The New York Film Critics Circle announced its 2025 winners on December 2, with Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another taking the top prize for Best Film. The awards, voted on by over 50 New York-based critics, also honored performances by Benicio Del Toro, Wagner Moura, and Rose Byrne, among others. This early bellwether highlights bold choices in the awards season.
Overview
The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), the oldest critics' organization in the U.S., revealed its 2025 award winners after a voting session in Manhattan on December 2, 2025. Paul Thomas Anderson's Warner Bros. epic One Battle After Another secured Best Film, following its win at the Gotham Awards the previous night. The film also earned Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro, marking his second NYFCC win after Traffic in 2000.
Key Wins
Best Director went to Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident, a Neon release that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Panahi, recently sentenced to prison in Iran for propaganda activities, dedicated a prior Gotham win to deprived filmmakers. Wagner Moura took Best Actor for his role in The Secret Agent, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, which also won Best International Film.
Rose Byrne won Best Actress for her performance in Mary Bronstein's black comedy If I Had Legs I’d Kick You from A24. Amy Madigan received Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, praised for her complex villainous turn as Aunt Gladys. Best Screenplay was awarded to Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein for Marty Supreme.
Other categories included Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw's work on Ryan Coogler's Sinners, Best Animated Feature for Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, Best Non-Fiction Feature for My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow, and Best First Film for Carson Lund's Eephus.
Context and Implications
The NYFCC awards often predict Oscar nominations but rarely align with Best Picture winners, having matched only once in the past decade with The Artist. Last year's Best Film, The Brutalist, saw its lead Adrien Brody nominated for an Oscar. The ceremony dinner is set for January 6, 2026, emphasizing the group's focus on cinephilia over hype.
