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Film Independent Spirit Awards 2026 Winners

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The two took home multiple awards at independent film and TV’s most prestigious event

Director Philip Barantini’s Adolescence and Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams won big at last night’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, with the former smashing records at this year’s awards show.

Adolescence, which depicts a family’s world turned upside down when its 13-year-old son is arrested for murdering a schoolmate, received four awards, the most of any television show since the Spirit Awards began honoring TV in 2021.

The Netflix series won Best New Scripted Series. Owen Cooper took home Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for his role as the family’s troubled son, Jamie Miller. Stephen Graham won Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for portraying father Eddie Miller, while Erin Doherty received Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for her role as court-appointed forensic psychologist Briony Ariston.

Netflix’s Train Dreams, which traces the life of a laborer in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, led the way in the film category, taking home three awards, including Best Feature, Best Director for Clint Bentley and Best Cinematography for Adolpho Veloso.

Rose Byrne won Best Lead Performance for her role in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, while the studio’s other hit feature, Sorry, Baby, received Best Supporting Performance forNaomi Ackie and Best Screenplay for Eva Victor.

Rose Byrne, winner of the Best Lead Performance award for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”, poses in the press room during the Film Independent Spirit Awards
Credit: Frazer Harrison/WireImage

The Robert Altman Award, created in 2008 to honor legendary filmmaker Robert Altman, was awarded to director Francis Lawrence of The Long Walk, alongside casting director Rich Delia and ensemble cast members.

Esta Isla, a Spanish-language film about a teenager in Puerto Rico who turns to crime out of desperation, received the John Cassavetes Award, which recognizes the best feature made for under $1 million.

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Journalist and filmmaker Tatti Ribeiro won the Someone to Watch Award, given to a visionary filmmaker who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Rajee Samarasinghe took home the Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has yet to garner significant recognition, while Tony Yang received the Producers Award, honoring emerging producers creating quality independent films with limited resources.

Kate Hudson and Tessa Thompson attend the Film Independent Spirit Awards
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The Film Independent Spirit Awards, hosted this year by actress and comedian Ego Nwodim, seeks to amplify and celebrate the creativity, diversity, and originality of independent filmmakers. This year’s ceremony marked the awards’ 41st since they began in 1984.

The event was broadcast live on Film Independent and IMDb’s YouTube channels, earning nearly 100,000 views.

Here is the complete list of winners at last night’s event:

Film Categories

Best Feature

Train Dreams

Best Director

Clint Bentley, Train Dreams

Best Screenplay

Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Best First Feature

Lurker

Best First Screenplay

Alex Russell, Lurker

John Cassavetes Award

Esta Isla (This Island)

Best Breakthrough Performance

Kayo Martin, The Plague

Best Supporting Performance

Naomi Ackie, Sorry, Baby

Best Lead Performance

Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Robert Altman Award

The Long Walk

Best Cinematography

Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams

Best Editing

Sofía Subercaseaux, The Testament of Ann Lee

Best International Film

The Secret Agent

Best Documentary

The Perfect Neighbor

Someone to Watch

Tatti Ribeiro, Valentina

Truer Than Fiction

Rajee Samarasinghe, Your Touch Makes Others Invisible

Producers Award

Tony Yang

Television Categories

Best New Scripted Series

Adolescence

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series

Pee-wee as Himself

Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series

Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series

Erin Doherty, Adolescence

Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series

Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

Chief of War

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Aidan Williams

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February 16, 2026
Updating Live: All the Winners From the Independent Spirit Awards 2026

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If awards ceremonies were a family dinner table, the Independent Spirit Awards 2026 would be the cool, artsy cousin. Since 1984, nonprofit arts org Film Independent has been honoring American TV and filmmakers who operate outside the studio system, with an annual awards ceremony that falls between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. The 2026 ceremony—the organization’s 41st—will be held on Sunday, February 15 at 5 p.m. ET (the time will be 2 p.m. in Hollywood).

A huge change this year is the ceremony’s location. For years, it’s been held at the Santa Monica pier, but construction for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics bumped it from that spot. Instead, it will be held at the Hollywood Palladium, in the heart of Sunset Boulevard. But other things that set the awards apart remain, such as its gender neutral acting awards and its focus on movies and TV that don’t always get mainstream love. This year’s host, Ego Nwodim, has also promised an edgy show, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “This is my whole thing: Don’t ask permission, ask forgiveness. I didn’t ask permission.”

You can watch the Independent Spirit Awards live on YouTube, on the channels for Film Independent or for IMDB. You can also check out all the looks from the red carpet now, and don’t miss Vanity Fair’s complete coverage of the 2026 awards season.

Read on for all the winners at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards:

Film categories

Best feature

Peter Hujar’s Day
The Plague
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams
Twinless

Best first feature

Blue Sun Palace
Dust Bunny
East of Wall
Lurker
One of Them Days

John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for under $1M)

The Baltimorons
Boys Go to Jupiter
Eephus
Esta Isla (This Island)
Familiar Touch

Best director

Clint Bentley, Train Dreams
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

WINNER: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Splitsville
Angus MacLachlan, A Little Prayer
James Sweeney, Twinless
Christian Swegal, Sovereign

Best first screenplay

Andrew DeYoung, Friendship
Elena Oxman, Outerlands
Alex Russell, Lurker
Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days
Constance Tsang, Blue Sun Palace

Best lead performance

Everett Blunck, The Plague
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
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
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
Misha Osherovich, She’s the He
Kayo Martin, The Plague
SZA, One of Them Days
Tabatha Zimiga, East of Wall

Best cinematography

Alex Ashe, Peter Hujar’s Day
Norm Li, Blue Sun Palace
David J. Thompson, Warfare
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams
Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, Dust Bunny

Best editing

Ben Leonberg, Good Boy
Carson Lund, Eephus
Fin Oates, Warfare
Sara Shaw, Splitsville
Sofía Subercaseaux, The Testament of Ann Lee

Robert Altman Award

The Long Walk

Best documentary

WINNER: The Perfect Neighbor

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Eve Batey

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February 15, 2026
Pro-Palestine Protest Disrupts Film Independent Spirit Awards

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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Chants of “Free Palestine” and “Ceasefire Now” could be heard at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards, thanks to a small group of protesters with a megaphone. Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter captured footage of the protesters on Twitter, who appeared to be using a megaphone to blast a pre-recorded message. The protest began as Jim Gaffigan presented the cast of Jury Duty with Best Ensemble Cast of a New Series. According to IndieWire, a few attendees stepped out of the event to acknowledge the demonstration. Aidy Bryant mentioned them during her hosting duties, saying “We’re at the beach and people are exercising their freedom of speech.”

The protest got its biggest show of support from Fremont director Babak Jabari. When accepting the John Cassavettes Award, he said “There are people speaking outside. Whatever they’re saying is far more important than what I’m about to say.” Set Hernandez, director of Unseen, held up a keffiyeh during the presentation of the Truer Than Fiction Award, which he eventually won. This wasn’t the first Pro-Palestine demonstration at a film industry event, as a march for Palestine was attended by stars at Sundance.

“Free Palestine” supporters are disrupting #SpiritAwards while Jim Gaffigan is presenting best ensemble cast. Security does not seem to be able to quiet them as this continues…. pic.twitter.com/JotnDFtfeA

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 25, 2024

This post has been updated.

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Bethy Squires

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February 25, 2024
How to Watch the Independent Spirit Awards 2024

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Since 1984, nonprofit arts org Film Independent has been honoring American independent TV and filmmakers for their accomplishments at its Independent Spirit Awards. The 2024 ceremony—the organization’s 39th—will be held on Sunday, February 25 at 5 p.m. ET (the time will be 2 p.m. at the Awards’ Santa Monica Pier home).

This year’s host will be Aidy Bryant, whom Film Independent President Josh Welsh described as “incandescently talented” when her role was announced. “We can’t wait to see what she has in store for us,” he said. Nominees (which were announced in December) include now-familiar awards show fixtures such as American Fiction, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Ali Wong. But you’ll also find some less expected contenders: for example, Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch (nominated for his role in Bottoms), best feature nominee We Grown Now, and documentary series nominee Wrestlers.

The awards can be a breath of fresh air, and not just because of its focus on non-blockbuster titles. Since 2022, the ceremony has also joined the move to make its awards gender neutral. That means the best lead performance and best supporting performance categories will each have 10 nominees, inclusive of people who identify as male, female, and non-binary.

You can watch the Independent Spirit Awards as they happen a few ways: IMDb will stream it live via X (formerly Twitter) and its YouTube channel. Film Independent will have its own livestreams at X and YouTube, as well. In the meantime, here’s the full list of nominees, so you can follow along at home:

BEST FEATURE

All of Us Strangers

American Fiction

May December

Passages

Past Lives

We Grown Now

BEST FIRST FEATURE

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Earth Mama

A Thousand and One

Upon Entry

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

The Artifice Girl

Cadejo Blanco

Fremont

Rotting in the Sun

The Unknown Country

BEST DIRECTOR

Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers

Todd Haynes, May December

William Oldroyd, Eileen

Celine Song, Past Lives

Ira Sachs, Passages

BEST SCREENPLAY

American Fiction

Birth/Rebirth

Bottoms

Past Lives

The Holdovers

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

May December

The Starling Girl

Theater Camp

Upon Entry

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

The Holdovers

Monica

We Grown Now

BEST EDITING

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Rotting in the Sun

Theater Camp

Upon Entry

We Grown Now

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Jessica Chastain, Memory

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Trace Lysette, Monica

Natalie Portman, May December

Judy Reyes, Birth/Rebirth

Franz Rogowski, Passages

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Teo Yoo, Past Lives

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Erika Alexander, American Fiction

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Noah Galvin, Theater Camp

Anne Hathaway, Eileen

Glenn Howerton, BlackBerry

Marin Ireland, Eileen

Charles Melton, May December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Catalina Saavedra, Rotting in the Sun

Ben Whishaw, Passages

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Marshawn Lynch, Bottoms

Atibon Nazaire, Mountains

Tia Nomore, Earth Mama

Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

Anaita Wali Zada, Fremont

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Showing Up

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Bye Bye Tiberias

Four Daughters

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Kokomo City

The Mother of All Lies

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Anatomy of a Fall

Godland

Mami Wata

Tótem

The Zone of Interest

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court

Dear Mama

Murder in Big Horn

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

Wrestlers

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Beef

Dreaming Whilst Black

I’m a Virgo

Jury Duty

Slip

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Emma Corrin, A Murder at the End of the World

Dominique Fishback, Swarm

Betty Gilpin, Mrs. Davis

Jharrel Jerome, I’m a Virgo

Zoe Lister-Jones, Slip

Bel Powley, A Small Light

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Ramón Rodriguez, Will Trent

Ali Wong, Beef

Steven Yeun, Beef

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us

Billie Eilish, Swarm

Jack Farthing, Rain Dogs

Nick Offerman, The Last of Us

Adina Porter, The Changeling

Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry

Benny Safdie, The Curse

Luke Tennie, Shrinking

Olivia Washington, I’m a Virgo

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jury Duty

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Eve Batey

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February 25, 2024
Monica Sorelle, Monique Walton, Set Hernandez Win Independent Spirit Emerging Filmmaker Awards

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Monica Sorelle, Monique Walton and Set Hernandez were named the winners of the three emerging filmmaker awards at the annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch on Saturday.

Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone and Rustin star Colman Domingo hosted the event for the nonprofit arts organization, Film Independent.

Stella Artois presented the Someone to Watch Award to Mountains director Sorelle. The award recognizes a “first-time narrative filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition,” according to Film Independent. The award included a $25,000 grant.

Set Hernandez, director of Unseen, was honored with the Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to a first-time director of non-fiction features. The award also included a $25,000 grant.

Lastly, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey presented Monique Walton with the Producers Award, which honors “emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films,” according to the organization. The award included a $25,000 grant by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey.

“Understanding the enormous challenges independent artists are facing, it’s essential that they are provided the resources to move forward with their artistic visions,” Josh Welsh, president of Film Independent, said. “The Emerging Filmmaker Awards provide vital support to these talented artists, enabling them to continue to develop new work and thrive as singular artists.”

Winners for the remaining awards categories will be revealed at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant, on Sunday, Feb. 25, at the beach in Santa Monica, California.

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Carly Thomas

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January 6, 2024