Baby Reindeer stars Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning made a triumphant duo at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, lighting up the red carpet before claiming well-deserved honors.
Nava won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, while Jessica earned Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for their riveting portrayals in the hit Netflix drama.
The pair beamed as they posed together post-victory, flashing their trophies—and their megawatt smiles.
Nava stunned in a sleek, strapless pinstriped gown, while Jessica radiated elegance in a deep navy couture ensemble.
The pair were joined by a glittering lineup of A-listers, including Demi Moore, Amy Adams, Sebastian Stan, and Mikey Madison.
Adding to the night’s significance, Nava received her award from fellow trans actress Hunter Schafer, who made her first public appearance at the gala after calling out President Trump for listing her as ‘male’ on her passport due to his executive order.
Baby Reindeer stars Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning made a triumphant duo at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, lighting up the red carpet before claiming well-deserved honors
Nava won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, while Jessica earned Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for their riveting portrayals in the hit Netflix drama
In Baby Reindeer, Nava plays love interest Teri while Jessica played a stalker called Martha Scott.
The show is a semi-autobiographical comedy drama which told the story of standup comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) who is harassed and stalked by Martha, sending him 41,000-plus emails, and bombarding him with texts and calls.
It included traumatic scenes of sexual assault and drug taking.
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Gadd previously opened up about filming episode four, in which his character is sexually assaulted by a male TV writer who takes struggling comedian Donny under his wing.
He told Variety: ‘We did close the set, but I was looking over and you’d see the props guys wiping tears from their eyes as they would be putting the props back how they should be.’
‘The show was based in such a trauma that everyone on set felt at times it was a huge, weighty thing. And it’s why I think everyone had such respect for everything. I was blessed with this amazing team who kind of felt it with me in a lot of ways.’
Gadd first met his stalker after he offered ‘a crying stranger a cup of tea’ when she came into the bar where he worked.
The simple gesture sparked a stalking nightmare that saw him regularly followed at home and work, and tracked on Facebook using three fake accounts.
In Baby Reindeer, Nava plays love interest Teri while Jessica played a stalker called Martha Scott
The show is a semi-autobiographical comedy drama which told the story of standup comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) who is harassed and stalked by Martha, sending him 41,000-plus emails, and bombarding him with texts and calls
Gadd previously opened up about filming episode four, in which his character is sexually assaulted by a male TV writer who takes struggling comedian Donny under his wing
Gadd first met his stalker after he offered ‘a crying stranger a cup of tea’ when she came into the bar where he worked
The simple gesture sparked a stalking nightmare that saw him regularly followed at home and work, and tracked on Facebook using three fake accounts
He says it was ‘years’ before the police eventually took his complaints seriously – and six years before they finally intervened – something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives
Baby Reindeer is the drama written by comedian Gadd (who also plays the lead character) based on his real-life experiences with a female stalker, played by Jessica Gunning
He told The Times: ‘At first everyone at the pub thought it was funny that I had an admirer. Then she started to invade my life, following me, turning up at my gigs, waiting outside my house, sending thousands of voicemails and emails.’
It developed to terrifying lengths as the crazed fan got closer to her obsession – including her turning up at his gigs, his workplace and bombarding him with messages.
He says it was ‘years’ before the police eventually took his complaints seriously – and six years before they finally intervened – something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives.
The police told him at the time that unless his stalker became physically violent, there was little they could do to resolve the issue.
He has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had ‘every therapy going’.
Independent Spirit Awards 2025 winners
MOVIES
Best Lead Performance
Amy Adams – Nightbitch
Ryan Destiny – The Fire Inside
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Keith Kupferer – Ghostlight
Mikey Madison – Anora — WINNER
Demi Moore – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Justice Smith – I Saw The Tv Glow
June Squibb – Thelma
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Demi Moore earned a nod for her role in the The Substance
Best Supporting Performance
Yura Borisov – Anora
Joan Chen – Dìdi
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain — WINNER
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 ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin – Sing Sing
Adam Pearson – A Different Man
Kieran Culkin is nominated for his role in the dark comedy A Real Pain
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
Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance in a feature for her role in the coming-of-age dramedy My Old Ass
Best Feature
Anora – Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan — WINNER
I Saw The Tv Glow – Ali Herting, Luca Intili, Dave Mccary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall
Nickel Boys – Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton
The Substance – Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner
Anora, which follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn, is nominated for Best Feature
Best Documentary
Gaucho Gaucho
Hummingbirds
No Other Land — WINNER
Patrice: The Movie
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Best Director
Ali Abbasi – The Apprentice
Sean Baker – Anora — WINNER
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Alonso Ruizpalacios – La Cocina
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw The TV Glow
Sean Baker received a nomination for his film Anora
Best Screenplay
Scott Beck, Bryan Woods – Heretic
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain — WINNER
Megan Park – My Old Ass
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw The Tv Glow
Actor and writer Jesse Eisenberg is nominated for Best Screenplay for A Real Pain
Best First Feature
Dìdi — WINNER
In the Summers
Janet Planet
The Piano Lesson
Problemista
John Cassavetes Award
Big Boys
Ghostlight
Girls Will Be Girls — WINNER
Jazzy
The People’s Joker
TELEVISION
Best Lead Performance In A New Scripted Series
Brian Jordan Alvarez – English Teacher
Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
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
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd is nominated for his lead role in the hit Netflix series
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
Nava Mau – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
Ruth Negga – Presumed Innocent
Brian Tee – Expats
Ruth Negga is nominated for her role in the Apple TV + series Presumed Innocent
Best Breakthrough Performance In A New Scripted Series
Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
Diarra Kilpatrick – Diarra From Detroit
Joe Locke – Agatha All Along
Megan Stott – Penelope
Hoa Xuande – The Sympathizer
Jessica Gunning won Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for her portrayal of a stalker in Netflix series Baby Reindeer
Best New Scripted Series
Baby Reindeer – Creator/Exec Producer: Richard Gadd. Exec Producers: Wim De Greef, Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Ed Macdonald
Diarra From Detroit – Creator/Exec Producer: Diarra Kilpatrick. Exec Producers: Kenya Barris, Miles Orion Feldsott, Darren Goldberg. Co-Exec Producers: Ester Lou, Mark Ganek
English Teacher – Creators/Exec Producer: Brian Jordan Alvarez. Exec Producers: Paul Simms, Jonathan Krisel, Dave King. Co-Exec Producers: Kathryn Dean, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn
Fantasmas – Creator/Exec Producer: Julio Torres. Exec Producers: Emma Stone, Dave Mccary, Olivia Gerke, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell. Co-Exec Producer: Ali Herting
Shōgun – Creators/Exec Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks. Exec Producers: Edward L. Mcdonnell, Michael De Luca, Michaela Clavell. Co-Exec Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Jamie Vega Wheeler — WINNER
Shōgun is nominated for Best New Scripted Series