'Anora' and 'I Saw the TV Glow' Lead Spirit Award Nominations

On December 4, 2024, the Film Independent Spirit Awards announced their nominations via a livestream on YouTube. Leading the nominations were two standout films: Anora, directed by Sean Baker, and I Saw the TV Glow, helmed by Jane Schoenbrun. Both films received six nominations each, including the prestigious categories of Best Film and Best Director.

Anora tells the story of a New York stripper and has been recognized with top honors at the Cannes Film Festival. Three actors from the film were nominated for their performances: Mikey Madison for Best Lead Performance, and Yura Borisov and Karren Karagulian for Best Supporting Performances. The Spirit Awards implement gender-neutral acting categories, allowing a diverse range of talent to be recognized.

In the Best Lead category, Justice Smith was nominated for his role in I Saw the TV Glow, while Brigette Lundy-Paine earned a nomination for Best Supporting Performance. Other films nominated for Best Feature alongside Anora and I Saw the TV Glow include Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, Sing Sing by Greg Kwedar, and The Substance by Coralie Fargeat.

In the Best Director category, the nominees also included Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, Ali Abbasi for The Apprentice, and Alonso Ruizpalacios for La Cocina. Sebastian Stan received recognition for his performance as a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice, though he was not nominated for his role in A Different Man.

Additional nominees for lead performances featured names like Amy Adams for Nightbitch, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, and Demi Moore for The Substance. The supporting categories highlighted both emerging talents and established actors, including Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain and Carol Kane for Between the Temples.

The Spirit Awards are known for sometimes aligning with major Oscar contenders, as seen in past ceremonies, while other years see distinct differences. Last year's winners included notable films like Past Lives and American Fiction. Eligibility for the awards is limited to productions with budgets of $30 million or less, which excludes higher-budget films like Wicked and Dune: Part Two.

International nominees included films such as All We Imagine as Light from India, Black Dog from China, and Green Border by Agnieszka Holland. Notably, the Netflix films Emilia Pérez and Maria were only eligible for international feature nomination but did not make the list.

The Robert Altman Award, which recognizes an ensemble cast, was awarded to His Three Daughters, a film directed by Azazel Jacobs, featuring a talented cast including Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen.

The Spirit Awards also celebrate new fiction and non-fiction television series, with nominees including the popular Netflix series Baby Reindeer, Shōgun, and Ren Fair.

Since changing to gender-neutral acting categories in 2022, this year's nominees reflect diversity, with 46% being women and 30% people of color. The independent film studio A24 continued to dominate the nominations with 19 total, for films like I Saw the TV Glow, Sing Sing, and The Brutalist.

The Spirit Awards ceremony is scheduled for February 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, California, and will be streamed live on IMDb and YouTube. Comedian Aidy Bryant is set to host the event.

Awards, Film, Nominations, Entertainment