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Shadows Awards45th Shadows Awards for 2025
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Complete lists posted on Wednesday, 31 December 2025
All reviews are available on the site.

45th shadows awards

B E S T   F I L M
 Sirat Sirāt
directed by Oliver Laxe

As a critic, it's rare to see a film that elicits such shock and awe as this devastatingly emotional odyssey. Using a rave vibe and Mad Max aesthetic, filmmaker Oliver Laxe makes all of us feel like migrants seeking a life that makes just a bit more sense.

2. SINNERS (Ryan Coogler)
3. IS THIS THING ON?
    (Bradley Cooper)
4. HAMNET (Chloe Zhao)
5. CACTUS PEARS
    (Rohan Parashuram Kanawade)
6. GOOD ONE (India Donaldson)
7. SENTIMENTAL VALUE
    (Joachim Trier)
8. SORRY, BABY (Eva Victor)
9. 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA
    (Mstyslav Chernov)
10. WAKE UP DEAD MAN
    (Rian Johnson)
11. Rental Family (Hikari)
12. Warfare
      (Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland)
13. It Was Just an Accident
      (Jafar Panahi)
14. Red Path (Lotfi Achour)
15. Train Dreams (Clint Bentley)
16. Palestine 36 (Annemarie Jacir)
17. The Secret Agent
      (Kleber Mendonca Filho)
18. Julie Keeps Quiet
      (Leonardo van Dijl)
19. Belén (Dolores Fonzi)
20. La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino)
21. Kokuhō (Lee Sang-il)
22. Pillion (Harry Lighton)
23. Cover-Up
      (Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus)
24. Islands (Jan-Ole Gerster)
25. On Swift Horses (Daniel Minahan)
26. The President's Cake
      (Hasan Hadi)
27. Plainclothes (Carmen Emmi)
28. The Mastermind (Kelly Reichardt)
29. Eddington (Ari Aster)
30. Holy Cow (Louise Courvoisier)
31. Cielo (Alberto Sciamma)
32. Die My Love (Lynne Ramsay)
33. Lurker (Alex Russell)
34. Tornado (John Maclean)
35. A House of Dynamite
      (Kathryn Bigelow)
36. One Battle After Another
      (Paul Thomas Anderson)
37. To a Land Unknown
      (Mahdi Fleifel)
38. Zodiac Killer Project
      (Charlie Shackleton)
39. My Father's Shadow
      (Akinola Davies Jr)
40. Wicked: For Good (Jon M Chu)
41. Materialists (Celine Song)
42. Viet and Nam (Truong Minh Quy)
43. The Ballad of Wallis Island
      (James Griffiths)
44. Mea Culpa (Patrick Tass)
45. Nouvelle Vague (Richard Linklater)
46. Twinless (James Sweeney)
47. The Testament of Ann Lee
      (Mona Fastvold)
48. Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)
49. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
      (Mary Bronstein)
48. KPop Demon Hunters
      (Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang)

NB. I saw 407 films in 2025
See also:
SHADOWS HALL OF FAME
2024   <   SHADOWS AWARDS

director: zhao D I R E C T O R

Chloé Zhao
Hamnet
2. Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland
    - Warfare
3. Lynne Ramsay - Die My Love
4. Ryan Coogler - Sinners
5. India Donaldson - Good One
6. Oliver Laxe - Sirat
7. Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
8. Kelly Reichardt - The Mastermind
9. Mary Bronstein - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
10. Celine Song - Materialists

Honourable mention: Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite). Clint Bentley (Train Dreams). Mona Fastvold (The Testament of Ann Lee). Sandhya Suri (Santosh). Annemarie Jacir (Palestine 36).

screenwriter: coogler S C R E E N W R I T E R

Ryan Coogler
Sinners
2. Eva Victor - Sorry, Baby
3. Rian Johnson - Wake Up Dead Man
4. Jafar Panahi -
    It Was Just an Accident
5. Harry Lighton - Pillion
6. India Donaldson - Good One
7. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade - Cactus Pears
8. Chloe Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet
9. Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
10. Kleber Mendonca Filho - The Secret Agent

Honourable mention: Hikari & Stephen Blahut (Rental Family). Santiago Fillol & Oliver Laxe (Sirat). Celine Song (Materialists). Colin Thornton & Darren Thornton (Four Mothers). Tom Basden & Tim Key (The Ballad of Wallis Island).

actress: buckley A C T R E S S

Jesse Buckley
Hamnet
2. Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
3. Camila Plaate - Belen
4. Leonie Benesch - Late Shift
5. Jennifer Lawrence - Die My Love
6. Tessa Van den Broeck - Julie Keeps Quiet
7. Yasmine Al Massri - Palestine 36
8. Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
9. Laura Dern - Is This Thing On, Jay Kelly
10. Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You



Honourable mention: Shahana Goswami (Santosh). Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good). Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee, The Housemaid). Sydney Sweeney (Christy, The Housemaid, Eden). Emma Stone (Bugonia, Eddington).

actor: pellerin A C T O R

Théodore Pellerin
Lurker, Nino
2. Michael B Jordan - Sinners
3. Paul Mescal - The History of Sound,
    Hamnet
4. Stellan Skarsgard - Sentimental Value
5. Mahmood Bakri - To a Land Unknown
6. Josh O'Connor - The Mastermind, Wake Up Dead Man,
    The History of Sound, Rebuilding
7. Ryo Yoshizawa - Kokuho
8. Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent
9. Will Poulter - Warfare, On Swift Horses
10. Sergi Lopez - Sirat

Honourable mention: Jacob Elordi (On Swift Horses, Frankenstein). Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme). Karim Daoud Anaya (Palestine 36). Pedro Pascal (Materialists, Eddington, The Fantastic 4: First Steps, The Uninvited, Freaky Tales). Dylan O'Brien (Ponyboi, Twinless).

supporting: hoss S U P P O R T I N G
A C T R E S S

Nina Hoss
Hedda
2. Glenn Close - Wake Up Dead Man
3. Amy Madigan - Weapons, Rebuilding
4. Youn Yuh-jung - The Wedding Banquet
5. Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
6. Fiona Shaw - Hot Milk, Park Avenue
7. Mariam Afshari - It Was Just an Accident
8. Naomi Ackie - Mickey 17, Sorry Baby,
    The Thursday Murder Club
9. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
10. Maxine Peake - I Swear

Honourable mention: Joan Chen (The Wedding Banquet). Tania Maria (The Secret Agent). Dearbhla Molloy (Four Mothers). Milvia Marigliano (La Grazia). Emma Thompson (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Dead of Winter).

supporting: caton S U P P O R T I N G
A C T O R

Miles Caton
Sinners
2. Kit Connor - Warfare
3. Tonatiuh - Kiss of the Spider Woman
4. Alexander Skarsgard - Pillion
5. Min Tanaka - Kokuho
6. Noah Jupe - Hamnet, The Carpenter's Son
7. Jay Lycurgo - Steve
8. Ken Watanabe - Kokuho
9. Jack O'Connell - Sinners, 28 Years Later
10. Archie Madekwe - Lurker


Honourable mention: Armado Arjay Babon (Magellan). Russell Tovey (Plainclothes). Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet). Diego Calva (On Swift Horses). Mark Hamill (The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk).

H A L L   O F   S H A M E

worst: a working man W O R S T   F I L M
A Working Man
dir David Ayer
2. The Home (James DeMonaco)
3. Star Trek: Section 31
    (Olatunde Osunsanmi)
4. Him (Justin Tipping)
5. Night of Violence (Illya Konstantin)
6. The Electric State
    (Joe & Anthony Russo)
7. Bull Run (Alfredo Barrios Jr)
8. The Pickup (Tim Story)
9. The Ice Tower (Lucile Hadzihalilovic)
10. Harvest (Athina Rachel Tsangari)
11. Pig Hill (Kevin Lewis)
12. A Minecraft Movie (Jared Hess)
13. The Parenting (Craig Johnson)
14. Don't Let the Cat Out (Tim Cruz)
15. Red Sonja (MJ Bassett)
16. The Partisan (James Marquand)
17. Hot Milk (Rebecca Lenkiewicz)
18. High Rollers (Ives)
19. Shelby Oaks (Chris Stuckmann)
20. Gazer (Ryan J Sloan)
21. Paul & Paulette Take a Bath (Jethro Massey)
22. Breakwater (Max Morgan)
23. Eden (Ron Howard)
24. The Cut (Sean Ellis)
25. William Tell (Nick Hamm)
26. Here (Robert Zemeckis)
27. The Monkey (Osgood Perkins)
28. Lilo & Stitch (Dean Fleischer Camp)
29. The Old Guard 2 (Victoria Mahoney)
30. Smurfs (Chris Miller)
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Harvest. The Shrouds. The Old Guard 2. Superman.
LEAST FUNNY COMEDY: The Parenting
LEAST ROMANTIC LOVE STORY: Hot Milk
LEAST SCARY THRILLER: The Parenting
The Home. The Monkey. Opus.
LEAST 'SPECIAL' EFFECTS: Snow White
 disappointment: section 31 BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Star Trek: Section 31
After the Hunt. Avatar: Fire and Ash. Superman. Elio.
MOST PRETENTIOUS: The Ice Tower
April. Harvest. Him.
MOST DERIVATIVE: The Pickup
A Working Man. The Home. Him.
You're Cordially Invited.
WORST MESSAGE:
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
MOST OVERBLOWN (THE MICHAEL BAY AWARD):
The Electric State
Lilo & Stitch. Snow White. The Running Man.
Star Trek: Section 31.
MOST OVERSTUFFED:
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Nuremberg. William Tell. Marty Supreme.
MOST UNDERCOOKED: Karate Kid: Legends
Love Hurts. The Parenting. The Running Man. The Cut.
CHOPPIEST EDITING: Star Trek: Section 31
MOST CYNICALLY PACKAGED: The Running Man
WORST TITLE:
Extremely Unique Dynamic
Smurfs. The Naked Gun. Him.
MOST THANKLESS ROLE:
Chloe Sevigny (After the Hunt)
Emilia Jones (The Running Man). Lydia Peckham (Nuremberg). Natasha Lyonne (The Fantastic 4: First Steps).
The Dwarfs (Snow White).
MOST ANNOYING VOICEOVER
(THE MORGAN FREEMAN AWARD):
Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)
MURKIEST IMAGERY: The Ice Tower
MOST WASTEFUL DIRECTOR:
Joe & Anthony Russo (The Electric State)
MOST WASTED DIRECTOR:
Joe & Anthony Russo (The Electric State)
SHOULD RETIRE: Tim Story
PLEASE STOP: Jack Black's clowning.
Jason Statham's sleepwalking.
WORST MANAGEMENT:
Danielle Brooks (A Minecraft Movie)

A R T I S T I C   A C H I E V E M E N T   A W A R D S

ensemble: warfare ENSEMBLE: Warfare
2. It Was Just an Accident
3. One Battle After Another
4. Sinners
5. Wake Up Dead Man
BREAKOUT FILMMAKER:
Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)
2. Harry Lighton (Pillion)
3. India Donaldson (Good One)
4. Clint Bentley (Train Dreams)
5. Carmen Emmi (Plainclothes)
BREAKOUT ACTOR:
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
2. Robert Aramayo & Scott Ellis Watson (I Swear)
3. Miles Caton (Sinners)
4. Ryan Destiny (The Fire Inside)
5. Everett Blunck (The Plague)
music: sirat MUSIC:
Sirat (Kangding Ray)
2. Sinners (Ludwig Goransson)
3. One Battle After Another
(Jonny Greenwood)
4. The Testament of Ann Lee
(Daniel Blumberg)
5. The Ballad of Wallis Island
(Tom Basden, Adem Ilhan)
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Warfare (David Thompson)
2. Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw)
3. Marty Supreme (Darius Khondji)
4. Sirat (Mauro Herce)
5. Is This Thing On? (Matthew Libatique)
EDITING:
A House of Dynamite (Kirk Baxter)
2. Sinners (Michael Shawver)
3. Hamnet (Chloe Zhao, Affonso Gonsalves)
4. Warfare (Fin Oates)
5. One Battle After Another (Andy Jurgensen)
 design: kokuho PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Kokuho (Yohei Taneda)
2. Frankenstein (Tamara Deverell)
3. Ballad of a Small Player
(Jonathan Houlding)
4. Sinners (Hannah Beachler)
5. The Phoenician Scheme
(Adam Stockhausen)
COSTUMES: Hedda (Lindsay Pugh)
2. Kokuho (Kumiko Ogawa)
3. Father Mother Sister Brother
(Catherine George)
4. Wicked: For Good (Paul Tazewell)
5. The Ugly Stepsister (Manon Rasmussen)
MAKEUP & HAIR: The Smashing Machine
2. Kokuho
3. Magazine Dreams
4. Weapons
5. Kill the Jockey
effects: avatar fire and ash EFFECTS:
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2. Wicked: For Good
3. Frankenstein
4. Together
5. Mickey 17
ANIMATION: Chang'An
2. Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
3. Ne Zha 2
4. The Most Precious of Cargoes
5. Scarlet
SOUND DESIGN: Sirat
2. Warfare
3. Presence
4. Sinners
5. The Thing With Feathers
STUNTS: Tornado
3. Warfare
4. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
5. One Battle After Another

S U P E R L A T I V E S

underrated: Eddington MOST UNDERRATED:
Eddington
2. Warfare
3. Is This Thing On?
4. A House of Dynamite
5. Materialists
MOST OVERRATED:
The Life of Chuck
2. The Ice Tower
3. Hot Milk
4. F1
5. One Battle After Another
MOST IMPORTANT FILM:
It Was Just an Accident
2. Palestine 36
3. The Secret Agent
4. Cactus Pears
5. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
MOST INVENTIVE: Sinners
Sirat. Plainclothes. Pillion. Die My Love.
MOST ORIGINAL TAKE ON A TIRED GENRE:
Is This Thing On?
Warfare. Tornado. Four Mothers. Heavyweight
SMARTEST TAKE ON A COMPLEX ISSUE: Rental Family
Sorry, Baby. Good One. Sentimental Value. Late Shift.
important: 2000 Meters to Andriivka MOST IMPORTANT DOC:
2000 Meters to Andriivka
2. The Marbles
3. Cover-Up
4. Mea Culpa
5. Folktales
MOST INVENTIVE DOC:
Zodiac Killer Project
Mea Culpa. The Extraordinary Miss Flower. Where Dragons Live. Stans.
MOST INSPIRING DOC:
Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf
Luther: Never Too Much. Love+War.
Folktales. Wind, Tide & Oar.
MOST ENTERTAINING DOC: Megadoc
My Mom Jayne. One to One: John & Yoko.
I Am Martin Parr. Memorabilia.
MOST DEPRESSING DOC: 2000 Meters to Andriivka
MOST BLOOD-BOILING DOC: Flamingo Camp
Cover-Up. The Marbles.
LEAST OBJECTIVE DOC: Riefenstahl
biopic: Is This Thing On BEST BIOPIC: Is This Thing On?
2. Belen
3. I Swear
4. Song Sung Blue
5. The Testament of Ann Lee.
WORST BIOPIC:
Eden. William Tell.
MOST HOLLYWOODISED BIOPIC:
Mr Burton. The Alto Knights.
FUNNIEST MOVIE: The Naked Gun
2. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
3. Four Mothers
4. Splitsville
5. Heads of State
NUTTIEST MOVIE: Bugonia
Mickey 17. The Surfer. The Toxic Avenger.
Kill the Jockey. The Housemaid.
SILLIEST MOVIE: A Minecraft Movie
The Naked Gun. Fixed. You're Cordially Invited.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
SEXIEST MOVIE: Pillion.
Night Stage. Islands. Motel Destino. Departures.
THE FAMILY VALUES AWARD: The Love That Remains
Song Sung Blue. Left-Handed Girl. Goodbye June.
 remake: bugonia BEST REMAKE: Bugonia
2. The Wedding Banquet
3. Highest 2 Lowest
4. Frankenstein
5. Kiss of the Spider Woman.
WORST REMAKE: Red Sonja
The Running Man. Lilo & Stitch. Wolf Man.
MOST SURPRISINGLY NOT-AWFUL REMAKE: The Toxic Avenger
BEST SEQUEL: Wake Up Dead Man
Wicked: For Good. 28 Years Later.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
WORST SEQUEL: The Old Guard 2. Smurfs.
MOST SURPRISINGLY NOT-AWFUL SEQUEL:
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
The Accountant 2. The Conjuring: Last Rites. Nobody 2
BEST PREQUEL: Wicked: For Good
BEST REBOOT: The Fantastic 4: First Steps
The Naked Gun.
WORST REBOOT: Superman
BEST SPINOFF: The Book of Clarence
WORST SPINOFF: Star Trek: Section 31. Ballerina.
BEST SHORT: Anuja
book-to-film: hamnet BEST BOOK-TO-FILM: Hamnet
Train Dreams. On Swift Horses. One Battle After Another. No Other Choice.
WORST BOOK-TO-FILM: Hot Milk
The Running Man.
BEST SHORT-TO-FEATURE: Ponyboi
BEST COMIC-TO-FILM: The Fantastic 4: First Steps
WORST COMIC-TO-FILM: Red Sonja
WORST TV-TO-FILM: Star Trek: Section 31.
BEST STAGE-TO-FILM: Merrily We Roll Along
Wicked: For Good. Hedda. Kiss of the Spider Woman.
WORST GAME-TO-FILM: A Minecraft Movie
BEST FAIRYTALE-TO-FILM: The Ugly Stepsister
WORST FAIRYTALE-TO-FILM: Snow White
BEST DOC-TO-DRAMA: Last Breath
thriller: Caught Stealing MOST THRILLING THRILLER:
Caught Stealing
Tornado. Presence. The Shadow's Edge.
SCARIEST MOVIE: Sirat
A House of Dynamite.
Warfare. The Lost Bus.
GRISLIEST MOVIE: Novocaine
Bring Her Back. Your Host.
Ballerina. Sisu: Road to Revenge.
GIRLIEST MOVIE: Freakier Friday
One of Them Days. The Ugly Stepsister. Young Mothers. Brides.
MANLIEST MOVIE: Warfare
Pillion. Nuremberg. Heavyweight. F1. Sovereign.
MOPIEST MOVIE (THE TWILIGHT AWARD):
April. The Ice Tower. Rebuilding.
TALKIEST MOVIE: Peter Hujar's Day
Materialists. Blue Moon. After the Hunt. Sex
YUCKIEST MOVIE: Together
The Ugly Stepsister. Harvest. The Shrouds.
NASTIEST MOVIE: The Rule of Jenny Pen
28 Years Later. Weapons. Hedda. Sisu: Road to Revenge
TRASHIEST MOVIE (THE JOHN WATERS AWARD):
The Electric State. Harvest. Ponyboi. Eden.
SCRAPPIEST MOVIE: It Was Just an Accident
Caught Stealing. A Cell Phone Movie. Song Sung Blue.
STRAIGHTEST GAY MOVIE (THE BROKEBACK AWARD): Him. The Long Walk. Breakwater.
GAYEST STRAIGHT MOVIE (THE BROMANCE AWARD): To a Land Unknown. Lurker. Splitsville. Rent Free.

E V E N   M O R E   P R I Z E S !

casting: jupe brothers BEST CASTING:
Jacobi and Noah Jupe (Hamnet)
2. Dwayne Johnson
(The Smashing Machine)
3. Nicolas Cage (The Surfer)
4. Sharon Stone (Nobody 2)
5. Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein).
See also: Nouvelle Vague. Sirat. Warfare. Goodbye June.
BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE:
Will Patton (Train Dreams)
2. Yonas Kibreab (Elio)
3. Charlie Shackleton (Zodiac Killer Project)
4. Sam Rockwell (The Bad Guys 2)
5. Danielle Brooks (The Bad Guys 2)
BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCE: Indy (Good Boy)
Pipa & Lupita (Sirat). The dogs (Is This Thing On).
Mabel (H Is for Hawk). Juan Salvador (The Penguin Lessons). The meerkat (Left-Handed Girl).
BEST HAIR: Pamela Anderson (The Naked Gun).
Cate Blanchett (Black Bag). Sam Riley (Islands).
Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine).
WORST HAIR:
Nicolas Cage (The Carpenter's Son, The Surfer)
Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring: Last Rites). Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another). Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon).
WORST MAKE-UP:
Robert Kazinsky (Star Trek: Section 31)
LEAST EXPRESSIVE FACE: John Travolta (High Rollers)
babe: anderson BABE OF THE YEAR:
Pamela Anderson (The Naked Gun)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another).
Zoe Kravitz (Caught Stealing).
Fala Chen (Ballad of a Small Player).
Sophie Thatcher (Companion).
HUNK OF THE YEAR:
Alexander Skarsgard (Pillion)
Jonathan Bailey (Jurassic World: Rebirth, Wicked: For Good).
LaKeith Stanfield (Die My Love).
Tyriq Withers (Him).
David Corenswet (Superman).
MOTHER OF THE YEAR:
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You).
Fiona Shaw (Hot Milk, Park Avenue).
Sarah Niles (F1).
Helen Mirren (Goodbye June).
BEST CHEMISTRY:
Keke Palmer & SZA (One of Them Days)
Alison Brie & Dave Franco (Together). Jacob Elordi & Diego Calva (On Swift Horses). Jodie Foster & Daniel Auteuil (A Private Life). Ryo Yoshizawa & Ryusei Yokohama (Kokuho).
WORST CHEMISTRY:
Emma Mackey & Vicki Krieps (Hot Milk)
BEST VILLAIN:
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Mark Ruffalo (Mickey 17). John Lithgow (The Rule of Jenny Pen). Jack O'Connell (Sinners). Sean Penn (One Battle After Another).
MOST LUDICROUS VILLAIN:
The Entity (Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning)
scene stealer: close BEST SCENE-STEALING:
Glenn Close (Wake Up Dead Man)
Niamh Cusack (Four Mothers).
Joan Chen (The Wedding Banquet).
Jason Momoa (A Minecraft Movie).
Allison Janney (The Roses, Another Simple Favour).
BEST SCENE-CHEWING:
Oona Chaplin (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another).
Fionnula Flanagan (Four Mothers).
Jason Isaacs (Heavyweight).
Rupert Friend (Companion).
WORST SCENE-CHOMPING: Paul Bettany (Here)
Jack Black (A Minecraft Movie). Ben Kingsley (William Tell). Tessa Thompson (Hedda).
guilty pleasure: The Ballad of Wallis Island GUILTY PLEASURE:
The Ballad of Wallis Island
2. KPop Demon Hunters
3. G20
4. Heads of State
5. Freakier Friday
NICEST SURPRISE: Is This Thing On?
2. Rental Family
3. Pillion
4. Song Sung Blue
5. Goodbye June
BEST HEART-STOPPER:
The handbrake (Sirat)
Hamlet (Hamnet). The explosion (Warfare).
All of 2000 Meters to Andriivka.
BEST SHOW-STOPPER:
Sammie's song (Sinners)
The electric saw (Together). Most of Eddington.
MOST PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE:
Emma Stone (Bugonia)
Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee).
Harry Melling (Pillion). Jack Champion (Avatar: Fire and Ice).
See also: Kokuho. The Long Walk. Warfare.
BEST PHONED-IN PERFORMANCE:
Jonathan Pryce (William Tell)
Ian McShane (Deep Cover, Ballerina).
The Thursday Murder Club.
BEST LINE OF DIALOG: "Queer theory takes all the fun out of being gay," The Wedding Banquet.
BEST TITLE: Freakier Friday
FILM HISTORY AWARD: Nouvelle Vague
Zodiac Killer Project. Megadoc. My Mom Jayne.
Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan.
cameo: dern BEST CAMEO:
Laura Dern (Caught Stealing)
Udo Kier (The Secret Agent).
Justin Long (Weapons).
Carol Kane (Caught Stealing).
Nick Jonas (You're Cordially Invited).
CAMEO-RAMA:
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
The Phoenician Scheme. Marty Supreme. F1. Freakier Friday.
MOST POINTLESS CAMEO:
Priscilla Presley (The Naked Gun)
Bradley Cooper (Superman). Jamie Lee Curtis (Star Trek: Section 31). Jemaine Clement (A Minecraft Movie).
EWAN McGREGOR GOLDEN LIGHT SABER AWARD:
Jude Law (Eden)
Chi Lewis-Parry (28 Years Later). Joaquin Phoenix (Eddington). Channing Tatum (Roofman).
Ralph Fiennes (The Return). Kyle Marvin (Splitsville).
hardest working: mcnairy THE HARDEST WORKING PERSON IN MOVIES: Pedro Pascal (Materialists,
The Fantastic 4: First Steps, Eddington,
The Uninvited, Freaky Tales)
BEST REINVENTION:
Amy Madigan (Weapons).
Liam Neeson (The Naked Gun).
Emma Thompson (Dead of Winter).
BEST NEW TREND:
Complex explorations of big topics
(Sorry Baby, Good One, Salt Water).
Properly scary original horror (Weapons, Together).
WORST NEW TREND:
Slavish live-action remakes (How to Train Your Dragon).
Sloppy live-action remakes (Lilo & Stitch).
Seemingly AI-written scripts (F1, The Pickup).
MOST ANTICIPATED FILM OF 2026: The Odyssey
Dune: Part Three. Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.
Disclosure Day. Digger. Wuthering Heights. Toy Story 5. Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth.
LEAST ANTICIPATED FILM OF 2026: Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat II. The Angry Birds Movie 3.
Return to Silent Hill. Greenland 2: Migration.
Violent Night 2. Practical Magic 2. Masters of the Universe.
Cliffhanger 2. Avengers: Doomsday.

N O N - F I L M   P I C K S

tv: Adolescence T V   S E R I E S
Adolescence
Netflix
2. Hacks 4 (Max)
3. The White Lotus 3 (HBO)
4. Chief of War (Apple)
5. Boots (Netflix)
6. Juice 2 (BBC)
7. Only Murders in the Building 5
    (Hulu)
8. Too Much (Netflix)
9. Andor 2 (Disney)
10. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC)
11. The Four Seasons (Netflix)
12. Fisk (Netflix)
13. The Studio (Apple)
14. Mr Loverman (BBC)
15. Loot 3 (Apple)
16. Alien: Earth (FX)
17. The Last of Us 2 (HBO)
18. English Teacher 2 (FX)
19. Wednesday (Netflix)
20. A Man on the Inside 2 (Netflix)
21. Stranger Things 5 (Netflix)
22. Dexter: Resurrection (Showtime)
23. Peacemaker 2 (Max)
24. Chad Powers (Hulu)
25. The Institute (MGM)
26. Stick (Apple)
27. Paradise (Disney)
28. Dexter: Original Sin (Showtime)
27. The Conners 7 (ABC)
28. Murderbot (Apple)


tv performance: smart L E A D   T V
P E R F O R M A N C E
Jean Smart
Hacks
2. Lennie James - Mr Loverman
3. Bella Ramsey - The Last of Us
4. Stephen Graham - Adolescence
5. Jason Isaacs - The White Lotus
6. Colman Domingo - The Four Seasons
7. Megan Stalter - Too Much
8. Diego Luna - Andor
9. Carrie Coon - The White Lotus
10. Genevieve O'Reilly - Andor
tv ensemble: bear T V
E N S E M B L E
The White Lotus
2. Hacks
3. The Four Seasons
4. Chief of War
5. Only Murders in the Building
6. Boots
7. Andor
8. The Last of Us
9. House of Guinness
10. Nine Perfect Strangers

GUILTY PLEASURE: The Celebrity Traitors
2. The Traitors (UK, US, Australia, NZ)
3. The Wild Ones
4. Long Way Home
5. Drag Race (US, UK, All-Stars)

WORST TV SERIES: Adults (FX)
2. Severance 2 (Apple)
3. Mid-Century Modern (Disney)
4. Etoile (Amazon)
5. And Just Like That 3 (HBO).
single: golden S I N G L E
Golden
Huntr/x
2. DtMF - Bad Bunny
3. Where Is My Husband - Raye
4. Undressed - Sombr
5. Manchild - Sabrina Carpenter
6. Daisy, When the Wine Runs Out
    - Role Model
7. The Giver - Chappell Roan
8. Rubber Band Man
    - Mumford and Sons & Hozier
9. I Lied to You - Miles Caton
10. Show Me Love - WizTheMc, Bees & Honey
11. Ordinary - Alex Warren
12. Sapphire - Ed Sheeran
13. Call Me When You Break Up
    - Selena Gomez, Benny Bianco, Gracie Abrams
14. Smoke the Pain Away - Calvin Harris
15. Dive - Olivia Dean
16. The Subway - Chappell Roan
17. Remember - Becky Hill & David Guetta
18. Twilight Zone - Ariana Grande
19. Rushmere - Mumford & Sons
20. Abracadabra - Lady Gaga
21. Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else - Benson Boone
22. Sports Car - Tate McRae
23. Voy a Llevarte pa PR - Bad Bunny
24. It Isn't Perfect But It Might Be - Olivia Dean
25. Your Idol - Saja Boys
26. Bluest Flame - Selena Gomez, Benny Bianco
27. Azizam - Ed Sheeran
28. I Really Like You - Carlie Rae Jepsen
29. Baile Inolvidable - Bad Bunny
30. Soda Pop - Saja Boys
tv performance: cooper S U P P O R T I N G   T V
P E R F O R M A N C E
Owen Cooper
Adolescence
2. Ariyon Bakare - Mr Loverman
3. Carol Burnett - Palm Royale
4. Allison Janney - Palm Royale
5. Sam Nivola - The White Lotus
6. Annie Murphy - Nine Perfect Strangers
7. Luciane Buchanan - Chief of War
8. Ardash Gourev - Alien: Earth
9. Te Ao o Hinepehinga - Chief of War
10.Michaela Rodriguez - Loot
stage: Figures in Extinction S T A G E   S H O W S
Figures in Extinction
at Sadler's Wells
2. Inside Giovanni's Room
    (Sadler's Wells East)
3. Acosta Danza: A Decade in Motion
    (Sadler's Wells)
4. Get Down Tonight
    (Charing Cross Theatre)
5. Jonah Non Grata (Soho Theatre)
6. Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour
    (Jackson's Lane)
7. Antigone [on strike] (Park)
8. Ebony Scrooge (Sadler's Wells East)
9. Double Act (Southwark Playhouse)
10. Kiki & Herb Are Trying (Soho Theatre Walthamstow)
STAGE PERFORMANCES: Paris Fitzpatrick (Quadrophenia). Malachi Welch (Ebony Scrooge). Nick Hyde & Oliver Maynard (Double Act). Simon Kane (Jonah Non Grata). Leah Hill (Ebony Scrooge).
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Inside Giovanni's Room (Sadler's Wells East). Deepstaria (Sadler's Wells). Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet (Sadler's Wells). Snow White: The Sacrifice (Sadler's Wells East). Ebony Scrooge (Sadler's Wells East).
2024   <   SHADOWS AWARDS
© 2025 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

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