Gotham Awards 2025: Leonardo’s back-to-back battles ahead. Complete winners list

Awards season officially kicks off in Manhattan as the 35th Gotham Awards return with a mix of indie spirit, star power and a significantly expanded list of contenders. Paul Thomas Anderson’s one fight after another took home Best Feature, while Jafar Panahi it was just an accident emerged as the biggest winner of the night with three major honours, including Best Director and Best International Feature.

This year, the Best Feature category was expanded to 10 nominees. Anderson’s win marks a milestone in his career. one fight after anotherwhich entered the ceremony with six nominations and has already crossed the $200 million mark globally, earning it its first Gotham Award after several previous nods. Accepting the trophy he said, “I didn’t expect this. Thank you so much for rewarding this film, for enjoying this film. I had a great time making it.”

Panahi’s victory carried a greater emotional charge. His film was also France’s official entry for the International Feature Oscar, earning both Best Director and Best International Feature. “This award belongs to everyone who worked for me on this film,” he said on stage. He said, “I want to dedicate this to independent filmmakers around the world, especially those who are deprived of the right to see and be seen, yet continue to create and strive.”

In the acting categories, Sop Dirisu won the Outstanding Lead Actor award. shadow of my fatherWhile Wunmi Mosaku received the award for Outstanding Supporting Performance sinnersWhile accepting the collective tribute from sinners Actor, filmmaker Ryan Coogler shared, “I felt like I traveled, the movies transported me, and the actors were the vehicles.”

Abu Sangar got the decisive honor Souleymane’s story and director Akinola Davis Jr. shadow of my fatherThe ceremony also introduced a new competitive category, Best Adapted Screenplay, for which Harry Pillion was awarded, back seat,

My Unwanted Friends: Part I – Last Trip in Moscow Won the award for Best Documentary Feature. The film, which focuses on freelance journalists designated as “foreign agents” in Russia, also recently received an indie film site Network Advocate Award.

While most of the speeches were emotional and reflective, the night was not devoid of humor. Adam Sandler earned the biggest laugh of the evening while presenting an award, quipping, “I remember watching The Squid and the Whale and I immediately called my agent: ‘Billy Baldwin got the tennis coach role? I could do that. I play tennis. Do you know me at all?’ Sorry, go on, Emily.”

Here are the winners of the 2025 Gotham Awards:

best feature
One-on-One Fight: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sarah Murphy, Adam Somner, Producer (Warner Bros. Pictures)

best director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

excellent leadership performance
Soap Doctors, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

excellent supporting performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Breakthrough Artist
Abu Sangar, The Story of Souleymane (Kino Lorber)

Best Documentary Feature
My Unwanted Friends: Part I – The Last Flight into Moscow: Julia Lokteva, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)

decisive director
Akinola Davis Jr., My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident: Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, Producer (Neon)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24)

Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (Neon)

With surprises, extraordinary speeches, and strong performances from both established writers and emerging filmmakers, the Gotham Awards set the tone: the race to Oscar season has officially begun.