Here are the 2016 Spirit Award Nominees

“Carol,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “Spotlight” picked up the most nods.
Film + TV
Here are the 2016 Spirit Award Nominees

“Carol,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “Spotlight” picked up the most nods.

Words: FLOOD Staff

November 24, 2015

2015. Spirit Award nominee header

And the 2015/2016 award season has finally begun! This morning, Film Independent revealed the nominees for this year’s Spirit Awards, which honor and celebrate the best that independent cinema has to offer, and it looks like there are going to be a few close races. Todd Haynes‘ emotional tour de force Carol and Cary Joji Fukunaga‘s Netflix drama Beasts of No Nation both lead the pack with six nominations, while Anomalisa and Tangerine follow close behind with four nods each. Journalism ensemble drama Spotlight (which also picked up four nominations) will receive the special Robert Altman award for Best Ensemble.

Check out the entire list below and start planning your holiday viewings accordingly. The Spirit Awards ceremony will air Saturday, February 27, 2016, on IFC.

Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine

Best Director
Sean Baker, Tangerine
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes, Carol
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, Anomalisa
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell, It Follows

Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa
Donald Margulies, The End of the Tour
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer, Spotlight
S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk

Best First Feature
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
James White
Manos Sucias
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Best First Screenplay
Jesse Andrews, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Joseph Carpignano, Mediterranea
Emma Donoghue, Room
Marielle Heller, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, Myna Joseph, The Mend

Best Male Lead
Christopher Abbott, James White
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn, Mississippi Grind
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon, Mediterranea

Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Rooney Mara, Carol
Bel Powley, The Diary of A Teenage Girl
Kitana Kiki Rodriquez, Tangerine

Best Supporting Male
Kevin Corrigan, Results
Paul Dano, Love & Mercy
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins, Bone Tomahawk
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes

Best Supporting Female
Robin Bartlett, H.
Marin Ireland, Glass Chin
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anomalisa
Cynthia Nixon, James White
Mya Taylor, Tangerine

Best Documentary
(T)error
Best of Enemies
Heart of Dog
The Look of Silence
Meru
The Russian Woodpecker

Best International Film
Embrace the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
Son of Saul

Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
It Follows
Meadlowland
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Best Editing
Beasts of No Nation
Heaven Knows What
It Follows
Room
Spotlight

John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $500,000)
Advantageous
Christmas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out of My Hand

Robert Altman Award (Best Ensemble)
Spotlight

Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award
Chloe Zhoa
Felix Thompson
Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck