The Film Independent Spirit Awards returned to Los Angeles on February 15, 2026, setting up shop at the Hollywood Palladium, with Ego Nwodim hosting and the ceremony once again leaning into its mix of loose energy and real industry signaling.
At the top of the night, “Train Dreams” emerged as the big film winner, taking Best Feature while director Clint Bentley also picked up Best Director. Its Brazilian Director of Photography, Adolpho Veloso, won Best Cinematography.
Rose Byrne won Best Lead Performance for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” a reminder of how the Spirits’ gender-neutral categories can produce a single, precise moment of consensus amid a broad, stacked field. A24 also saw Eva Victor win Best Screenplay for “Sorry, Baby,” while another Sundance 2025 breakout, Alex Russell’s “Lurker,” won Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. IFC Films’ “The Plague” saw youngster Kayo Martin win Best Breakthrough Performance.
“The Perfect Neighbor” won Best Documentary, “The Secret Agent” won International Film, and “The Testament of Ann Lee” finally landed on the awards season board, taking Best Editing.
Netflix’s “Adolescence” dominated the television honors, winning four awards, the most for any television show since the Spirit Awards began honoring episodic five years ago. Those trophies included Best New Scripted Series, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series (Stephen Graham), Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series (Erin Doherty), and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series (Owen Cooper). HBO’s “Pee-wee as Himself” won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series.
Previously announced honorees included “The Long Walk,” which won the Robert Altman Award. That award goes to director Francis Lawrence and to the cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, and Garrett Wareing. The television equivalent, Best Ensemble In A New Series, went to the cast of Apple TV’s “Chief of War.” That cast includes 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, and James Udom.
Last month, three awards were handed out at the annual Spirit Awards brunch. “Valentina” director TattiRibeiro took the Someone to Watch Award, which “recognizes a talented first-time narrative filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.” “Your Touch Makes Others Invisible” director Rajee Samarasinghe received the Truer Than Fiction Award. This honor is for “a first-time director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition.” Tony Yang received the Producers Award. His first two films, “Lucky Lu” and “Blue Sun Palance,” premiered at the 2024 and 2025 Cannes Film Festivals. All three winners received a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
A complete list of this year’s nominees and winners is as follows:
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 directo,r 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 Produce,r 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
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Bluesky
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Threads
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Instagram
Sign Up For The Breakdown Newsletter
