‘Sinners’ Leads Houston Film Critics Nominations

For Immediate Release

Sinners Leads Houston Film Critics Nominations
Houston critics will name the best of 2025 on January 20

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 11, 2026) — Sinners – director Ryan Coogler’s epic musical horror show – leads the nominees for the 20th annual awards from the Houston Film Critics Society. The film received 14 nominations including Best Picture of 2025.

Closely following with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, is One Battle After Another, the revolutionary girl-dad action comedy from Paul Thomas Anderson. Other films competing for Best Picture are the conspiratorial satire Bugonia, the automotive thrill ride F1, the revisionist Frankenstein, the Shakespearean tragedy Hamnet, the ping-pong odyssey Marty Supreme, the genre blending political thriller The Secret Agent, the estranged family drama Sentimental Value, the ethereal Western Train Dreams and the multistory horror tale Weapons.

“Years from now, we will look back on 2025 as the year where filmmakers just ‘went for it’ in a big way” says Travis Leamons, the Society’s President. “The highs are really, really high; and our organization doesn’t shy away from recognizing films that might drive a stake to the heart or pull at your heartstrings. The films this year made it fun to see stuff on the biggest screens possible.”

Nominated as the year’s Best Actors are Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis superstar in Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio as an aging revolutionary in One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke as Broadway composer Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers in Sinners, and Wagner Moura as a research scientist in The Secret Agent.

Competing for Best Actress are Jessie Buckley as a loving wife and mother in Hamnet, Rose Byrne as a troubled wife and mother in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson as a single mother and determined singer in Song Sung Blue, Chase Infiniti as a fearless daughter in One Battle After Another, Renate Reinsve as a questioning daughter in Sentimental Value, and Emma Stone as a questioned CEO in Bugonia.

The Society will announce all winners on January 20. An annual highlight of the HFCS awards will be the Texas Independent Film Award, honoring productions made in the Lone Star State. This year’s nominees are Joseph Kahn’s ode to science fiction B-movies Ick, Kim A. Snyder’s documentary The Librarians, the Houston Oilers documentary Luv Ya Bum, Isabel Castro’s documentary Selena y Los Dinos and Rod Lurie’s second chance story The Senior.

The 40 members of the Houston Film Critics Society are working film journalists on television, radio, online and in traditional print. Together, they reach millions of people each week across the United States with their critiques and commentaries on film. The organization’s mission is to promote the advancement and appreciation of film in the Houston community and beyond. For a list of members, visit www.HoustonFilmCritics.com.

2025 Houston Film Critics Society Nominees

Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Weapons

Best Director
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Actor – Leading Role
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best Actress – Leading Role
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Actor – Supporting Role
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Best Actress – Supporting Role
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Best Screenplay
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Animated Feature
Arco
The Bad Guys 2
KPop Demon Hunters
Ne Zha 2
Zootopia 2

Best Cinematography
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
Claudio Miranda, F1
Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another

Best Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution
Cover-Up
My Mom Jayne
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor

Best Foreign Language Feature
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Daniel Lopatin, Marty Supreme
Hans Zimmer, F1
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners

Best Original Song
“Golden”, KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied to You”, Sinners
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)”, Sinners
“Our Love”, The Ballad of Wallis Island
“Train Dreams”, Train Dreams

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman

Best Stunt Coordination Team
Ballerina
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Casting
Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After Another
Francine Maisler, Sinners
Jennifer Venditti, Marty Supreme
Nina Gold, Hamnet
Robin D. Cook, Frankenstein

Best Ensemble
One Battle After Another
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man

Texas Independent Film Award
Ick
The Librarians
Luv Ya Bum
Selena y Los Dinos
The Senior

MEDIA CONTACT:
Travis Leamons, President
Houston Film Critics Society
thedvdlounge@yahoo.com