‘Anora’ and ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ Lead Nominations for 2025 Indie Spirit Awards

The nominations for the 40th Anniversary Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced, with both Anora and I Saw the TV Glow leading the way, each securing six nominations in the film categories. This year's ceremony is set to take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, with Aidy Bryant returning as the host.

Anora, directed by Sean Baker, continues to gain acclaim following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned the prestigious Palme d'Or. Meanwhile, I Saw the TV Glow, a horror film directed by Jane Schoenbrun, also competed strongly, tying with Anora for the highest number of nominations. Other films like Didi, Sing Sing, and Janet Planet received four and three nominations, respectively.

This year's nominations demonstrate some inconsistencies, as different committees are responsible for various categories. Notably, both Anora and I Saw the TV Glow are the only films selected for nominations in both the Best Feature and Best Director categories, along with acting nods for the respective films.

In contrast, films like Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and The Substance were nominated for Best Feature but did not see their directors recognized, as nominations went instead to Ali Abbasi for The Apprentice, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and Alonso Ruizpalacios for La Cocina—none of which were nominated for Best Feature.

The Brutalist faced significant competition, as it was widely considered snubbed, with Corbet being the sole nominee after the film received the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Film. Overall, A24, the film's distributor, garnered a total of 19 nominations across eight films, overshadowing The Brutalist with five other titles receiving more nominations.

On the television side, Shōgun and Baby Reindeer stood out, with five and four nominations respectively.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards focus on films produced with budgets under $30 million and ensure that eligible films have either been featured at designated film festivals or shown theatrically for at least one week in 2024. As per the guidelines, films must classify as "American productions" to qualify for most categories, unless they fall under the Best International or Best Documentary categories.

During the past decade, the Spirit Awards have included a number of films that received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, with varying results in terms of matches. The average number of Spirit acting nominees recognized by the Academy each year hovers just under five.

Complete List of Film Nominees

Here is a summary of some nominees featured in the upcoming awards:

BEST FEATURE
Anora
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
I Saw the TV Glow
Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall
Nickel Boys
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine
Sing Sing
Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton
The Substance
Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Didi
Director/Producer: Sean Wang
Janet Planet
Director/Producer: Annie Baker
The Piano Lesson
Director: Malcolm Washington
Problemista
Director/Producer: Julio Torres

This year’s ceremony promises to be an exciting event highlighting innovative independent films and talented filmmakers.

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