'I Saw the TV Glow' & other queer noms lead 2025 Independent Spirit Awards

A legendary list of LGBTQ+ noms at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards!

It's always great to see an awards season full of queer nominees!

Queer films and artists dominated the nominations at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. I Saw the TV Glow earned six nominations, leading all films alongside Anora, which also had six.

Following the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards recognize excellence in independent cinema.

One of the things that makes the Independent Spirit Awards so unique is that it has a $30 million cap on production budgets for films, meaning that some movies like Conclave and Emilia Pérez don't qualify.

As of 2022, the Independent Spirit Awards have gender neutral acting categories, opening the field up to nonbinary actors, who scored two nominations, one in the Supporting Performance category and one in Breakthrough Performance.

Keep scrolling to check out the LGBTQ+ nominations at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards — and make sure tune in to watch the ceremony on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

'I Saw the TV Glow' — Best Feature

This brilliant existential horror film that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of being trans and not transitioning is one of the big surprises of the awards, leading all films along with Anora with six nominations, including here in Best Feature. It's up against Anora, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and The Substance.

'In the Summers' — Best First Feature

Queer Colombian-American director Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio's first film is loosely based on her childhood visiting her father in Colombia during the summers. It won the Grand Jury Prize U.S. Dramatic at Sundance.

'Problemista' — Best First Feature

Julio Torres' first film, Problemista, scored a nomination here thanks to its brilliant new look at the American Dream. The movie follows a young immigrant who dreams of being a toy designer and gets a job working for an eccentric art critic in order to secure a visa. Torres is also nominated for Best First Screenplay.

'Big Boys' — John Cassavetes Award

This award is given to the best feature made for under $1 million. Big Boys follows a young man on a camping trip who develops a new crush on another boy there.

'The People's Joker' — John Cassavetes Award

Writer/Director Vera Drew just won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director for this film and now is up for another award! The People's Joker is the most creative comic book movie you'll ever see, combining the filmmaker's coming out as a trans woman with the origin story of The Joker and a story about trying to break into the comedy scene.

Jane Schoenbrun — Best Director, Best Screenplay

Jane Schoenbrun is nominated for both Best Director and Best Screenplay for their work on I Saw the TV Glow. It's the only film nominated in both categories.

Colman Domingo — Best Lead Performance

Domingo won the Gotham Award for Best Lead for his performance as a wrongfully incarcerated man in Sing Sing, and picked up another nomination here. Could the Oscars be next? Definitely.

Hunter Schafer — Best Lead

One pleasant surprise is seeing trans actress Hunter Schafer nominated for Best Lead for her turn as a Final Girl in the horror movie Cuckoo.

Justice Smith — Best Lead

We are overjoyed to see Justice Smith pick up a nomination for his layered and haunting role as a teen, young adult, and older man throughout this horror masterpiece.

Jack Haven — Best Supporting Performance

Smiths' TV Glow co-star is one of two nonbinary performers nominated this year. They play a disaffected teen in the movie who helps to open the main character's eyes.

Katy O'Brian — Breakthrough Performance

Katy O'Brian was one of 2024 most giant breakthrough performers for her role as a troubled lesbian bodybuilder in the stunning thriller Love Lies Bleeding.

Mason Alexander Park — Breakthrough Performance

Mason Alexander Park, a nonbinary actor, was nominated for playing a queer drag queen and rodeo performer in National Park, a coming-of-age film.

Maisy Stella — Breakthrough Performance

Maisy Stella, who is queer, plays a teen who takes mushrooms, meets her future self, and questions her sexuality in this comedy.