2025 Gotham Awards Winners: ‘One Battle After Another’ Takes Best Feature, Jafar Panahi the Night’s Big Winner
Awards season is officially underway as the 2025 Gotham Awards, the first major awards show of the season, held once again at Cipriani in New York City, are happening tonight.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another led the nomination field with a record-setting six, including Best Feature, Best Director and two Best Supporting Performance nods. Anderson’s latest film went home with Best Feature at the end of the night, keeping the film from going 0-6.
Joining One Battle as Best Feature nominees, which expanded to 10 this year, are Bugonia, East of Wall, Familiar Touch, Hamnet, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Lurker, Sorry, Baby, The Testament of Ann Lee and Train Dreams. This is also the third year of the Gothams lifting the $35M budget limit for submissions but only Bugonia and One Battle came in with numbers above that.
It Was Just An Accident had the most wins tonight with three, the film taking home Best Director for Jafar Panahi, Best International Feature, and Best Original Screenplay. This comes after it was announced earlier today by the director’s attorney that Panahi had been sentenced to a year in prison in Iran in absentia that also included a travel ban of two years. The charges against Panahi claim his engagement in “propaganda activities.”
My Father’s Shadow took home two awards tonight: Akinola Davies Jr. won Breakthrough Director and Sopé Dìrísù won Outstanding Lead Performance. Best Adapted Screenplay went to Harry Lighton for Pillion.
Along with the competitive winners, the Gothams will also hold tributes and special awards for several of the year’s films, performances and contenders.
Warner Bros’ Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, received the Ensemble Tribute, honoring the acclaimed ensemble cast, which includes Michael B. Jordan (in dual roles as Smoke and Stack), Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Outstanding Supporting Performance winner Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Buddy Guy, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo and more.
Noah Baumbach received the Gotham Director Tribute for his work on Netflix’s waning movie star film Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney, Outstanding Supporting Performance nominee Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and more.
Tessa Thompson, an Outstanding Lead Performance nominee for her work in Amazon MGM Studios’ Hedda, received the Spotlight Tribute. The film, adapted from Henry Ibsen’s classic play and directed by Nia DaCosta, also stars Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots.
Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts received the Gotham Awards Visionary Tribute for Amazon MGM Studios’ After the Hunt. The controversial he said/she said film, directed by Guadagnino and starring Roberts, co-stars Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri.
Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman received the inaugural Gotham Musical Tribute for their performances in Focus Features’ Song Sung Blue, the true story of a Neil Diamond tribute band, directed by Craig Brewer.
Frankenstein, written and directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, along with stars Oscar Isaac and Outstanding Supporting Performance nominee Jacob Elordi, received The Gotham Vanguard Tribute, presented by J.J. Abrams.
Jeremy Allen White and Scott Cooper received the Gotham Cultural Icon Tribute for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, the biopic of music legend Bruce Springsteen as he embarks on the creation of his seminal album Nebraska, presented by E Street Band member Steven van Zandt.
Nominees were selected by committees of film critics, journalists, programmers and curators, with final winners determined by separate juries of filmmakers, producers, editors and actors.
Here is the complete list of winners of the 2025 Gotham Film Awards as they are announced.
Best Feature
Bugonia
Ari Aster, Ed Guiney, Lars Knudsen, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, Yorgos Lanthimos, Miky Lee, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, producers (Focus Features)
East of Wall
Kate Beecroft, Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
Familiar Touch
Alexandra Byer, Sarah Friedland, Matthew Thurm, producers (Music Box Films)
Hamnet
Nicolas Gonda, Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg, producers (Focus Features)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Richie Doyle, Conor Hannon, Sara Murphy, Josh Safdie, Ryan Zacarias, producers (A24)
Lurker
Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack Selby, producers (MUBI)
One Battle After Another — WINNER
Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, producers (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sorry, Baby
Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, producers (A24)
The Testament of Ann Lee
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, Joshua Horsfield, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Mark Lampert, Lillian LaSalle, Andrew Morrison, Viktória Petrányi, Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska, producers (Searchlight Pictures)
Train Dreams
Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman (producers) (Netflix)
Best Director
Mary Bronstein, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (NEON) — WINNER
Kelly Reichardt, The Mastermind (MUBI)
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Oliver Laxe, Sirât (NEON)
Breakthrough Director
Constance Tsang, Blue Sun Palace (Dekanalog)
Carson Lund, Eephus (Music Box Films)
Sarah Friedland, Familiar Touch (Music Box Films)
Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow (MUBI) — WINNER
Harris Dickinson, Urchin (1-2 Special)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (Focus Features)
Lee Byung-hun, No Other Choice (NEON)
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Sopé Dìrísù, My Father’s Shadow (MUBI) — WINNER
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love (MUBI)
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent (NEON)
Josh O’Connor, The Mastermind (MUBI)
Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
Tessa Thompson, Hedda (Orion Pictures/Amazon/MGM Studios)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein (Netflix)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value (NEON)
Indya Moore, Father Mother Sister Brother (MUBI)
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures) –WINNER
Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Andrew Scott, Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
Alexander Skarsgård, Pillion (A24)
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value (NEON)
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Breakthrough Performer
A$AP Rocky, Highest 2 Lowest (A24)
Sebiye Behtiyar, Preparation for the Next Life (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber) — WINNER
Tonatiuh, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, LD Entertainment)
Best Adapted Screenplay
No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-Mi, Jahye Lee, Don McKellar (NEON)
One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24) – WINNER
Preparation for the Next Life, Martyna Majok (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Train Dreams, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar (Netflix)
Best Original Screenplay
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Mary Bronstein (A24)
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (NEON) – WINNER
The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho (NEON)
Sorry, Baby, Eva Victor (A24)
Sound of Falling, Louise Peter, Mascha Schilinski (MUBI)
Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident – WINNER
Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, producers (NEON)
No Other Choice
Park Chan-Wook, Alexandre Gavras, Michèle Ray Gavras, Back Jisun, producers (NEON)
Nouvelle Vague
Laurent Pétin, Michèle Pétin, producers (Netflix)
Resurrection
Charles Gillibert, Yang Lele, Shan Zuolong, producers (Janus Films)
Sound of Falling
Lucas Schmidt, Maren Schmitt, producers (MUBI)
Best Documentary Feature
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Mstyslav Chernov, director; Raney Aronson-Rath, Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, producers (PBS)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Kahlil Joseph, director; Onye Anyanwu, Kahlil Joseph, David Linde, Anikah McLaren, James Shani, Steven Soderbergh, producers (Rich Spirit)
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow — WINNER
Julia Loktev, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)
The Perfect Neighbor
Geeta Gandbhir, director; Sam Bisbee, Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, producers (Netflix)
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
Sepideh Farsi, director; Javad Djavahery, Sepideh Farsi, producers (Kino Lorber)
The Gotham Nominating Committees for The Gothams were:
Best Feature and Best International Feature:
Peter Debruge, Chief Film Critic, Variety
Justin Chang, Film Critic, The New Yorker
Kate Erbland, Editorial Director, IndieWire
David Fear, Senior Film Critic, Rolling Stone
Tomris Laffly, Freelance
Best Documentary Feature:
Eric Hynes, Film Curation and Programming, Jacob Burns Film Center
Eric Kohn, Artistic Director, Southampton Playhouse
Karen McMullen, Senior Programmer, Features and Shorts, DOC NYC
Tania Ahmadi, Editor Director & Curator, Docunight
Sky Sitney, Festival Director and Co-Founder DC/DOX
Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay:
Tim Grierson, Senior U.S. Critic, Screen International
Jon Frosch, Reviews Editor and Film Critic, The Hollywood Reporter
Monica Castillo, Critic and Film Programmer, Freelance
Carlos Aguilar, Freelance
Esther Zuckerman, Freelance
Best Director and Breakthrough Director:
David Ehrlich, Head Critic and Reviews Editor, IndieWire
Guy Lodge, Film Critic, Variety
Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer, Associated Press
Beatrice Loayza, Film Critic, Freelance
Brittany Luse, Host of NPR’s It’s Been A Minute
Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance, and Breakthrough Performer:
Brian Tallerico, Managing Editor, RobertEbert.com
Robert Daniels, Associate Editor, RobertEbert.com
Douglas Greenwood, Entertainment Editor, i-D; Contributor to GQ Magazine and New York Magazine
Alison Wilmore, Film Critic, New York Magazine
Jourdain Searles, Critic, The Hollywood Reporter
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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