Everybody has heard about the Academy Awards, but few know about the Gotham Awards. Now in it’s 26th year, this is the event that marks the winning of motion pictures inclined towards indie films. And yet, why is it so important? If the past is anything to go by, those who won big at the Gotham Awards later became favorites at the Oscars and won the grandest awards from the Academy.
For example, Best Feature winners at the Gotham awards, two years in a row, went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards – Birdman (2014) and Spotlight (2015).
So while February 2017 will witness another flurry of Hollywood award nights, this silent influencer quietly came and went, taking place in the last days of November. This year, the Gotham Awards saw a clear winner for a film that picked up awards in different categories, including winning the biggest title of the night, that’s right – Best Feature. That film is Moonlight.
Check out the complete list of winners of the Gotham Awards 2016
Best Feature
Certain Women
Everybody Wants Some!!
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight – WINNER
Paterson
Best Documentary
Cameraperson
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made in America – WINNER
Tower
Weiner
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Robert Eggers – The Witch
Anna Rose Holmer – The Fits
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Swiss Army Man
Trey Edward Shults – Krisha – WINNER
Richard Tanne – Southside with You
Best Screenplay
Taylor Sheridan – Hell or High Water
Whit Stillman – Love & Friendship
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins (Screenplay), Tarell Alvin McCraney (Story) – Moonlight – WINNER
Jim Jarmusch – Paterson
Best Actor
Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea – WINNER
Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water
Adam Driver – Paterson
Joel Edgerton – Loving
Craig Robinson – Morris from America
Best Actress
Kate Beckinsale – Love & Friendship
Annette Bening – 20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert – Elle – WINNER
Ruth Negga – Loving
Natalie Portman – Jackie
Breakthrough Actor
Lily Gladstone – Certain Women
Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea
Royalty Hightower – The Fits
Sasha Lane – American Honey
Anya Taylor-Joy – The Witch – WINNER
Special Jury Award for Ensemble Performance
Moonlight
Breakthrough Series – Long Form
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – WINNER
The Girlfriend Experience
Horace and Pete
Marvel’s Jessica Jones
Master of None
Breakthrough Series – Short Form
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo – YouTube
Her Story – herstoryshow.com – WINNER
The Movement – Mic.com
Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People – Seriously.TV
Surviving – YouTube
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award
Moonlight
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