The 2025 Gotham Film Awards celebrated an evening of cinematic achievements, emotional speeches, and surprising wins, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio , taking home the top prize of Best Feature. The film led the night with six nominations but walked away with the top honor as its only win.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s personal moment
Accepting the Best Feature award, Anderson admitted he “didn’t expect this,” adding that he had begun to wonder what was going wrong as his film missed out in other categories. The ceremony’s December 1 date also held personal significance: he wished longtime partner Maya Rudolph a happy anniversary, saying, “Twenty-four years ago I met a lady who made me a better filmmaker.”
Jafar Panahi dominates the night
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi stole the spotlight, with his film It Was Just an Accident sweeping all three of its nominations, Best International Feature, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director, just hours after being sentenced in absentia to one year in prison in Iran.
During his speech, Panahi dedicated his awards “to independent filmmakers in Iran and around the world… who risk everything with their faith in truth and humanity.” He reflected on an early student film he destroyed, saying, “I am still here tonight,” expressing gratitude for continuing his work.
Other major winners
My Father’s Shadow won both awards it was nominated for: Breakthrough Director (Akinola Davies Jr.) and Outstanding Lead Performance, with Sopé Dìrísù triumphing over actors such as Jennifer Lawrence, Ethan Hawke, and Amanda Seyfried. Wunmi Mosaku won Outstanding Supporting Performance for Sinners, with Ryan Coogler accepting on her behalf. Abou Sangaré won Breakthrough Performer for Souleymane’s Story.
Special tribute honors
• Director Tribute: Noah Baumbach – Jay Kelly
• Ensemble Tribute: Cast of Sinners
• Spotlight Tribute: Tessa Thompson – Hedda
• Vanguard Tribute: Guillermo del Toro, Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
• Musical Tribute: Kate Hudson & Hugh Jackman – Song Sung Blue
• Visionary Tribute: Julia Roberts & Luca Guadagnino – After the Hunt
• Cultural Icon Tribute: Jeremy Allen White & Scott Cooper – Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Full competitive winners
Best Feature: One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Best International Feature: It Was Just an Accident (WINNER)
Best Documentary Feature: My Undesirable Friends: Part I, Last Air in Moscow (WINNER)
Best Director: Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident (WINNER)
Breakthrough Director: Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow (WINNER)
Best Original Screenplay: Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident (WINNER)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Pillion – Harry Lighton (WINNER),
Outstanding Lead Performance: Sopé Dìrísù – My Father’s Shadow (WINNER),
Outstanding Supporting Performance: Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (WINNER)
Breakthrough Performer: Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story (WINNER)
FAQs
1. Who won Best Feature at the Gotham Awards 2025?
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won Best Feature at the 2025 Gotham Film Awards.
2. Which film swept the international awards at the Gotham Awards?
Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident won Best Director, Best International Feature, and Best Original Screenplay.
3. Who won the breakthrough and lead performance awards?
Akinola Davies Jr. won Breakthrough Director, and Sopé Dìrísù won Outstanding Lead Performance for My Father’s Shadow.
