Spirit Awards shocker! Top nominees shut out despite major buzz and big expectations.
Wait… how do you walk into the night with the most nominations and walk out with nothing?
That was the mood at the 2026 Spirit Awards when Peter Hujar’s Day, One of Them Days, and Twinless — three of the most talked-about indie films of the year — left completely empty-handed. Yep, zero wins. And fans definitely noticed.
The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards went down Sunday at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, hosted by Ego Nwodim, and streamed live on Film Independent and IMDb’s YouTube channels. The vibes? Fun. The results? Kinda brutal.
Five Nods… And Still Nothing?
Let’s start with Peter Hujar’s Day.
The film came in hot with five nominations — more than any other movie this year. It had serious indie cred too. Written and directed by Ira Sachs, and starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, this one had all the right ingredients for a Spirit Awards moment.
Even host Ego Nwodim gave it a shoutout in her monologue, joking about how much the film managed to pack into a single day.
But when the envelopes opened? Silence.
For a film that led the nominations, going home empty-handed feels like a genuine upset. In my opinion, this is exactly why the Spirit Awards are so unpredictable — and sometimes, a little chaotic.
Keke Palmer and SZA — Shut Out Too?
Then there’s One of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and SZA.
Produced by Issa Rae, directed by Lawrence Lamont, and written by Syreeta Singleton, the film scored four nominations — including Best Feature.
It had star power. It had buzz. It had cultural heat.
Still? No wins.
And here’s the real twist: SZA was nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance. Many fans thought she had it in the bag. Instead, the award went to Kayo Martin for The Plague — a surprise that had social media doing a double take.
Was it deserved? Sure. But unexpected? Absolutely.
‘Twinless’ and Dylan O’Brien Left Hanging
Let’s not forget Twinless, the critically praised drama starring Dylan O’Brien and directed by James Sweeney.
The film picked up three nominations and was also in the Best Feature race. Many indie fans were rooting hard for it.
But just like the others — zero wins.
At some point during the night, you could feel the pattern forming. If you weren’t named Train Dreams, Lurker, or Sorry, Baby, the night just wasn’t yours.
Meanwhile, ‘Adolescence’ Dominates TV
On the TV side, the contrast was wild.
Adolescence absolutely swept, winning all four of its nominated categories. The Netflix limited series has been racking up trophies for nearly a year now — and clearly, it’s not slowing down.
But here’s the kicker: both Forever and Mr Loverman also came in with four nominations each… and walked away with nothing.
That’s a tough night.
Awards shows can be ruthless. One project sweeps, another gets steamrolled. That’s just how it goes.
So… What Happened?
Was it split votes? Stronger campaigns from competitors? Or just that classic Spirit Awards curveball?
The Spirit Awards have always prided themselves on being the cool, unpredictable cousin of the Oscars. Sometimes that means bold wins. Other times, it means major snubs that leave fans scratching their heads.
Personally, I think the shutouts say less about the quality of these films and more about how stacked this year’s indie field really was. When you’ve got multiple passion projects with real cultural buzz, somebody’s going home disappointed.
Still, it’s hard not to feel for casts and crews who showed up hopeful — especially when the nominations were so strong.
At the end of the day, awards don’t define a film’s legacy. But yeah… they definitely sting.
What do you think — were these Spirit Awards snubs fair, or did voters drop the ball this year?
