2025 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards: ‘A Complete Unknown,’ ‘Sing Sing,’ ‘Shōgun,’ Among Top Winners

AARP The Magazine, which puts on the annual Movies for Grownups (MFG) Awards, revealed their winners today in a star-studded ceremony in Beverly Hills which saw James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown named Best Picture as well as Best Time Capsule film. Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star Harrison Ford was on hand to give him the award.

Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Demi Moore (The Substance) were the lead acting winners for film. Both had just won the same awards at last night’s Critics Choice Awards and at the Golden Globes last month. Dìdi‘s Joan Chen and Peter Sarsgaard (September 5) picked up the supporting wins and Jacques Audiard was named Best Director for Emilia Pérez.

Thelma was the Best Intergenerational Film and star 93-year old star June Squibb received a standing ovation as she walked to the stage with her co-star Fred Hechinger. Sing Sing won the group’s Best Ensemble award with stars Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin to accept the honor.

In television, Shōgun, Jon Hamm and Jodie Foster were the top winners.

Glenn Close was unable to receive her AARP Career Achievement Award in order to be present for the birth of her first grandchild but sent a video acceptance speech. “I am a 77-year old actor with you in spirit today,” she said in a pre-recorded video.

For more than two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has championed movies for grownups, by grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism and encouraging films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers. 

The annual MFG Awards ceremony had been originally scheduled on January 11, 2025, but was postponed due to the devastating wildfires impacting Los Angeles. Alan Cumming, the Tony- and Emmy Award-winning host of the widely lauded competition show The Traitors, returned as the host, constantly breaking into songs riffing off from A Complete Unknown, Emilia Pérez, Gladiator II and more.

AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards, which will be broadcast by Great Performances on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 7pm ET on PBS.

AARP also announced that AARP Foundation, a charitable affiliate of AARP, had donated proceeds raised from the Movies for Grownups Awards to local organizations to aid with Los Angeles’ wildfire recovery efforts for affected families and communities.

Separately, AARP Foundation launched a disaster relief fund to provide critical aid to wildfire victims—especially vulnerable older adults. AARP Foundation will direct 100% of all funds raised to organizations on the ground to both meet the urgent needs of those impacted and support the long-term recovery efforts. To amplify public impact, AARP pledged to match donations dollar for dollar—up to $500,000. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the match was met in just over 24 hours, resulting in over $1,000,000 to support relief and recovery initiatives.

The complete list of the annual Movies for Grownups Awards:

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups

A Complete Unknown – WINNER

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Gladiator II 

September 5

Best Actress

Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl),

Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths)

Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)

Demi Moore (The Substance) – WINNER

June Squibb (Thelma)

Best Actor

Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) – WINNER

Daniel Craig (Queer)

Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)

Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)

Jude Law (The Order)

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen (Didi) – WINNER

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys)

Lesley Manville (Queer)

Connie Nielsen (Gladiator II)

Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)

Best Supporting Actor

Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)

Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)

Peter Sarsgaard (September 5) – WINNER

Stanley Tucci (Conclave)

Denzel Washington (Gladiator II

Best Director

Pedro Almodóvar (The Room Next Door)

Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) – WINNER

Edward Berger (Conclave)

James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)

Ridley Scott (Gladiator II)

Best Screenwriter

Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Livecchi (Emilia Pérez)

Jay Cocks and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)

Winnie Holzman (Wicked) – WINNER

Peter Straughan (Conclave)

Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part Two).

Best Ensemble

A Complete Unknown

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

His Three Daughters

September 5

Sing Sing – WINNER

Best Actress (TV)

Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)

Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country) – WINNER

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)

Sofia Vergara (Griselda)

Best Actor (TV)

Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)

Idris Elba (Hijack)

Jon Hamm (Fargo) – WINNER

Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)

Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun)

Best TV Series or Limited Series

The Crown

Hacks

Palm Royale

Shōgun – WINNER

Slow Horses  

Best Intergenerational Film

Didi

Here

His Three Daughters

The Piano Lesson

Thelma – WINNER

Best Time Capsule

A Complete Unknown – WINNER

The Brutalist

Here

Maria

September 5

Best Documentary

I Am: Celine Dion

Luther: Never Too Much

Piece by Piece

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – WINNER

Will & Harper