Nominations for Independent Spirit Awards Announced

The nominees for the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been officially revealed. This year, the ceremony will be held on February 15 at the Hollywood Palladium, moving from its longtime home in a Santa Monica beach tent after four decades.

Best Feature

• Peter Hujars Day Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan Drake, Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie Shapiro
• Sorry, Baby Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
• Train Dreams Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman, David Permut, James Sweeney

Best First Feature

• Blue Sun Palace Director: Constance Tsang; Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang
• Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee
• East of Wall Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft; Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub
• One of Them Days Director: Lawrence Lamont; Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi

John Cassavetes Award

Recognizing the best feature under $1 million, awarded to writer, director, and producer.

• The Baltimorons Director/Writer/Producer: Jay Duplass; Writer/Producer: Michael Strassner; Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Drew Langer
• Boys Go to Jupiter Director/Writer: Julian Glander; Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund; Writer/Producer: Michael Basta; Writer: Nate Fisher; Producers: David Entin, Tyler Taormina
• Esta Isla (This Island) Directors/Writers/Producers: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina; Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos
• Familiar Touch Director/Writer/Producer: Sarah Friedland; Producers: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm

Best Director

• Clint Bentley Train Dreams
• Mary Bronstein If I Had Legs Id Kick You
• Lloyd Lee Choi Lucky Lu
• Ira Sachs Peter Hujars Day
• Eva Victor Sorry, Baby

Best Screenplay

• Michael Angelo Covino & Kyle Marvin Splitsville
• Angus MacLachlan A Little Prayer
• James Sweeney Twinless
• Christian Swegal Sovereign
• Eva Victor Sorry, Baby

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 Id Kick You
• Kathleen Chalfant Familiar Touch
• Chang Chen Lucky Lu
• Joel Edgerton Train Dreams
• Dylan OBrien Twinless
• Keke Palmer One of Them Days
• Thodore Pellerin Lurker
• Tessa Thompson Hedda
• Ben Whishaw Peter Hujars Day

Best Supporting Performance

• Naomi Ackie Sorry, Baby
• Zoey Deutch Nouvelle Vague
• Kirsten Dunst Roofman
• Rebecca Hall Peter Hujars Day
• Nina Hoss Hedda
• Jane Levy A Little Prayer
• Archie Madekwe Lurker
• Kali Reis Rebuilding Jacob
• Jacob Tremblay Sovereign
• Haipeng Xu Blue Sun Palace

Best Breakthrough Performance

• Liz Larsen The Baltimorons
• Misha Osherovich Shes the He
• Kayo Martin The Plague
• SZA One of Them Days
• Tabatha Zimiga East of Wall

Other Major Awards

• Best Cinematography: Alex Ashe, Peter Hujars 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; Sofa Subercaseaux, The Testament of Ann Lee
• Robert Altman Award: The Long Walk Director: Francis Lawrence; Casting: Rich Delia; Ensemble: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing

Best Documentary

• Come See Me in the Good Light Director/Producer: Ryan White; Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen
• Endless Cookie Director: Peter Scriver; Director/Producer: Seth Scriver; Producers: Dan Bekerman, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Chris Yurkovich
• My Undesirable Friends: Part I Last Air in Moscow Director/Producer: Julia Loktev
• The Perfect Neighbor Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir; Producers: Sam Bisbee, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne
• The Tale of Silyan Director/Producer: Tamara Kotevska; Producers: Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski

Best International Film

• All Thats Left of You Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus; Director: Cherien Dabis
• On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Zambia, UK, Ireland; Director: Rungano Nyoni
• The Secret Agent Director: Kleber Mendona Filho

Special Recognitions

• Producers Award: Emma Hannaway, Luca Intili
• Someone to Watch Award: Tatti Ribeiro (Valentina), Neo Sora (Happyend), Annapurna Sriram (Fucktoys)
• Truer Than Fiction Award: Tony Benna (Andr is an Idiot), Rajee Samarasinghe (Your Touch Makes Others Invisible), Brittany Shyne (Seeds)

Best New Series

Non-Scripted/Documentary Series: Citizen Nation, Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, Pee-wee as Himself, Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television, Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae

Scripted Series: Adolescence, Common Side Effects, Mr Loverman, North of North

Series Performance Awards

• Lead: Sydney Chandler, Stephen Graham, Ethan Hawke, Lennie James, Lola Petticrew, Lovie Simone, Michelle Williams
• Supporting: Ariyon Bakare, Babou Ceesay, Sharon D. Clarke, Taylor Dearden, Erin Doherty, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Poorna Jagannathan, Xosha Roquemore, Jenny Slate, Ben Whishaw
• Breakthrough: Wally Baram, Owen Cooper, Michael Cooper Jr., Ernest Kingsley, Junior Washington Black
• Ensemble: Chief of War cast including Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Moses Goods, Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, and others

Author: Chloe Ramirez