2026 Independent Spirit Awards Winners: Complete List (Live Updates)

The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards just wrapped up, highlighting the best indie films and TV shows of the past year. Held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, the event, hosted by Ego Nwodim, featured a change in venue from its usual spot at the Santa Monica Pier due to renovations.

Netflix’s “Train Dreams” stole the show, securing the top award along with Best Director and Best Cinematography. To qualify for the Spirit Awards, a film’s budget must not exceed $30 million post-tax incentives. Recent winners like “Nomadland” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” have gone on to align with the Oscars’ Best Picture champions.

In the realm of television, “Adolescence” was the darling, sweeping its nominations in all four categories it was listed in. Among the already announced winners were “The Long Walk,” taking home the Robert Altman Award, and “Chief of War,” which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

For fans eager to keep up with the latest entertainment news and updates on what to watch, don’t miss out on our EW Dispatch newsletter. Below, check out the full list of winners from the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature: “Train Dreams”
Best Director: Clint Bentley for “Train Dreams”
Best First Feature: “Lurker”
Best Lead Performance: Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Best Supporting Performance: Naomi Ackie in “Sorry, Baby”
Best Breakthrough Performance: Kayo Martin in “The Plague”
Best Screenplay: “Sorry, Baby”
Best First Screenplay: “Lurker”
Best Cinematography: “Train Dreams”
Best Editing: “The Testament of Ann Lee”
Best Documentary: “The Perfect Neighbor”
Best International Film: “The Secret Agent”
Robert Altman Award: The cast, casting director, and director of “The Long Walk”
Someone to Watch Award: Tatti Ribeiro
Truer Than Fiction Award: Rajee Samarasinghe
John Cassavetes Award: “Esta Isla”
Producers Award: Tony Yang

Best New Scripted Series: “Adolescence”
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series: “Pee-Wee As Himself”
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series: Stephen Graham in “Adolescence”
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series: Erin Doherty in “Adolescence”
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series: Owen Cooper in “Adolescence”
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series: “Chief of War”

It was a night to remember for both film and TV creators. Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the world of streaming entertainment!