TAGGED AS: Awards, Spirit Awards
The 41st annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have officially crowned their winners. Hosted by Ego Nwodim, this year’s ceremony marked a notable change of scenery, moving to the Hollywood Palladium after four decades on the beach in Santa Monica.
Leading the film categories, Train Dreams emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home three awards, including best feature and best director for Clint Bentley. Eva Victor earned best screenplay for Sorry, Baby, while Lurker claimed both best first screenplay and best first feature.
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Performance honors were spread across a standout group of talent. Rose Byrne won best lead performance for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Naomi Ackie won best supporting performance for Sorry, Baby, and Kayo Martin received the best breakthrough performance award for The Plague.
In other major film categories, The Perfect Neighbor was named best documentary, and The Secret Agent won best international film. The John Cassavetes Award went to Esta Isla (This Island). Sofía Subercaseaux was recognized for best editing for her work on The Testament of Ann Lee.
Television winners also made a strong showing. Adolescence continued its awards momentum, with Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper earning acting honors, and the series taking home best new scripted series. Pee-wee as Himself won best new non-scripted or documentary series.
Each year, the Spirit Awards celebrate independent creators working outside the major studio system, with nominees selected by committees of industry professionals across disciplines including writing, directing, producing, editing, acting, criticism, and festival programming.
Explore the full list of winners below.
Best Feature
Peter Hujar’s Day
The Plague
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams – WINNER
Twinless
Best First Feature
Blue Sun Palace
Dust Bunny
East of Wall
Lurker – WINNER
One of Them Days
Best Director
Clint Bentley, Train Dreams – WINNER
Mary Bronstein, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lloyd Lee Choi, Lucky Lu
Ira Sachs, Peter Hujar’s Day
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
Best Screenplay
A Little Prayer
Sorry, Baby – WINNER
Sovereign
Splitsville
Twinless
Best First Screenplay
Blue Sun Palace
Friendship
Lurker – WINNER
One of Them Days
Outerlands
Best Lead Performance
Everett Blunck, The Plague
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – WINNER
Kathleen Chalfant, Familiar Touch
Chang Chen, Lucky Lu
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Dylan O’Brien, Twinless
Keke Palmer, One of Them Days
Théodore Pellerin, Lurker
Tessa Thompson, Hedda
Ben Whishaw, Peter Hujar’s Day
Best Supporting Performance
Naomi Ackie, Sorry, Baby – WINNER
Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague
Kirsten Dunst, Roofman
Rebecca Hall, Peter Hujar’s Day
Nina Hoss, Hedda
Jane Levy, A Little Prayer
Archie Madekwe, Lurker
Kali Reis, Rebuilding
Jacob Tremblay, Sovereign
Haipeng Xu, Blue Sun Palace
Best Breakthrough Performance
Liz Larsen, The Baltimorons
Kayo Martin, The Plague – WINNER
Misha Osherovich, She’s the He
SZA, One of Them Days
Tabatha Zimiga, East of Wall
Best Cinematography
Blue Sun Palace
Dust Bunny
Peter Hujar’s Day
Train Dreams – WINNER
Warfare
Best Editing
Eephus
Good Boy
Splitsville
The Testament of Ann Lee – WINNER
Warfare
Best Documentary
Come See Me in the Good Light
Endless Cookie
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor – WINNER
The Tale of Silyan
Best International Film
All That’s Left of You
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
A Poet
The Secret Agent – WINNER
Sirāt
Robert Altman Award
The cast, casting director, and director of The Long Walk
Someone to Watch Award
Tatti Ribeiro – WINNER
Neo Sora
Annapurna Sriram
Truer Than Fiction Award
Tony Benna
Rajee Samarasinghe – WINNER
Brittany Shyne
John Cassavetes Award
The Baltimorons
Boys Go to Jupiter
Eephus
Esta Isla – WINNER
Familiar Touch
Producers Award
Emma Hannaway
Luca Intili
Tony Yang – WINNER
Best New Scripted Series
Adolescence – WINNER
Common Side Effects
Forever
Mr. Loverman
North of North
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Citizen Nation
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time
Pee-Wee As Himself – WINNER
Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Sydney Chandler, Alien: Earth
Stephen Graham, Adolescence – WINNER
Ethan Hawke, The Lowdown
Lennie James, Mr. Loverman
Anna Lambe, North of North
Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Lovie Simone, Forever
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ariyon Bakare, Mr. Loverman
Babou Ceesay, Alien: Earth
Sharon D. Clarke, Mr. Loverman
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Erin Doherty, Adolescence – WINNER
Stephen McKinley Henderson, A Man on the Inside
Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys
Xosha Roquemore, Forever
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex
Ben Whishaw, Black Doves
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Asif Ali, Deli Boys
Wally Baram, Overcompensating
Owen Cooper, Adolescence – WINNER
Michael Cooper Jr., Forever
Ernest Kinglsey Junior, Washington Black
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Chief of War
