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

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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.

Edited by Meghna