Media Play News, scheduled for release April 20.

Last year’s Home Entertainment Media Play Awards saw the Warner Archive Collection’s remastered 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of John Wayne’s The Searchers earn the top prize, voted Title of the Year among its five trophies, including Blu-ray Disc of the Year, Best Restoration, Best Audio/Visual Quality, and Best Release of a Western.

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2026 Home Entertainment Media Play Awards 2026 Nominees

PACKAGED-MEDIA & DIGITAL TRANSACTIONAL CATEGORIES

Best New Movie Home Release

• Flow (Criterion)
• Legends of the Highway (Maverick)
• A Minecraft Movie (Warner)
• Sinners (Warner)
• Superman (2025) (Warner)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Warner)

Best Catalog Movie on Disc

• The Descent — 4K Steelbook (Lionsgate Limited)
• Dogma 4K (Lionsgate)
• Eyes Wide Shut 4K (Criterion)
• Frailty 4K (Lionsgate Limited)
• High Society (Warner Archive)
• Jaws — 50th Anniversary Edition (Universal)
• The Mask (Arrow Video)
• Night of the Juggler 4K (Kino Lorber)

Best Recent TV Season Disc/TVOD

• Landman — Season 1 (Paramount)
• The White Lotus — Season 3 (Warner/HBO)

Best Vintage TV Series on Disc

• The Huckleberry Hound Show (Warner Archive)

Best Boxed Set

• A Better Tomorrow Trilogy (Shout! Studios)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-Film Collection 4K (Warner)
• Shudder 10: A Decade of Fearless Horror (Shudder)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy (Arrow)
• Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era — 1940-1958 (Warner)
• The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years (Criterion)

Best Complete TV Series Set

• Ben 10: The Complete Collection (Warner)
• Documentary Now! — The Complete Series (Alliance/Mill Creek)
• Peanuts: Ultimate TV Specials Collection 75 Years (Warner)
• Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (Warner)
• Shameless: The Complete Series (Warner)

Best 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc

• Boogie Nights (Warner)
• Eyes Wide Shut (Criterion)
• Frailty (Lionsgate)
• Hard Boiled (Shout! Studios)
• In the Mouth of Madness (Arrow Video)
• Sinners (Warner)
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (Warner)

Best Extras/Bonus Material

• The Beyond 4K (Grindhouse)
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — Season 1 Part 2 Limited Edition (Crunchyroll)
• The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season (Warner/HBO)
• The Long Walk (Lionsgate)
• Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (Warner)
• Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era — 1940-1958 (Warner)

Best Box Art

• The Descent — 4K Steelbook (Lionsgate Limited)
• Frailty 4K (Lionsgate Limited)
• High Tension — 4K Steelbook (Lionsgate Limited)
• Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution (Alliance/Mill Creek)
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Complete Season 2 (Crunchyroll)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse)

Best Packaging

• American Psycho — 25th Anniversary Uncut (Lionsgate Limited)
• Call of the Night: Season 1 Limited Edition (Sentai)
• The Eminence in Shadow: Season 1 Limited Edition (Sentai)
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — Season 1 Part 2 Limited Edition (Crunchyroll)
• A Minecraft Movie: Collector’s Crafting Table Edition (Walmart Exclusive) (Warner)
• Requiem for a Dream — 25th Anniversary (Lionsgate Limited)

Best Steelbook

• The Descent (Lionsgate Limited)
• Dogma (Lionsgate Limited)
• Fallout: The Complete First Season (Amazon Exclusive) (Warner)
• Gladiator 2-Movie Collection (Paramount)
• High Tension (Lionsgate Limited)
• Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution (Alliance/Mill Creek)
• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (Alliance/Paramount)
• Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Alliance/Decal)
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Complete Season 2 (Crunchyroll)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse)

Best Upgrade

A new edition to replace an existing edition of a disc

• Cloud Atlas 4K (Shout! Studios)
• Cruising 4K (Arrow)

Best Restoration

• High Society 4K (Warner Archive)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-Film Collection 4K (Warner)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy 4K (Arrow)
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride 4K (Warner)

Best Audio/Visual Quality

• Dark City 4K (Arrow)
• Frailty 4K (Lionsgate Limited)

Best International Release

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — Season 1 Part 2 Limited Edition (Crunchyroll)

Best Indie Studio Disc Release

• The Beyond 4K (Grindhouse)
• Dogtooth 4K (Kino Lorber)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse)

Best Retailer Exclusive

• Fallout: The Complete First Season (Amazon Exclusive) (Warner)
• A Minecraft Movie: Collector’s Crafting Table Edition (Walmart Exclusive) (Warner)

Best Premium Video on Demand Release

• Good Night and Good Luck: Live From Broadway (Magnolia)
• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (Paramount)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse)

GENRE CATEGORIES

Best Action/Adventure Release

• Gladiator 2-Movie Collection (Paramount)
• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (Alliance/Paramount)
• The Penguin: The Complete First Season (Warner/HBO)

Best Comedy Release

• Documentary Now! — The Complete Series (Alliance/Mill Creek)
• Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (Warner)
• Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Alliance/Decal)

Best Drama Release

• The Handmaid’s Tale: The Complete Series (Warner)
• The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season (Warner/HBO)
• The Penguin: The Complete First Season (Warner/HBO)
• The White Lotus — Season 3 (Warner/HBO)
• Yellowstone: The Complete Series (Alliance/Paramount)

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Release

• A Minecraft Movie (Warner)
• Dune: Prophecy: The Complete First Season (Warner/HBO)
• Fallout: The Complete First Season (Warner)
• Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution (Alliance/Mill Creek)
• Superman (2025) (Warner)
• The Assessment (Magnolia)
• The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season (Warner/HBO)

Best Horror/Thriller Release

• Borderline (Magnolia)
• 40 Acres (Magnolia)
• Longlegs Steelbook (Alliance/Decal)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-Film Collection 4K (Warner)
• Sinners (Warner)
• Weapons (Warner)
• You: The Complete Fourth Season (Warner)

Best Release of a Musical

• High Society 4K (Warner Archive)
• Wicked: For Good TVOD (Universal)

Best Release of a Western

• Cheyenne: The Complete Series (Warner)

Best Animation Release

• Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Warner)
• Flow (Criterion)
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — Season 1 Part 2 Limited Edition (Crunchyroll)
• Peanuts: Ultimate TV Specials Collection 75 Years (Warner)
• Rick & Morty: Season 7 (Warner)
• Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (Warner)
• Sonic Prime: The Complete Series (Alliance/NCircle)
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (Warner)
• Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era — 1940-1958 (Warner)

Best Kidvid Release

• Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures (Alliance/NCircle)

Best Superhero Release

• Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Warner)
• Captain America: Brave New World (Marvel)
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel)
• The Mask (Arrow)
• The Penguin: Season 1 (Warner/HBO)
• Superman (2025) (Warner/DC)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy (Arrow)
• Thunderbolts* (Marvel)
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse)

Best Anime Release

• Call of the Night: Season 1 Limited Edition (Sentai)
• The Eminence in Shadow: Season 1 Limited Edition (Sentai)
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — Season 1 Part 2 Limited Edition (Crunchyroll)
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Complete Season 2 (Crunchyroll)

Best Video Game Adaptation

• A Minecraft Movie (Warner)
• Fallout: The Complete First Season (Warner)
• The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season (Warner)
• Sonic Prime: The Complete Series (Alliance/NCircle)

STREAMING CATEGORIES

Best Niche Streaming Channel

• Magnolia Selects
• Marquee TV
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Radial)

Best FAST Channel (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV Channel)

• CineLife (Magnolia)
• Unsolved Mysteries (Radial)

Best Ad-Supported Streaming Service

• CineLife (Magnolia)

Best Indie Streaming Scripted Series

• “Scream and Cry Horror Movie Review” (Magnolia)

Best Binge Series

• “Prime Suspect” (Radial)

Best Nonfiction Streaming Movie or Series

• “The American Revolution: A Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein & David Schmidt” (PBS)
• “Forensic Files” (Radial)

Best Scripted Series (Streaming Original — Major Service)

• “Adolescence” (Netflix)
• “Star Wars — Andor: Season 2” (Disney+)
• “The Bear: Season 4” (FX on Hulu)
• “Black Mirror: Season 7” (Netflix)
• “The Diplomat: Season 3” (Netflix)
• “Hacks: Season 4” (HBO Max)
• “Paradise: Season 1” (Hulu)
• “The Pitt: Season 1” (HBO Max)
• “Severance: Season 2” (Apple TV)
• “Slow Horses: Season 5” (Apple TV)
• “The Studio: Season 1” (Apple TV)

Best New Movie (Streaming Original)

• Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
• The Family Plan 2 (Apple TV)
• Frankenstein (2025) (Netflix)
• Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)
• Heads of State (Prime Video)
• KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
• Predator: Killer of Killers (Hulu)
• Swiped (Hulu)
• Train Dreams (Netflix)
• Wake Up Dead Man (Netflix)

Best Major SVOD Streaming Service

• Apple TV
• Disney+/Hulu
• ESPN Unlimited
• Fox One
• HBO Max
• Netflix
• Paramount+
• Peacock
• Prime Video

Best International SVOD Streaming Service

• Marquee TV

OTHER CATEGORIES

Best Marketing Initiative

• Jurassic World Rebirth (Universal) — Thailand Lagoon Global Media Event
• The Toxic Avenger (2025) (Cineverse) — Undue Medical Debt Charitable Donation