The 40th Independent Spirit Awards signaled a major awards-season upset when Anora won multiple top awards, including best feature and best director, and star Mikey Madison took home the award for best lead performance.
The gender-neutral category had pitched her against a bevy of acclaimed performers, including the current Oscars favorite Demi Moore for her satirical horror-comedy The Substance.
But Demi’s odds at the upcoming Academy Awards were thrown into question by the upstart win by Mikey, who stars in Anora as the title character, a sex worker who dreams of leaving her career as an adult dancer behind after she gets hitched to the son of a Russian oligarch after their professional relationship turns romantic.
But the film takes a turn after henchmen working for her new husband’s influential parents do everything in their power to annul the marriage.
Director Sean Baker was also on hand to accept the top prize of the night and his individual award for helming the acclaimed movie.
Baby Reindeer was one of the biggest winners in the TV categories. It swept the acting categories with series creator and star Richard Gadd winning best lead performance, while Nava Mau won in the supporting category and Jessica Gunning won the breakout performance award.
The 40th Independent Spirit Awards signaled a major awards-season upset when Anora star Mikey Madison took home the award for best lead performance in an upset win over favorite Demi Moore
Baby Reindeer also snatched up multiple awards, including best breakthrough performance in a new scripted series award for Jessica Gunning
Anora (stars Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison are pictured) has become a late-breaking awards season favorite for the Academy Awards after winning multiple major prizes in recent weeks
SNL alumna Aidy Bryant hosted the star-studded ceremony, which was held in Santa Monica, California, for the second year in a row.
The Indie Spirits have gender-neutral acting categories, unlike the Oscars, Emmys or Golden Globes.
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The ceremony celebrates film and television talent with both standard and unique categories like Best First Screenplay and the John Cassavetes Award (for best feature under $1 million).
Mikey looked misty-eyed as she made her acceptance speech, though she managed to keep it together while thanking her costars and her director, whom she joked was not just a great director and friend, but also an ‘incredible Chihuahua owner.’
The win was a shocking upset over awards-season favorite Demi Moore, though the gender-neutral nature of the category may have shifted the dynamic.
But Demi was seen getting along with Mikey earlier in the evening when they had a cute chat while Demi held her adorable fun-size dog Pilaf.
In Sean Baker’s best director acceptance speech, he warned that independent cinema is ‘struggling more than ever’ while defending its important role in the film ecosystem.
He also bemoaned how poorly compensated independent film workers are despite helping to create zeitgeist-defining movies.
Mikey looked misty-eyed as she made her acceptance speech, though she managed to keep it together while thanking her costars and her director, whom she joked was not just a great director and friend, but also an ‘incredible Chihuahua owner’
The win was a shocking upset over awards-season favorite Demi Moore. But Demi was seen getting along with Mikey earlier in the evening when they had a cute chat while Demi held her adorable fun-size dog Pilaf
‘If you’re a writer or director trying to break in right now, you’ll make a film for free, take the DGA minimum and divide it by three,’ he said of the conditions many filmmakers are willing to endure.
Baker also admitted that even successful films paid so little that he could have never been a filmmaker if he had had children.
‘The system has to be changed, it’s completely unsustainable,’ he continued with increased ferocity. ‘We shouldn’t be barely getting by.’
Anora was made for just $6 million — a shockingly paltry sum by Hollywood standards — but it has already grossed $37.4 million, earning back several times its budget and becoming his highest-grossing film to date.
The film, which was honored with the Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, received six nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards.
The crowd let out a cheer and Baker jumped to his feet when Anora was announced for the final award of the night, while his fellow producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan — who is also his wife — joined him and delivered the majority of the final acceptance speech of the night.
Earlier, the ceremony solidified Jesse Eisenberg’s awards-season campaign with his win for best screenplay.
In Sean Baker’s best director acceptance speech, he warned that independent cinema is ‘struggling more than ever’ while defending its important role in the film ecosystem
Earlier, the ceremony solidified Jesse Eisenberg ‘s awards-season campaign with his win for best screenplay for A Real Pain
The 41-year-old actor, writer and director was honored for his dramedy A Real Pain, which he stars in with Kieran Culkin.
Culkin was also the winner of the best supporting actor category, though he wasn’t able to attend the ceremony.
Baby Reindeer also snatched up multiple awards, including best breakthrough performance in a new scripted series award for Jessica Gunning.
The actress earned stellar praise for playing the stalker of series creator and star Richard Gadd, won the award.
In his acceptance speech, Jesse said he had already praised the other screenwriters and directors he has been competing against at multiple awards ceremonies in panels throughout the season.
He joked that the film’s distributor, Searchlight Pictures, had ‘treated the film like it was Gladiator II.’
‘Unfortunately, the returns were not similar,’ he joked.
Jesse also praised his producers, including his Zombieland costar–turned–producer Emma Stone, whom he said would send him screenshots of lines of essay and humor pieces he had written through the years whenever she wanted to encourage him.
The Independent Spirit Awards kicked off by honoring the best breakthrough performance in a feature film. Maisy Stella was the first winner of the evening for her romantic dramedy My Old Ass
‘I think it’s so important that somebody like her who is so unbelievably successful in mainstream movies looks for people like me and [Problemista director and star] Julio [Torres] and [I Saw the TV Glow director] Jane [Schoenbrun] to try and produce with all the goodwill she’s amassed so rightly and deservedly over the years,’ he gushed.
In Jessica Gunning’s acceptance speech, she noted that she had been acting for 17 years, but it wasn’t until Baby Reindeer that she got her true breakthrough role.
Licorice Pizza star and Haim member Alana Haim and Euphoria star Hunter Schafer were next up to present the award for best supporting performance in a new scripted series.
The honor went to one of Baby Reindeer multiple breakout stars, Nava Mau.
The transgender actress recalled her early work in independent short films and marveled at how far she had come.
She also signaled her hope that the film industry would increasingly focus on the labor of its workers as it moves forward.
Richard Gadd, who created Baby Reindeer and starred in the lead role, went on to win the top television acting prize of the night.
He said he wrote a speech for the night but joked that Sean Baker had stolen it with his soaring acceptance speech for best director.
Licorice Pizza star and Haim member Alana Haim and Euphoria star Hunter Schafer were next up to present the award for best supporting performance in a new scripted series
The honor went to one of Baby Reindeer multiple breakout stars, Nava Mau. The transgender actress recalled her early work in independent short films and marveled at how far she had come. She also signaled her hope that the film industry would increasingly focus on the labor
Richard Gadd, who created Baby Reindeer and starred in the lead role, went on to win the top television acting prize of the night
He also joked that he didn’t think his chances were very good after The Penguin came on the scene and started snatching up awards.
The ceremony kicked off by honoring the best breakthrough performance in a feature film.
Maisy Stella was the first winner of the evening for her romantic dramedy My Old Ass, which costarred Aubrey Plaza as a future version of herself trying to guide her toward a better future.
Questlove presented another early award for best documentary feature, which went to the critically lauded film No Other Land.
The documentary was directed by a quartet of Palestinian–Israeli collective of four filmmakers.
Demi Moore, Amy Adams, Sebastian Stan, Mikey Madison, and Hunter Schafer are just some of the A-listers who are nominated at this year’s show.
‘Anora’ and ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ dominated the nominations, with each film picking up six nods. Both movies are up for best feature, competing against The Substance, Nickel Boys, and Sing Sing.
The presenters include Michelle Yeoh, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Kathryn Hahn, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Questlove, Edgar Ramirez, Hunter Schafer, and more.
Maisy’s award was presented by Nightbitch star Amy Adams
Maisy stars in My Old Ass with Aubrey Plaza, who plays a future version of herself trying to guide her toward a better future
Questlove presented another early award for best documentary feature, which went to the critically lauded film No Other Land. The documentary was directed by a quartet of Palestinian–Israeli collective of four filmmakers
The show switched things up with the next award for best first feature, which was presented by Hard Truths star Marianne Jean-Baptiste
The show switched things up with the next award for best first feature, which was presented by Hard Truths star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
The award went to Dìdi, and its director, Sean Wang, accepted and noted that one of the film’s stars, Twin Peaks actress and filmmaker Joan Chen, was previously nominated in the same category for her 2000 directorial effort Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
Wang was back at the podium later in the evening when he won the award for best first screenplay.
The Independent Spirit Awards celebrated another first feature with the John Cassavetes Award, which is only for debuts that cost under $1 million.
Presenters Patti LuPone and Natasha Lyonne said they were renaming the award for Cassavetes’ late wife, the iconic actress Gena Rowlands, who died on August 14, 2024, at the age of 94.
Rowlands starred in numerous films, but she was best known for her work acting in several of Cassavetes’ movies, including Faces, A Woman Under The Influence and Opening Night.
However, it wasn’t clear if the name change was official or just a sweet tribute to a fallen idol by Patti and Natasha.
The award went to Dìdi (pictured). Its director, Sean Wang, accepted and noted that one of the film’s stars, Twin Peaks actress and filmmaker Joan Chen (second to right), was previously nominated in the same category for her 2000 directorial effort Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl
Presenters Patti LuPone and Natasha Lyonne said they were renaming the John Cassavetes Award award for Cassavetes’ late wife, the iconic actress Gena Rowlands, who died on August 14, 2024, at the age of 94
The award for best ensemble cast in a new scripted series went to Natasha Rothwell and her costars on her series How To Die Alone
Carrie Coon and Walton Goggins from The White Lotus season three presented the award for the series, which was canceled after one season
After their touching speech, they announced that the winner was Girls Will Be Girls.
The Indian–French coproduction focuses on a teenage girl in a boarding school located in the Himalayan foothills who becomes enamored of a male student, even as her relationship with her overprotective mother sours.
The award for best ensemble cast in a new scripted series went to Natasha Rothwell and her costars on her series How To Die Alone.
Carrie Coon and Walton Goggins from The White Lotus season three presented the award for the series, which was canceled after one season.
Although Baby Reindeer won all of the individual television acting awards, the top prize for the medium, best new scripted series, went to the critically acclaimed historical drama Shōgun.
It was followed up by the award for best new non-scripted or documentary series, which went to Hollywood Black.
The award for best cinematography went to Nickel Boys and its cinematographer Jomo Fray.
Problemista director and star Julio Torres had a hilarious, halting introductionto the best editing award after he joked that the teleprompter had broken. Hansjörg Weißbrich ultimately won for September 5.
Although Baby Reindeer won all of the individual television acting awards, the top prize for the medium, best new scripted series, went to the critically acclaimed historical drama Shōgun; Hiroyuki Sanada seen in a still
Problemista director and star Julio Torres had a hilarious, halting introductionto the best editing award after he joked that the teleprompter had broken. Hansjörg Weißbrich ultimately won for September 5
This Spirit Awards considered films with budgets from $112,000 to $28 million this year.
The budgetary restrictions applied to film nominations did not extend to television series recognized by the Spirit Awards, exemplified by Shōgun, a large-scale historical epic that garnered five nominations, including Best New Scripted Series.
The series is competing against Baby Reindeer, Diarra From Detroit, English Teacher, and Fantasmas.
‘Anora’ earned further nominations for director Sean Baker, lead actress Mikey Madison, and supporting stars Yura Borisov and Karren Karagulian.
As the Indie Spirit Awards do not categorize performers by gender, those competing for best leading performance in a film are: Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Ryan Destiny (The Fire Inside), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo), Justice Smith (I Saw The Tv Glow), June Squibb (Thelma) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice).
In TV and streaming Shōgun’s Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai are up for best lead performances against Brian Jordan Alvarez (English Teacher), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer), Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge), Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along), Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Julianne Moore (Mary & George), Andrew Scott (Ripley), and Julio Torres (Fantasmas).
Alvarez’s nomination comes after he was accused of sexual assault by former co-star Jon Ebeling two months prior.
Ebeling alleges that Alvarez sexually assaulted him while they worked together on the digital series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, which aired on YouTube back in 2016.
Two teens lose their grip on reality due to a TV obsession in the horror film ‘I Saw the TV Glow’; Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine seen in a still
Both movies are up for best feature, competing against The Substance, Nickel Boys, and Sing Sing; Demi Moore seen in a still from ‘The Substance’
The series is competing against Baby Reindeer, Diarra From Detroit, English Teacher, and Fantasmas; Jessica Gunning pictured in a scene from Baby Reindeer
Brian Jordan Alvarez, the creator and star of FX’s critically acclaimed series English Teacher, is nominated for Best Lead Performance In A New Scripted Series
They starred alongside Stephanie Koenig, who also co-stars with Alvarez in The English Teacher.
Alvarez has denied the allegations.
Another nominated star currently embroiled in a controversy is The Apprentice director Ali Abbasi, who’s up for the Best Director award.
Abbasi has been accused of groping an A-list star at a Golden Globes afterparty last month, leading to a split from his high profile talent representatives at CAA and Entertainment360.
He has not addressed the accusations at this time.
While the Oscars and Spirit Awards sometimes diverge in their selections, as evidenced by last year’s differing top film choices, they have also overlapped in prior years, with films like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Nomadland, and Moonlight winning their top film prizes.
‘What I love about the Spirit Awards is I feel like they have a looseness and a bit more personality, and I think we’re just trying to lean into that,’ Bryant told Entertainment Weekly about the show.
‘I think the Spirits are going to be extremely fun. I feel like this has been such an intense year that I really hope that this is just a place where people can blow off some steam and we can celebrate some really great small movies.’
The 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards will stream live on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the IMDb and Film Independent YouTube and X channels.
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
Best Cinematography
Đinh Duy Hưng – Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys — WINNER
Maria von Hausswolff – Janet Planet
Juan Pablo Ramírez – La Cocina
Rina Yang – The Fire Inside
Best Editing
Laura Colwell and Vanara Taing – Jazzy
Olivier Bugge Coutté and Olivia Neergaard-Holm – The Apprentice
Anne McCabe – Nightbitch
Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5 — WINNER
Arielle Zakowski – Dìdi
Someone to Watch Award
Nicholas Colia – Griffin in Summer
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch — WINNER
Phan Thien An – Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
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
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
How To Die Alone — WINNER
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Hollywood Black — WINNER
Photographer
Ren Faire
Social Studies