Spirit Awards Nominations: Peter Hujars Day Leads Film Nominees With Five Nods

The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been revealed.

Peter Hujar’s Day topped the film nominees with five nods, followed by a number of films that each scored four nominations: Blue Sun Palace; Lurker; One of Them Days; Sorry, Baby; and Train Dreams. Lucky Lu, The Plague and Twinless each received three nods.

In the TV categories, Adolescence, Forever and Mr Loverman lead with four nominations apiece.

Peter Hujar’s Day; The Plague; Sorry, Baby; Train Dreams; and Twinless are all nominated for the top prize of best feature. Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, meanwhile, will receive the Robert Altman Award, given to a film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

Adolescence, Forever and Mr Loverman are all nominated for best new scripted series, alongside Common Side Effects and North of North.

“The distinguished and inspired work produced by our nominated artists this year shows both the incredible breadth and the essential nature of independent art being created today,” Film Independent acting president Brenda Robinson said in a statement. “These artists brilliantly demonstrate that there is no limit to the places where storytellers are able to find drama, humor and beauty, all while challenging audiences to stay engaged and curious, to protect the space where independent art can thrive.”

The 41st Independent Spirit Awards is set to take place on Feb. 15 from the Hollywood Palladium after 40 years in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The show will be streamed live on the Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels and other social platforms.

Since 2023 the Spirit Awards has recognized performers in gender-neutral categories.

This year’s Spirit Awards nominees come from 18 different countries and their budgets range from $35,000 to $20 million. Forty one percent of this year’s nominees are women and 33 percent are Black, Indigenous or people of color.

Anora was the big winner at the 2025 Spirit Awards earlier this year, winning three awards, including the top prize of best feature ahead of its Oscars best picture win and dominant performance.

Read on for a full list of the 2026 Spirit Awards nominations across film and TV.

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
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
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)
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
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

Best First Screenplay

Andrew DeYoung, Friendship
Elena Oxman, Outerlands
Alex Russell, Lurker
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
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
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
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
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

Robert Altman Award

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

The Long Walk
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
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
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

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

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

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
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
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
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
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
Michael Cooper Jr., Forever
Ernest Kingsley Junior, Washington Black

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

Chief of War

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