You have your big award shows like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Emmys and what-have-you. But smaller projects get recognition in the industry too, thanks to the Independent Spirit Awards. The latest event will be taking place on February 15, 2026, from the Hollywood Palladium after 40 years of being set in a tent on a Santa Monica beach. Many smaller films that have garnered good buzz at film festivals will be up for awards, such as If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Sorry, Baby, Twinless, Train Dreams and more.
The Hollywood Reporter has just unveiled the list of this year’s nominations. You can check out some of them below, but for a full comprehensive list, head on over to their site HERE, as there is more to come.
And the nominees are:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
- 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
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
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
