The 35th annual Gotham Awards lit up Manhattan with a powerful and emotional evening, celebrating bold storytelling, international cinema and the start of Hollywood’s awards season. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another took home the top honour, while Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi scored an extraordinary three major wins for his Palme d’Or triumph, It Was Just an Accident.
Below is a full breakdown of the night’s biggest moments and the complete winners list.
A Historic Win for Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another claimed Best Feature, marking his very first Gotham Award after four nominations over his career.
Why the Win Matters
The film entered the awards with a record six nominations but had not secured a win until the final category.
The star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro.
It has crossed the $200 million mark at the global box office.
Anderson expressed genuine surprise as he accepted the award:
“I didn’t expect this… Thank you very much for enjoying this film.”
Jafar Panahi Sweeps the Gothams with Three Wins
Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi was the biggest winner of the night. His film It Was Just an Accident picked up:
Best International Feature
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
A Night of Emotion
Panahi accepted the awards just hours after being convicted in absentia in Iran, where he was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation.
Through an interpreter, he dedicated his wins to independent filmmakers:
“This award belongs to all people who worked on this film… a tribute to all filmmakers deprived of the right to see and be seen, yet continue to create.”
His film is also France’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars in the International Feature category.
Global Cinema Shines: UK, Nigeria, France and Iran Represented
Awards night celebrated a diverse selection of international films:
UK film My Father’s Shadow won Outstanding Lead Performance (Sopé Dìrísù) and Breakthrough Director (Akinola Davies Jr).
French-Iranian drama It Was Just an Accident dominated with three wins.
Nigerian cinema continued its rise, with Cannes-selected works earning spotlight.
The Gothams once again reinforced their position as a launching pad for independent and international film.
Acting Winners: Talent from Across the Globe
Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé Dìrísù for My Father’s Shadow
(Award accepted by director Akinola Davies Jr.)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners
(Accepted by filmmaker Ryan Coogler)
Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré for Souleymane’s Story — a touching portrayal of a Guinean immigrant navigating life in Paris.
Screenwriting Honours: Fresh Voices Emerge
Best Adapted Screenplay
Harry Pillion for Pillion, a gay biker drama acquired early by A24.
The film recently won Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards.
Best Original Screenplay
Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
(His third award of the night)
Best Documentary Feature: A Powerful Political Story
The award for Best Documentary Feature went to:
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow,
a gripping exploration of independent journalists labelled “foreign agents” by Russia’s government.
The documentary previously won the Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award, defeating several Oscar frontrunners.
Tributes: Celebrating Icons On and Off Screen
This year’s honorary tributes highlighted some of Hollywood’s most influential names:
Visionary Tribute
Luca Guadagnino
Julia Roberts (After The Hunt)
Director Tribute
Noah Baumbach (Jay Kelly)
Ensemble Tribute
The cast of Sinners
Vanguard Tribute
Guillermo del Toro
Oscar Isaac
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Spotlight Tribute
Tessa Thompson (Hedda)
Musical Tribute
Kate Hudson
Hugh Jackman (Song Sung Blue)
Cultural Icon Tribute
Jeremy Allen White
Scott Cooper (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere)
Memorable Moments from the Ceremony
Guillermo del Toro’s Bold Stand on AI
Del Toro strongly criticised the growing use of AI in filmmaking, calling for art to remain “willfully made by humans, for humans.”
Adam Sandler’s Comic Relief
Sandler delivered a hilarious presentation, joking about losing a role in The Squid and the Whale:
“Billy Baldwin got the tennis coach role? I could’ve done that!”
Julia Roberts & Luca Guadagnino’s Playful Exchange
The pair delighted the audience with a humorous bit where Roberts “translated” Guadagnino’s English into Italian.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS — Gotham Awards 2025
Best Feature
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner (Warner Bros.)
Best Director
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé Dìrísù – My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber)
Best Documentary Feature
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow – Julia Loktev
Breakthrough Director
Akinola Davies Jr – My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident – Philippe Martin & Jafar Panahi (Neon)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion – Harry Lighton (A24)
Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi (Neon)
Sources
Gotham Film & Media Institute
Deadline Hollywood
Cannes Film Festival Archives
Warner Bros. Pictures
Neon
Mubi
A24
Kino Lorber
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