The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards are here! The ceremony, hosted by Aidy Bryant, took place Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET and streamed live on IMDb and Film Independent’s YouTube channels.
This ceremony marked the Spirit Awards’ 40th year of recognizing exceptional independent films and TV series that break boundaries, challenge conventions, and push creative limits.
Sean Baker's unorthodox romantic drama "Anora" was the night's big winner, taking home best feature, best director for Baker, and best lead performance for star Mikey Madison. The three wins add to the film's momentum as its heads into Oscars night on March 2nd, where it's nominated in six categories.
Jesse Eisenberg's "A Real Pain" also had a solid night, winning best screenplay and best supporting performance for Kieran Culkin.
On the TV side, the Netflix stalking drama "Baby Reindeer" continued its dominant awards run, winning best lead performance in a new scripted series for creator and star Richard Gadd, supporting performance in a new scripted series for Nava Mau, and breakthrough performance in a new scripted series for Jessica Gunning.
Best new scripted series, however, went to historical drama hit "Shōgun."
The awards also honor emerging filmmakers and producers. Winners in those categories were announced in January: Director Sarah Friedland for “Familiar Touch,” director Rachel Elizabeth Seed for “A Photographic Memory,” and producer Sarah Winshall.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2025 Spirit Awards, with winners in bold.
Best Feature
“Anora” (Winner)
“I Saw the TV Glow”
“Nickel Boys”
“Sing Sing”
“The Substance”
Best First Feature
“Didi” (Winner)
“In the Summers”
“Janet Planet”
“The Piano Lesson”
“Problemista”
Best Director
Ali Abbasi, “The Apprentice”
Sean Baker, “Anora” (Winner)
Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
Alonso Ruizpalacios, “La Cocina”
Jane Schoenbrun, “I Saw the TV Glow”
Best Screenplay
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, “Heretic”
Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain” (Winner)
Megan Park, “My Old Ass”
Aaron Schimberg, “A Different Man”
Jane Schoenbrun, “I Saw the TV Glow”
Best First Screenplay
Joanna Arnow, “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed”
Annie Baker, “Janet Planet”
India Donaldson, “Good One”
Julio Torres, “Problemista”
Sean Wang, “Didi” (Winner)
Best Lead Performance
Amy Adams, “Nightbitch”
Ryan Destiny, “The Fire Inside”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Keith Kupferer, “Ghostlight”
Mikey Madison, “Anora” (Winner)
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Hunter Schafer, “Cuckoo”
Justice Smith, “I Saw the TV Glow”
June Squibb, “Thelma”
Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”
Best Supporting Performance
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Joan Chen, “Didi”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” (Winner)
Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”
Jack Haven, “I Saw the TV Glow”
Carol Kane, “Between the Temples”
Karren Karagulian, “Anora”
Kani Kusruti, “Girls Will Be Girls”
Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”
Adam Pearson, “A Different Man”
Best Breakthrough Performance
Isaac Krasner, “Big Boys”
Katy O’Brian, “Love Lies Bleeding”
Mason Alexander Park, “National Anthem”
René Pérez Joglar, “In the Summers”
Maisy Stella, “My Old Ass” (Winner)
Best International Film
“All We Imagine as Light”
“Black Dog”
“Flow” (Winner)
“Green Border”
“Hard Truths”
Best Documentary
“Gaucho Gaucho”
“Hummingbirds”
“No Other Land” (Winner)
“Patrice: The Movie”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
Best Cinematography
Jomo Fray, “Nickel Boys” (Winner)
Dinh Duy Hung, “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell”
Maria von Hausswolff, “Janet Planet”
Juan Pablo Ramírez, “La Cocina”
Rina Yang, “The Fire Inside”
Best Editing
Laura Colwell and Vanara Taing, “Jazzy”
Olivier Bugge Coutté and Olivia Neergaard-Holm, “The Apprentice”
Anne McCabe, “Nightbitch”
Arielle Zakowski, “Didi”
Hansjörg Weißbrich, “September 5” (Winner)
John Cassavetes Award
“Big Boys”
“Ghostlight”
“Girls Will Be Girls” (Winner)
“Jazzy”
“The People’s Joker”
Robert Altman Award
“His Three Daughters” (Winner)
Best New Scripted Series
“Baby Reindeer”
“Diarra From Detroit”
“English Teacher”
“Fantasmas”
“Shōgun” (Winner)
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color”
“Hollywood Black” (Winner)
“Photographer”
“Ren Faire”
“Social Studies”
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Brian Jordan Alvarez, “English Teacher”
Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer” (Winner)
Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”
Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along”
Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin”
Julianne Moore, “Mary & George”
Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun”
Anna Sawai, “Shōgun”
Andrew Scott, “Ripley”
Julio Torres, “Fantasmas”
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Tadanobu Asano, “Shōgun”
Enrico Colantoni, “English Teacher”
Betty Gilpin, “Three Women”
Chloe Guidry, “Under the Bridge”
Moeka Hoshi, “Shōgun”
Stephanie Koenig, “English Teacher”
Patti LuPone, “Agatha All Along”
Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer” (Winner)
Ruth Negga, “Presumed Innocent”
Brian Tee, “Expats”
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer” (Winner)
Diarra Kilpatrick, “Diarra From Detroit”
Joe Locke, “Agatha All Along”
Megan Stott, “Penelope”
Hoa Xuande, “The Sympathizer”
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“How to Die Alone” (Winner)
Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris "CP" Powell,Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, and Jocko Sims
Someone to Watch Award
Nicholas Colia, “Griffin in Summer”
Sarah Friedland, “Familiar Touch” (Winner)
Pham Tien An, “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell”
Truer Than Fiction Award
Carla Gutierrez, “Frida”
Julian Brave Noisecat, Emily Kassie, “Sugarcane”
Rachel Elizabeth Seed, “A Photographic Memory” (Winner)
Producers Award
Alex Coco
Sarah Winshall (Winner)
Zoe Worth