2025 Spearie Award Winners

 

BEST STUNT CHOREOGRAPHY

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Jonathan Cohen, Wade Easwood, and Ruda Vrba for

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

BEST SPECIAL AND VISUAL EFFECTS

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Richard Baneham, Salvier Dmello, Damien Fisher, Steve Ingram, Yann Larochette, Joe Letteri, Marco Revelant & Eric Saindon for

Avatar: Fire and Ash

BEST SOUND EDITING

The nominees are...

Ben Barker & Glenn Freemantle for 

Warfare

BEST SOUND MIXING

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor & Chris Welcker for

Sinners

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Martha Fein, Flora Moody & Karen Purvis for

28 Years Later

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Kate Hawley for

Frankenstein

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Hannah Beachler for

Sinners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Adolpho Veloso for

Train Dreams

BEST FILM EDITING

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Andy Jurgensen for

One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Raphael Saadiq & Ludwig Göransson for

"I Lied to You" from Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Young Fathers for

28 Years Later

BEST CASTING

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Gabriel Dominguez for 

The Secret Agent

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Stellan Skarsård for Sentimental Value

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another

BEST LEADING ACTOR

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The nominees are

And the Spearie goes to...

Paul Thomas Anderson for

One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Kleber Mendonça Filho for 

The Secret Agent

BEST DIRECTING

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Kleber Mendonça Filho for the Secret Agent

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

The nominees are...

And the Spearie goes to...

Emilei Lesclaux & Kleber Mendonça Filho for

The Secret Agent

2025 Spearie Award Nominations

BEST PICTURE

No Other Choice Jisun Back, Park Chan wook, Alexandre Gavras, Michele Ray Gavras

One Battle After Another Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner

The Secret Agent Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mondonça Filho

Train Dreams Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman

28 Years Later Bernard Bellow, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson-One Battle After Another

Danny Boyle-28 Years Later

Park Chan-wook-No Other Choice

Ryan Coogler-Sinners

Kleber Mendonça Filho-The Secret Agent

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Friendship Andrew DeYoung

The Secret Agent Kleber Mendonça Filho

Sentimental Value Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt

Sorry, Baby Eva Victor

Weapons Zach Cregger

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

I'm Still Here Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega

No Other Choice Park Chan wook, Lee Kyoung mi, Lee Ja hye, Don McKellar

One Battle After Another Paul Thomas Anderson

Train Dreams Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

28 Years Later Alex Garland

BEST LEADING ACTOR

Lee Byung-hun-No Other Choice

Timothee Chalamet-Marty Supreme

Joel Edgerton-Train Dreams

Michael B. Jordan-Sinners

Wagner Moura-The Secret Agent

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley-Hamnet

Chase Infiniti-One Battle After Another

Renate Reinsve-Sentimental Value

Fernanda Torres-I'm Still Here

Eva Victor-Sorry, Baby

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Benicio Del Toro-One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi-Frankenstein

Scoot McNairy-Fairyland

Sean Penn-One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgård-Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Odessa A'zion-Marty Supreme

Regina Hall-One Battle After Another

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas-Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan-Weapons

Teyana Taylor-One Battle After Another

BEST CASTING

Black Bag Carmen Cuba

One Battle After Another Cassandra Kulukundis

The Secret Agent Gabriel Domingues

Sinners Francine Maisler

Weapons Allison Jones

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

F1: The Movie Hans Zimmer

One Battle After Another Johnny Greenwood

Sinners Ludwig Göransson

Train Dreams Bryce Dessner

28 Years Later Young Fathers

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

All is Summer-The Testament of Ann Lee Daniel Blumberg

Golden-KPop Demon Hunters EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick

I Lied to You-Sinners Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson

Our Love-The Ballad of Wallis Island Tom Basden

What it Sounds Like-KPop Demon Hunters Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, EJAE, Daniel Rojas, Mark Sonnenblick

BEST FILM EDITING

No Other Choice Kim Sang-bum, Kim Ho-bin

One Battle After Another Andy Jurgensen

The Secret Agent Eduardo Serrano, Matheus Farias

28 Years Later Jon Harris

Weapons Joe Murphy

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

No Other Choice Kim Woo-hyung

One Battle After Another Michael Bauman

Sinners Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Train Dreams Adolpho Veloso

28 Years Later Anthony Dod Mantle

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Frankenstein Tamara Deverell

Hamnet Fiona Crombie

The Secret Agent Thales Junqueira

Sinners Hannah Beachler

Wicked: For Good Nathan Crowley

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Frankenstein Kate Hawley

Hamnet Malgosia Turzanska

Sinners Ruth E. Carter

The Testament of Ann Lee Malgorzata Karpiuk

Train Dreams Malgosia Turznaska

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Bring Her Back Rebecca Buratto, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolau, Larry Van Duynhoven

Frankenstein Cliona Furey, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel

The Smashing Machine Felix Fox, Glenn Griffin, Kazu Hiro

28 Years Later Martha Fein, Flora Moody, Karen Purvis

Weapons Jason Collins, Leo Satkovitch, Melizah Wheat

BEST SOUND MIXING

F1: The Movie Gareth John, Juan Peralta

No Other Choice Bock-Nam Ahn, Eunjung Kim

One Battle After Another José Antonio García, Tony Villaflor

Sinners Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor, Chris Welcker

Warfare Howard Bargroff, Mitch Low, Richard Spooner

BEST SOUND EDITING

Avatar: Fire and Ash Christopher Boyes, Brent Burge, Hayden Collow, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Predator: Badlands Will Files, James Miller, Chris Terhune

Sinners Steve Boeddeker, Benny Burtt

28 Years Later Maximillian Behrens, Johnnie Burn, Brendan Feeney

Warfare Ben Barker, Glenn Freemantle

BEST SPECIAL AND VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar: Fire and Ash Richard Baneham, Salvier, Dmello, Damien Fisher, Steve Ingram, Yann Larochette, Joe Leterri, Marco Revelant, Eric Saindon

F1: The Movie Devin Breese, Keith Dawson, Ed Price, Glen Winchester

Mickey 17 Dan Glass, Arudra Jaykar, Tim Leask, Dominic Tuohy, Owen E. Williams

Predator: Badlands Dean Clarke, Olivier Dumont, Alec Gillis

Thunderbolts* Adam Howarth, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Ray McMaster, Jake Morrison, Daniel Sudick

BEST STUNT CHOREOGRAPHY

Caught Stealing Brian Machleit

F1: The Movie Adam Kirley, Gary Powell

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Jonathan Cohen, Wade Eastwood, Ruda Vrba

Novocaine Kerry Gregg, Radoslav Parvanov, Stanimir Stamatov

One Battle After Another Brian Machleit

2024 Spearie Award Winners

 (Warning: Winner clips may contain mild spoilers, language and violence.)

BEST STUNT CHOREOGRAPHY

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Keir Beck, Jonathan Eusebio, Chris O'Hara & Sunny Sun for

The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy is not just a celebration of stunt performers, but it is a great example of their work as well. Nearly every kind of stunt is present here: fight scenes, car flips (breaking a record for most flips) fire stunts, wire pulls. You name it, it's here. All of these are well crafted, exciting, and impressive, and the film comes alive during these sequences. 

BEST SPECIAL AND VISUAL EFFECTS

The Nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Paul Lambert, Gerd Nefzer, Timo-Pekko Nieminen, Lisa Nolan, Bernd Rautenberg & Karim Sahai for

Dune: Part Two

Much like its predcessor, Dune: Part Two proves to be a high-water mark in modern day visual effects. While many blockbusters today look murky and unpolished, Dune's effects are deliberate, phot-real and serve to enhance, not distract from, the film's narrative. Though creating a world like this obviously takes a ton of visual effects work, they never take you out of the film, and that is a credit to the brilliant special and visual effects team

BEST SOUND EDITING

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Christoper Flick, Richard King, Michael W. Mitchell, Jeff Sawyer & Chris Terhune for

Dune: Part Two

Great sound effects are vital to science fiction. Whether creating technology, or an undiscovered world, sound can be the difference between feeling like a saturday morning cartoon or, well, Dune. As the action steps up in this film, the sound does as well. We are shown a war taking place thousands of years in the future, and yet it sounds strange and unique, but just as real as if it was happening right here and now.

BEST SOUND MIXING

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Howard Bargroff, Mary H. Ellis, Adam Crivener & Mark Timms for

Civil War

The goal of Civil War as a film is to force us to reckon with the civil wars that happen worldwide by setting one right on our doorstep, and the sound work is critical to this working as effectively as it does. We hear the deep rumbles of rocket launchers right next to us, the distant pops of gunfire far in the distance, the hum of U.S. citizens mobilizing to fight each other. Through all of this we understand this film's cautionary tale, this could be us. 

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

The Nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

David Elsey, Lou Elsey & Pierre-Olivier Persin for

The Substance

I do not want to go into too deep details for this film's makeup, as I don't want to take away from anyone who may experience this film's wild journey for the first time. I will say that the makeup team takes the film's theme of fear of aging, and takes it to a brilliant, unexpected and horrifying extreme. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Linda Muir & David Schwed for

Nosferatu

When you sit down to a Robert Eggers film, you know you are signing up to be transported to another time. Eggers prioritizes historical realism in the face of supernatural horror, and Linda Muir rises to the challenge. The costumes feel beautiful, yet old, worn down, and used. They tell us where the characters come from, what they are going through at each moment, and whether they are hiding strength or weakness beneath.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Judy Becker for

The Brutalist

Perhaps it's not a surprise that this category would go to a film about an architect. The striking sets and visuals this film accomplished would be incredibly impressive even for a big budget film, and are doubly so for this film's minuscule ten million. The stark creations of Laszlo Toth contrast with the opulence of the rich he rubs elbows with, and the run down grunginess of the poor he lives among. 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Eric Yue for

I Saw the TV Glow

Striking pinks and greens. The light of a tv screen illuminating a child's face. An abandoned planetarium glowing spinning artistic renderings of constellations. I Saw the TV Glow never looks like the real world, but rather like a dream that may have been a nightmare. Eric Yue's meticulous, deliberate work often feels wrong in just the right way, vibrant and colorful, yet uncanny and often unwelcoming.

BEST FILM EDITING

The Nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Joe Walker for

Dune: Part Two

Despite adapting the second half of the same novel as Part One, Dune: Part Two does feel distinct. While that film set up the world these characters inhabit, this film had to pay off all of the plot threads that had been introduced. It manages to do so brilliantly, balancing several characters and storylines without any of them feeling lost in the shuffle. It slows down when it needs to develop emotional connections, speeds up when it throws its warring factions against each other, and yet still feels distinctly like its own thing. Joe Walker builds more excitement into Dune this time, but manages to do so without losing the weight, weirdness or strange emotion that made the first part so distinct. 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel & Adrian Quesada for

"Like a Bird" from

Sing Sing

Sing Sing is a film about finding hope in a hopeless situation. Playing during the end credits, Like a Bird mirrors this journey. The characters have no freedom, but through their artistic endeavors they find something that gives them a sense of self, a sense of accomplishment. Adrian Quesada and Abraham Alexander powerfully metaphor this, finding hope without denying the pain and struggle that coexist with it.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Kris Bowers for

The Wild Robot

The greatest film scores serve to enhance an emotional impact that exists within the narrative. When at its most effective, listening to a film score can take you back to that moment, allow you to once again feel the emotional weight of a scene or a story as a whole. When I listen back to Kris Bowers compositions for The Wild Robot, I once again feel the excitement of success, the threat of danger, and the sadness of saying goodbye, maybe for the last time.

BEST CASTING

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Nina Gold and Martin Ware for

Conclave

To make an exciting thriller that is almost entirely composed of people sitting in rooms talking you need a great editor, a smart script, and a cast of magnificent actors to rise up to their challenge. Conclave succeeds on all those fronts, but especially in its cast. Made up of a mixture of established actors and lesser known character actors, the conclave feels full of personality, and of conflict. Every actor manages to make their character feel well meaning, but flawed. The conflicts in this film arise from how people with the same goal can have different methods to achieve it, and the performances from the entire cast allow this tension to achieve its highest potential.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Monica Barbaro for

A Complete Unknown

Many actors, when playing real people, focus on the minutae. They try to nail the voice, the posture, the look. If Monica Barbaro is putting effort towards that, then it is invisible. What you see instead is how she inhabits the worldview, the emotional truth, and the character of Joan Baez. Barbaro makes the character as interesting for what she doesn't say as what she does. A Complete Unknown is a very good film, but Monica Barbaro is so engaging that I came away wanting the film to have been about her, or at least for her to have had a far larger role in the narrative.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Jack Haven for

I Saw the TV Glow

Jack Haven (who is non binary) is an absolute revelation in I Saw the TV Glow. Though they are not the central character of the film, their Maddy is one of the most complicated, layered characters I've seen in the last several years. They have to play a drastically changing character at multiple different stages of life, upon whom the entire allegory of the film hinges. Their ten minute long monologue in the planetarium is one of the most powerful scenes in any film this year, and Haven rises to all of these challenges, and then surpasses them. It makes sense that Haven would connect personally to this material, yet even so the degree to which they can simultaneously draw fear and sympathy, feel real while feeling like a specter in a dream, draw your eyes to the screen and force you to engage with uncomfortable truths; it is absolutely incredible.

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Mikey Madison for

Anora

Mikey Madison is one of the great rising stars of the next generation, and Anora is a perfect example of why. She is so one of a kind, yet fits in so well to Sean Baker's New York City that you wouldn't be surprised to see her walking down the street. Her journey through this sort of real world fairytale is full of equal parts humor and heartbreak, and the success of it all hinges upon her excellent performance. 

BEST LEADING ACTOR

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Ralph Fiennes for

Conclave

Man, Ralph Fiennes sure is one of the most consistently great actors working today. Conclave is full of excellent actors giving great performances, and yet it still feels like it is Ralph Fiennes film. He is in just about every scene of the film, has very few "big" moments, and yet you never get bored of watching him. A brilliant, emotional and understated turn from a wonderful actor who somehow still feels underrated. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve for

Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two has some different strengths and weaknesses than its first part. Though I think in some ways the first film is more visually distinct, this film is a notable improvement from a story and writing perspective. There is a lot going on, but it isn't hard to follow at all. The movie makes some smart changes from it source material also, recognizing that some things work well on the page, but wouldn't as effectively transition to a visual medium. However, it still absolutely nails the major points of its source material. It does so by delivering on the promises of the film's expected hero's journey, while playing with the tone those usually take. It is a film that not only asks "how do we win" but also "will it be worth it?"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Jane Schoenbrun for

I Saw the TV Glow

I can honestly say I've never seen a film quite like I Saw the TV Glow. Though the film's story is fairly easy to follow, there is so much intricacy, so much subtext, so much meaning to everything within it. This is not just a film you watch, but one you engage with, and analyze to find its meaning. The metaphor is all there in the script, conveyed through emotion and memory. This is an allegory, a cautionary tale, and a beautiful piece of surrealism all in one, filled with some of the most evocative scenes, monologues and unexpected turns of the year. 

BEST DIRECTOR

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Coralie Fargeat for

The Substance

Whatever one takes away from the film, you cannot deny that it is the full and distinct vision of a true artist. The Substance is so audacious and uncompromising. Fargeat hits the audience with a sledgehammer, and makes them laugh and cringe and drop their jaws on the floor while she does so. This is the most confident directorial work of the year by quite a long measure. 

BEST PICTURE

The nominees are

and the Spearie goes to...

Dune: Part Two

I have to be honest, I am such a sucker for a huge epic like this. The first film was my favorite movie of 2021, and from the moment this one released earlier this year, it was going to be an uphill battle for anything else to top it. The fact that it didn't sweep everything is a testament to all of the other brilliant films that came out this year. 

Dune: Part Two continues everything that worked about its predecessor and works to improve upon other elements. It develops Paul Atreides rise to power in a way that is beautiful, exciting and easy to follow, but still strange, striking and challenging. It accomplishes all of this while also keeping its focus fully on emotional impact. Though ostensibly an action epic, this film nonetheless builds its narrative around a love story, and ends its tale on a note that has no small degree of sadness to it. It may not be the most unique opinion in the world, but when I look back at the many wonderful films of 2024, Dune: Part Two is the one I expect to linger in my memory the most.