Film Independent Announces 2026 Spirit Awards Date, Leaves the Beach for New Venue
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced today that the 2026 Spirit Awards will take place on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at the Hollywood Palladium.
The move comes as Santa Monica, the longtime home of Spirit Awards, undergoes some exciting renovations. This year’s venue – the Hollywood Palladium – first opened in 1940 on the original Paramount lot, stands as a monument to Hollywood’s history while celebrating its future through the Spirit Awards.
“Following the celebration of 40 years of the Spirit Awards earlier this year, we are excited to have the opportunity to reimagine the Spirit Awards experience during a moment of tremendous growth and transformation for our organization,” said Brenda Robinson, Film Independent Acting President. “We are proud to continue to be a beacon for the bold and resilient independent storytelling community and to honor excellence in storytelling in all its forms.”
“We’re thrilled to bring the Spirit Awards to the historic Hollywood Palladium,” said Shawn Davis, Executive Producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. “This move represents our continued evolution while staying true to our roots of celebrating fearless independent voices of film and television.”
Film Independent celebrated the 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 22, 2025, hosted for the second consecutive year by SNL breakout star Aidy Bryant. Top honors went to Anora for Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison. Baby Reindeer won three awards, including Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for Richard Gadd, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for Nava Mau, and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for Jessica Gunning and Shōgun won Best New Scripted Series.
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.
- 2026 Cannes Film Festival Winners: Cristian Mingiu’s ‘Fjord’ Takes the Palme, Seventh Win in a Row for NEON - May 23, 2026
- Cannes 2026: Sandra Wollner’s ‘Everytime’ Wins Un Certain Regard Grand Prize - May 22, 2026
- ‘Coward’ Review: Belgian Soldiers Find Love in Lukas Dhont’s Hidden Romance Masterpiece [A] Cannes - May 21, 2026
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 345: Recapping the 79th Cannes Film Festival and Looking to the Awards Future 
‘The Beloved’ Review: Javier Bardem Makes a Meal Out of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Movie-Making Buffet [B] 
‘The Dreamed Adventure’ Review: Valeska Grisebach’s Observant Thriller Examines the Grey Zones of Morality [B+] 
‘Minotaur’ Review: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Timeless, Domestic Epic is an Unflinching Look at Putin’s Russia [A] Cannes