National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates with Four Wins

The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) revealed its winners for the 60th edition of the best films, filmmakers, and performances of the year where Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling, urgent American odyssey, One Battle After Another won four awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Anderson, Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro and Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor.

One Battle After Another becomes the fourth film in history to complete the quartet of Best Picture prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, and now, the National Society of Film Critics, joining Schindler’s List, L.A. Confidential, and The Social Network. It’s a significant sign of support from the critical community as we head into the next phase of awards. In addition to the enthusiasm this season for Anderson’s impressive direction, Del Toro and Taylor continue to illustrate the power of their performances as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos and Perfidia Beverly Hills.

Blue Moon had its strongest performance with a critics group this season, with a win in Best Actor for Ethan Hawke, and runner-up mentions for Richard Linklater in Best Director and Robert Kaplow in Best Screenplay. The Secret Agent also completed the trifecta of International Feature wins, with additional runners-up notices in Best Picture, Best Actor for Wagner Moura, and Best Screenplay for Kleber Mendonça Filho. Notably, Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman of color and the second woman to win Best Cinematography. Notably, Sinners had four runner-up mentions in Best Picture, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo, and Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku. Perhaps the most exciting surprise on the list is Kathleen Chalfant’s win for Best Actress for her wonderful performance in Familiar Touch, which hopefully prompts cinephiles to seek out this independent film.

“This was a great year for movies and — as we’re hardly the only critics’ group to acknowledge — an especially resonant one for movies about revolution and solidarity,” said Justin Chang, chair of the NSFC. “Following a difficult year for journalism and filmmaking, it’s thrilling to salute One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident,’ My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow and Sinners, and all the other brilliant films represented among our winners and runners-up.”

Chang was re-elected chair and Joshua Rothkopf was re-elected vice-chair for 2026.

Best Picture: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (57 points)

Runners-up: SINNERS (29 points); THE SECRET AGENT (27 points)

Best Film Not in the English Language: THE SECRET AGENT (57 points)

Runners-up: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (57 points); SENTIMENTAL VALUE (38 points)

Best Nonfiction Film: MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I — LAST AIR IN MOSCOW (56 points)

Runners-up: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (22 points); ORWELL: 2+2=5 (18 points)

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (54 points)

Runners-up: Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (48 points); Richard Linklater, BLUE MOON and NOUVELLE VAGUE (39 points)

Best Actress: Kathleen Chalfant, FAMILIAR TOUCH (45 points)

Runners-up: Rose Byrne, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (39 points); Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (37 points)

Best Actor: Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON (57 points)

Runners-up: Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT (43 points); Michael B. Jordan, SINNERS (36 points)

Best Supporting Actress: Teyana Taylor, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (56 points)

Runners-up: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (47 points); Wunmi Mosaku, SINNERS (41 points)

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (54 points)

Runners-up: Delroy Lindo, SINNERS (37 points); Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (30 points)

Best Screenplay: Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (53 points)

Runners-up: Robert Kaplow, BLUE MOON (50 points); Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT (40 points)

Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, SINNERS (50 points)

Runners-up: Adolpho Veloso, TRAIN DREAMS (36 points); Michael Bauman, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (29 points)

Best Experimental Film: MORNING CIRCLE (Basma al-Sharif)

Film Heritage Award: Cinema Tropical, for its tireless efforts to distribute, program and promote Latin American cinema in the U.S.

Film Heritage Award: The Film Desk, for releasing key movies from all over the world, in 35mm prints and on home video, and publishing books that have enriched the public’s knowledge of cinema.

Film Heritage Award: the late Ken and Flo Jacobs, an irreplaceable, gravitational center of the American avant-garde, with a shared artistic sensibility that helped define experimental cinema.

Special Award for a Film Awaiting U.S. Distribution: LANDMARKS (Lucrecia Martel)

• Author
• Recent Posts

Sophia Ciminello

Sophia is a lifelong film enthusiast who considers herself a scholar of Best Actress winners, the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, and 1970s cinema. She hosts and produces the podcast "Oscar Wild," where she celebrates her love of cinema with retrospectives, deep dives on all 23 Oscar categories, and interviews with directors and creatives. She thanks her mother for her love of Old Hollywood and her father for letting her stay up late to watch the Oscars when she was in preschool. Her favorite Best Picture winners are All About Eve and Ordinary People. You can follow her on Twitter @sophia_cim.

Latest posts by Sophia Ciminello (see all)

• National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates with Four Wins - January 3, 2026
• Interview: Gwyneth Paltrow on “Boys and Their Toys,” goop, and Returning to the Silver Screen for ‘Marty Supreme’ - December 24, 2025
• Interview: Production Designer Jack Fisk on Recreating 1950s New York and Building a Ping Pong Playground in ‘Marty Supreme’ - December 23, 2025