The nominations for the Film Independent Spirit Awards showcased two films leading the pack, with Sean Baker’s journey into the world of a New York stripper, “Anora,” and Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological thriller “I Saw the TV Glow,” both receiving six nominations. These include coveted slots for Best Film and Best Director, with the announcement made during a livestream on YouTube.
In “Anora,” three actors received recognition for their performances, highlighting Mikey Madison in the leading role, along with supporting cast members Yura Borisov and Karren Karagulian. The Spirit Awards adopt a gender-neutral approach to acting categories, featuring 10 nominees in each. Justice Smith was nominated for Best Lead Actor in “I Saw the TV Glow,” while Brigette Lundy-Paine was acknowledged in the supporting category.
Other films vying for the Best Feature category include “Nickel Boys,” an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s work by RaMell Ross, Greg Kwedar’s dramatic narrative “Sing Sing” about incarceration, and Coralie Fargeat’s body horror presentation “The Substance.”
The Best Director nominees featured not only Baker and Schoenbrun but also Brady Corbet for his singular nomination for “The Brutalist,” Ali Abbasi for “The Apprentice,” and Alonso Ruizpalacios for “La Cocina.” Notably, Sebastian Stan received a nod in the lead performing category for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”
The nominations extended to other lead performances, including Amy Adams in “Nightbitch,” Colman Domingo for “Sing Sing,” Demi Moore for “The Substance,” June Squibb for “Thelma,” Hunter Schafer for “Cuckoo,” Keith Kupferer for “Ghostlight,” and Ryan Destiny for “The Fire Inside.”
The supporting category also featured a mix of fresh faces and established talents, with nominees like Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Carol Kane (“Between the Temples”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Adam Pearson (“A Different Man,” which recently gained attention at the Gotham Awards), Joan Chen (“Dìdi”), Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”), and Kani Kusruti (“Girls Will Be Girls”).
Historically, the Spirit Awards have shown a strong correlation with Oscars, sometimes aligning notably as seen in the success of “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” while at other times diverging significantly. Last year’s prominent winners were Celine Song’s “Past Lives” and Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction.” The eligibility criteria for the awards focus on productions with budgets not exceeding $30 million, thereby excluding larger budget films like “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two.”
In the international film category, nominees included Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” (which was not selected by India for the Oscars), China’s “Black Dog,” the animated film “Flow,” Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border,” and Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths.”
The Robert Altman Award, which honors an ensemble cast, was awarded to “His Three Daughters,” directed by Azazel Jacobs, portraying the lives of three women portrayed by Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen, who navigate the complexities of their father being in hospice care.
The Spirit Awards also recognize excellence in new fictional and non-fictional television series, with nominations this year including the popular Netflix series “Baby Reindeer,” alongside “Sh?gun” and “Ren Fair.”
The organization revealed that among all nominees, 46% are women and 30% are individuals from diverse backgrounds. The Spirit Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 22, in Santa Monica, California, and will be available for live streaming on IMDb and Film Independent’s YouTube channels. Comedian Aidy Bryant is set to return as the event’s host.