On Monday, December 1, 2025, THE GOTHAM AWARDS live streamed on Variety's YouTube channel. TEGNA network affiliates available to local audiences in 51 markets across the country on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV also streamed the event.The evening awards show was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

40 feature films and 25 performances were nominated for this the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards. The Gothams provides early recognition and media attention for outstanding and groundbreaking storytellers, including writers, directors, producers and actors. Independent committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers and film curators select the nominees. Separate independent juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and other film industry professionals determined the final recipients of The Gothams.

The Gothams Tributes, the organization's highest honors celebrating outstanding achievement in film, were also presented at the ceremony. The Tributes recognize the industry's most accomplished creators and performers whose work has made an indelible impact on both the art form and popular culture. Frankenstein received the Gotham Vanguard Tribute for its bold reimagining of the timeless tale. The cast of Sinners received the Ensemble Tribute for their bracing, inspired performances. Tessa Thompson received the Spotlight Tribute for her magnetic portrayal in Nia DaCosta's Hedda. Noah Baumbach received the Gotham Director Tribute for his remarkable career and his latest achievement, Jay Kelly. Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman received the inaugural Gotham Musical Tribute for their outstanding musical performances in Song Sung Blue. Jeremy Allen White and Scott Cooper received The Gotham Cultural Icon Tribute for their remarkable collaboration on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts received the Visionary Tribute for their provocative and powerful partnership on After the Hunt.

The Gothams film winners for 2025 are:

For Best Feature, presented by Chris Rock and Naomi Watts

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; Produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, and Adam Somner - Released by Warner Bros. Pictures

The Best Feature jury included: Alec Baldwin, Alex Coco, Danielle Deadwyler, Julia Oh, and Janet Yang

For Best International Feature, presented by Ethan Hawke and Andrew Scott

Directed by Jafar Panahi; Produced by Philippe Martin and Jafar Panahi - Released by NEON

The Best International Feature jury included: Laure de Clermont, Mike Goodridge, Annette Insdorf, Kishori Rajan, and Claire Taylor

For Best Documentary Feature, presented by Alina Cho

Directed by Julia Loktev; Produced by Julia Loktev - Self-distributed

The Best Documentary Feature jury included: Fabien Greenberg, Stephen Maing, Leslie Norville, Katharina Otto-Bernstein, and Nisha Pahuja

For Best Director, presented by Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones

Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident - Released by NEON

The Best Director jury included: James Faust, Mary Harron, Lynn Nottage, Jane Schoenbrun and Sebastian Stan

For Best Original Screenplay, presented by Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor

Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident - Released by NEON

The Best Original Screenplay jury included: Peter Chiarelli, Gia Coppola, Gina Duncan, Justin Kuritzkes, and Audra McDonald

For Best Adapted Screenplay, presented by Amanda Seyfried and Stellan Skarsgård

Harry Lighton for Pillion - Released by A24

The Best Adapted Screenplay jury included: Raúl Castillo, Ann Dowd, Cheryl Dunye, Jeremy Garelick, and Katie Silberman

For Breakthrough Director, presented by Rose Byrne and Wagner Moura

Akinola Davies Jr. for My Father's Shadow - Released by MUBI

The Breakthrough Director jury included: Vera Drew, Gabriel Mayers, Channing Godfrey Peoples, A.V. Rockwell, and Sean Wang

For Outstanding Lead Performance, presented by Elle Fanning and Kristen Stewart 

Sopé Dìrísù in My Father's Shadow - Released by MUBI

The Outstanding Lead Performance jury included: Hugh Dancy, Scott Lambert, Molly Ringwald, Jeymes Samuel, and Shira-Lee Shalit

For Outstanding Supporting Performance, presented by Lee Byung hun and Minnie Driver

Wunmi Mosaku in Sinners - Released by Warner Bros. Pictures

The Outstanding Supporting Performance jury included: Monica Barbaro, Kim Coleman, Lily Gladstone, Clarence Maclin, and Katy O'Brian

For Breakthrough Performer, presented by Imogen Poots and Renate Reinsve 

Abou Sangaré in Souleymane's Story - Released by Kino Lorber

The Breakthrough Performer jury included: Ana Lily Amirpour, Timothy Hutton, Nia Long, David Lowery, and Brandon Wilson

The Gotham also announced the winners of its seventh annual Focus Features Student Short Film Showcase. The five winning filmmakers were: 

Loyola Marymount University

Columbia University

University of Texas at Austin

New York University

Columbia University

A little bit more about The Gotham Film & Media Institute. The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gothams, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.