The 2026 Indie Spirit Awards Winners

Independent cinema is a thing to celebrate. And every year, the stars of indies gather for the Independent Spirit Awards, which showcase new and established voices working outside the studio system to bring stories to life.

This movie-going year, some of the best movies of 2025 were indies, like Eephus, Splitsville, Sorry Baby , and Train Dreams.

And there were a ton more great movies and TV shows that these awards turned me onto that I can't wait to check out.

So, if you want to know who won the 3026 Independent Spirit Awards, you've come to the right place.

Let's dive in.

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2026 Indie Spirit Awards Winners

Which movies took home the top prizes in each category?

Best Feature

Peter Hujar’s Day Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan Drake

The Plague Producers: Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie Shapiro

Sorry, Baby Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

** Train Dreams (WINNER) Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman**

Twinless Producers: David Permut, James Sweeney

Best First Feature

(Award given to director and producer)

Blue Sun Palace Director: Constance Tsang Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang

Dust Bunny Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee

East of Wall Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub

** Lurker (WINNER) Director: Alex Russell Producers: Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack Selby**

One of Them Days Director: Lawrence Lamont Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi

John Cassavetes Award

Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the 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

Eephus Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund Writer/Producer: Michael Basta Writer: Nate Fisher Producers: David Entin, Tyler Taormina

** Esta Isla (This Island) (WINNER) 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 (WINNER) **Mary Bronstein, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Lloyd Lee Choi, Lucky Lu Ira Sachs, Peter Hujar’s 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 (WINNER)

Best First Screenplay

Andrew DeYoung,Friendship Elena Oxman, Outerlands **Alex Russell,Lurker (WINNER) **Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days Constance Tsang, Blue Sun Palace

Best Lead Performance

Everett Blunck, The Plague **Rose Byrne,If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (WINNER) **Kathleen Chalfant, Familiar Touch Chang Chen, Lucky Lu Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams Dylan O’Brien, Twinless Keke Palmer, One of Them Days Théodore Pellerin,Lurker Tessa Thompson, Hedda Ben Whishaw, Peter Hujar’s Day

Best Supporting Performance

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

Best Breakthrough Performance

Liz Larsen, The Baltimorons Misha Osherovich, She’s the He **Kayo Martin,The Plague (WINNER) **SZA, One of Them Days Tabatha Zimiga, East of Wall

Best Cinematography

Alex Ashe, Peter Hujar’s Day Norm Li, Blue Sun Palace David J. Thompson, Warfare **Adolpho Veloso,Train Dreams (WINNER) **Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, Dust Bunny

Best Editing

Ben Leonberg, Good Boy Carson Lund, Eephus Fin Oates, Warfare Sara Shaw, Splitsville Sofía Subercaseaux,The Testament of Ann Lee (WINNER)

Robert Altman Award

(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)

The Long Walk (WINNER) Director: Francis Lawrence Casting Director: Rich Delia Ensemble Cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing

Best Documentary

(Award given to the director and producer)

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 (WINNER) 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

(Award given to the director)

All That’s Left of You Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus Director: Cherien Dabis

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Zambia, UK, Ireland Director: Rungano Nyoni

A Poet Colombia Director: Simón Mesa Soto

** The Secret Agent (WINNER) Brazil Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho**

Sirāt Spain Director: Oliver Laxe

Producers Award

The Producers Award, now in its 29th year, honors an emerging producer who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrates the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Emma Hannaway

Luca Intili

Tony Yang (WINNER)

Someone to Watch Award

The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 32nd year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tatti Ribeiro, director of Valentina (WINNER)

Neo Sora, director of Happyend

Annapurna Sriram, director of Fucktoys

Truer Than Fiction Award

The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 31st year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tony Benna, director of André is an Idiot

Rajee Samarasinghe, director of Your Touch Makes Others Invisible (WINNER)

Brittany Shyne, director of Seeds

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series

(Award given to the creator, executive producer and co-executive producer)

Citizen Nation Creator: Bret Sigler Executive Producers: Christopher Buck, Kyra Darnton

Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time Executive Producers: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Ryan Coogler, Myles Estey, Ted Skillman, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Peter Nicks, Kalia King, Carolyn Payne, Sean David Johnson Co-Executive Producer: Kelli Buchanan

** Pee-wee as Himself (WINNER) Executive Producers: Matt Wolf, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Paul Reubens, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez**

Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television Executive Producers: Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez Co-Executive Producers: Esther Dere, Zachary Herrmann

Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae Executive Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Amy Kaufman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker Co-Executive Producer: Mark Becker

Best New Scripted Series

(Award given to the creator, executive producer and co-executive producer)

Adolescence (WINNER) Creators/Executive Producers: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham Executive Producers: Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller Co-Executive Producers: Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm

Common Side Effects Creators/Executive Producers: Joe Bennett, Steve Hely Executive Producers: Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Dustin Davis, James Merrill, Sean Buckelew, Benjy Brooke, Kelly Crews, Suzanna Makkos Co-Executive Producer: Dave King

Forever Creator/Executive Producer: Mara Brock Akil Executive Producers: Regina King, Susie Fitzgerald, Shana C. Waterman, Reina King, Anthony Hemingway, Judy Blume, Erika Harrison, Sara E. White Co-Executive Producer: Jerron Horton

Mr Loverman Executive Producers: Lennie James, Hong Khaou, Jo McClellan, Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell, Hannah Price

North of North Creators/Executive Producers: Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril Executive Producers: Garry Campbell, Anya Adams, Susan Coyne, Miranda de Pencier Co-Executive Producers: Teresa M. Ho, Michael Goldbach, Kathryn Borel Jr., JP Larocque

Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series

Sydney Chandler, Alien: Earth **Stephen Graham,Adolescence (WINNER) **Ethan Hawke, The Lowdown Lennie James, Mr Loverman Anna Lambe, North of North Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing Seth Rogen, The Studio Lovie Simone, Forever Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series

Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman Babou Ceesay, Alien: Earth Sharon D. Clarke, Mr Loverman Taylor Dearden, The Pitt **Erin Doherty,Adolescence (WINNER) **Stephen McKinley Henderson, A Man on the Inside Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys Xosha Roquemore, Forever Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex Ben Whishaw, Black Doves

Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series

Asif Ali, Deli Boys Wally Baram, Overcompensating **Owen Cooper,Adolescence (WINNER) **Michael Cooper Jr., Forever Ernest Kingsley Junior, Washington Black

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

** Chief of War (WINNER)**

Ensemble Cast: Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Benjamin Hoetjes, Siua Ikale’o, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Mainei Kinimaka, Kaina Makua, Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, Te Kohe Tuhaka, James Udom Let me know what you think in the comments.