The ceremony also had a newbie host, former Saturday Night Live star Ego Nwodim, who tried her best to keep the energy in the room up with dynamic bits. The best one included a “sexual tension cam” that let put real-life couples like Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst and Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon on the awkward spot. But many of her bits didn’t seem to land in the room, despite her best efforts.
Still, the show had its highlights. Train Dreams won best feature film, best director for Clint Bentley, and best cinematography for Adolpho Veloso. The winner of best feature film is often an Oscar contender and every few years aligns with best picture (Moonlight, Nomadland, Everything Everywhere All At One, and Anora). Train Dreams is nominated for best picture, but not expected to win that category, so it was nice to see the indie film earn lots of love.
Netflix had a very nice day overall, with limited series Adolescence winning every category it was nominated in: New scripted series, lead performance for Stephen Graham, supporting performance for Erin Doherty, and breakthrough performance for Owen Cooper.
With Oscar voting opening just a week and a half from now, there were plenty of contenders making a pit stop at the show, even if their projects weren’t nominated at the Spirits. Weapons star Amy Madigan handed out the first award of the night, and Sinners stars Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo, The Secret Agent star Wagner Moura, and Song Sung Blue’s Kate Hudson also presented awards.
Another Oscar nominee, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You star Rose Byrne, who also presented, won the award for lead performer, giving another gracious awards speech following her Golden Globes win. “This character of Linda really could only exist in an independent film. She’s fierce and she’s gracious and she’s a middle-aged woman,” she said.
Byrne, though beloved all season, isn’t likely to also win the best actress Oscar since she’s up against Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley there. The two most likely categories for overlap are best documentary feature, which went to Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor, and best international feature, which went to The Secret Agent.