Independent Spirit Awards · Film Independent

Best Picture - Independent

Year Winner Recipients
2025 Train Dreams

Best Director

Year Winner Recipients
2025 Train Dreams Clint Bentley
2024 Anora Sean Baker
2023 Past Lives Celine Song
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
2021 The Lost Daughter Maggie Gyllenhaal
2020 Nomadland Chloé Zhao
2019 Uncut Gems Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins
2017 Get Out Jordan Peele
2016 Moonlight Barry Jenkins
2015 Spotlight Tom McCarthy
2014 Boyhood Richard Linklater
2013 12 Years a Slave Steve McQueen
2012 Silver Linings Playbook David O. Russell
2011 The Artist Michel Hazanavicius
2010 Black Swan Darren Aronofsky

Best Screenplay

Year Winner Recipients
2025 Sorry, Baby Eva Victor
2024 A Real Pain Jesse Eisenberg
2023 American Fiction Cord Jefferson
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
2021 The Lost Daughter Maggie Gyllenhaal
2020 Promising Young Woman Emerald Fennell
2019 Marriage Story Noah Baumbach
2018 Can You Ever Forgive Me? Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
2017 Lady Bird Greta Gerwig
2016 Moonlight Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney
2015 Spotlight Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer
2014 Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy
2013 12 Years a Slave John Ridley
2012 Silver Linings Playbook David O. Russell
2011 The Descendants Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne
2010 The Kids Are All Right Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg

Best Lead Performance

Year Winner Recipients
2025 If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Rose Byrne
2024 Anora Mikey Madison
2023 American Fiction Jeffrey Wright
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Michelle Yeoh

Best Supporting Performance

Year Winner Recipients
2025 Sorry, Baby Naomi Ackie
2024 A Real Pain Kieran Culkin
2023 The Holdovers Da'Vine Joy Randolph
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Ke Huy Quan

Best Cinematography

Year Winner Recipients
2025 Train Dreams Adolpho Veloso
2024 Nickel Boys Jomo Fray

Best Ensemble

Year Winner Recipients
2025 The Long Walk

Best International Film

Year Winner Recipients
2025 The Secret Agent
2024 Flow
2023 Anatomy of a Fall
2022 Joyland
2021 Drive My Car
2020 Quo Vadis, Aida?
2019 Parasite
2018 Roma
2017 A Fantastic Woman
2016 Toni Erdmann
2015 Son of Saul
2014 Ida
2013 Blue Is the Warmest Color
2012 Amour
2011 A Separation
2010 The King's Speech

Best Picture

Year Winner Recipients
2024 Anora
2023 Past Lives
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once
2021 The Lost Daughter
2020 Nomadland
2019 The Farewell
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk
2017 Get Out
2016 Moonlight
2015 Spotlight
2014 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2013 12 Years a Slave
2012 Silver Linings Playbook
2011 The Artist
2010 Black Swan

Best Documentary

Year Winner Recipients
2023 Four Daughters

Best Actor

Year Winner Recipients
2021 Red Rocket Simon Rex
2020 Sound of Metal Riz Ahmed
2019 Uncut Gems Adam Sandler
2018 First Reformed Ethan Hawke
2017 Call Me by Your Name Timothée Chalamet
2016 Manchester by the Sea Casey Affleck
2015 Beasts of No Nation Abraham Attah
2014 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Michael Keaton
2013 Dallas Buyers Club Matthew McConaughey
2012 The Sessions John Hawkes
2011 The Artist Jean Dujardin
2010 127 Hours James Franco

Best Actress

Year Winner Recipients
2021 Zola Taylour Paige
2020 Promising Young Woman Carey Mulligan
2019 Judy Renée Zellweger
2018 The Wife Glenn Close
2017 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Frances McDormand
2016 Elle Isabelle Huppert
2015 Room Brie Larson
2014 Still Alice Julianne Moore
2013 Blue Jasmine Cate Blanchett
2012 Silver Linings Playbook Jennifer Lawrence
2011 My Week with Marilyn Michelle Williams
2010 Black Swan Natalie Portman

Best Supporting Actor

Year Winner Recipients
2021 CODA Troy Kotsur
2020 Sound of Metal Paul Raci
2019 The Lighthouse Willem Dafoe
2018 Can You Ever Forgive Me? Richard E. Grant
2017 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Sam Rockwell
2016 Hell or High Water Ben Foster
2015 Beasts of No Nation Idris Elba
2014 Whiplash J.K. Simmons
2013 Dallas Buyers Club Jared Leto
2012 Magic Mike Matthew McConaughey
2011 Beginners Christopher Plummer
2010 Winter's Bone John Hawkes

Best Supporting Actress

Year Winner Recipients
2021 Passing Ruth Negga
2020 Minari Youn Yuh-jung
2019 The Farewell Zhao Shuzhen
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Regina King
2017 I, Tonya Allison Janney
2016 Other People Molly Shannon
2015 Tangerine Mya Taylor
2014 Boyhood Patricia Arquette
2013 12 Years a Slave Lupita Nyong'o
2012 The Sessions Helen Hunt
2011 The Descendants Shailene Woodley
2010 Winter's Bone Dale Dickey