Independent Spirit Awards 2025: Full list of winners

The 40th Independent Spirit Awards 2025 was held on February 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, California. The yearly event celebrated accomplishments in independent film and television, paying tribute to projects with budgets below $28 million. Presented by Aidy Bryant, the occasion showcased gender-neutral performance categories and honored varied voices within the industry.

Founded in 1984, the Independent Spirit Awards consistently showcase independent films that challenge creative limits. This year's Independent Spirit Awards 2025 emphasized its dedication to gender inclusivity by introducing non-gendered acting categories, expanding the acknowledgment of talent throughout the industry.

Independent Spirit Awards 2025 presented a robust array of nominees, highlighting the increasing impact of independent voices in film and television.

---

Highlights of Independent Spirit Awards 2025

Anora stood out as a significant victor, obtaining Best Feature and Best Director for Sean Baker. Additional remarkable winners include Dìdi, awarded Best First Feature, and A Real Pain, honored for its screenplay and acting. Mikey Madison secured Best Lead Performance for Anora, whereas Kieran Culkin took home Best Supporting Performance for A Real Pain in Independent Spirit Awards 2025.

In television categories, Best New Scripted Series was secured by Shōgun, while Richard Gadd and Nava Mau won Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, respectively, for Baby Reindeer.

Here is the complete list of winners from the Independent Spirit Awards 2025.

The list of winners for the film categories is as follows:

Best Feature

• I Saw the TV Glow
• Nickel Boys
• Sing Sing
• The Substance
• Anora (Winner)

---

Best Director

• Ali Abbasi - The Apprentice
• Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
• Alonso Ruizpalacios - La Cocina
• Jane Schoenbrun - I Saw the TV Glow
• Sean Baker - Anora (Winner)

---

Best Lead Performance

• Amy Adams - Nightbitch
• Ryan Destiny - The Fire Inside
• Colman Domingo - Sing Sing
• Keith Kupferer - Ghostlight
• Demi Moore - The Substance
• Hunter Schafer - Cuckoo
• Justice Smith - I Saw the TV Glow
• June Squibb - Thelma
• Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice
• Mikey Madison - Anora (Winner)

---

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 Supporting Performance

• Yura Borisov - Anora
• Joan Chen - Dìdi
• Danielle Deadwyler - The Piano Lesson
• Carol Kane - Between the Temples
• Karren Karagulian - Anora
• Kani Kusruti - Girls Will Be Girls
• Jack Haven - I Saw the TV Glow
• Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing
• Adam Pearson - A Different Man
• Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain (Winner)

---

Best First Feature

• In the Summers
• Janet Planet
• The Piano Lesson
• Problemista
• Dìdi (Winner)

---

John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $1 Million)

• Big Boys
• Ghostlight
• Jazzy
• The People's Joker
• Girls Will Be Girls (Winner)

---

Best Screenplay

• Scott Beck and Bryan Woods - Heretic
• Megan Park - My Old Ass
• Aaron Schimberg - A Different Man
• Jane Schoenbrun - I Saw the TV Glow
• Jesse Eisenberg - A Real Pain (Winner)

---

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 - Dìdi (Winner)

---

Best Documentary Feature

• Gaucho Gaucho
• Hummingbirds
• Patrice: The Movie
• Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
• No Other Land (Winner)

---

Best International Film

• All We Imagine as Light
• Black Dog
• Green Border
• Hard Truths
• Flow (Winner)

---

Best Cinematography

• Đinh Duy Hưng - Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
• Maria von Hausswolff - Janet Planet
• Juan Pablo Ramírez - La Cocina
• Rina Yang - The Fire Inside
• Jomo Fray - Nickel Boys (Winner)

---

Best Editing

• Laura Colwell and Vanara Taing - Jazzy
• Olivier Bugge Coutté and Olivia Neergaard-Holm - The Apprentice
• Anne McCabe - Nightbitch
• Arielle Zakowski - Dìdi
• Hansjörg Weißbrich - September 5 (Winner)

---

Robert Altman Award

• His Three Daughters (Winner)

---

Producers Award

• Alex Coco
• Zoë Worth
• Sarah Winshall (Winner)

---

Someone to Watch Award

• Nicholas Colia
• Phan Thien An
• Sarah Friedland (Winner)

---

Truer Than Fiction Award

• Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
• Carla Gutiérrez
• Rachel Elizabeth Seed (Winner)

---

The list of winners for the television categories is as follows:

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
• Photographer
• Ren Faire
• Social Studies
• Hollywood Black (Winner)

---

Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series

• Brian Jordan Alvarez - English Teacher
• 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
• Richard Gadd - Baby Reindeer (Winner)

---

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
• Ruth Negga - Presumed Innocent
• Brian Tee - Expats
• Nava Mau - Baby Reindeer (Winner)

---

Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series

• Diarra Kilpatrick - Diarra from Detroit
• Joe Locke - Agatha All Along
• Megan Stott - Penelope
• Hoa Xuande - The Sympathizer
• Jessica Gunning - Baby Reindeer (Winner)

---

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

• How to Die Alone (Winner)

---

Independent Spirit Awards 2025 persist in highlighting independent projects, honoring creativity and narrative in film and TV. The event was streamed live on the official YouTube channels of Film Independent and IMDb.

Fans who missed the broadcast can watch the full ceremony of Independent Spirit Awards 2025 on these platforms, with highlights and exclusive interviews available on the Film Independent website and social media pages.