ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Following the Golden Globes last night, the North Carolina Film Critics Association has unveiled their nominees for the 2025 Best of Cinema awards, recognizing filmmaking achievement in narrative, documentary, animated and technical categories. “Sinners” leads with a record 19 nominations.

NCFCA is a body of over 60 North Carolina film critics working across print, broadcast and digital media. The winners of the group’s annual best in film awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 26.

“This year’s nominees reflect the breadth of that membership, honoring ambitious studio releases alongside independent and international cinema,” NCFCA wrote in a press release.

With 19 nominations, “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s masterful vampire movie, has ousted “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as the most nominated movie in NCFCA history. The film landed at #3 on 828newsNOW’s 25 Best Movies of 2025 list, compiled by NCFCA critic Pruett Norris.

Following “Sinners” are “One Battle After Another” with 16 nominations, “Marty Supreme” with 11 and “Frankenstein” with 10. “KPop Demon Hunters” and “No Other Choice” each landed six nods, while “Hamnet,” “Sentimental Value” and “Train Dreams” scored five apiece.

NCFCA 2025 Best of Cinema nominees

Best Narrative Film

Best Documentary Film

  • Cover-Up
  • Orwell: 2+2=5
  • Predators
  • The Alabama Solution
  • The Perfect Neighbor – Read our review

Best Animated Film

Read our list of the five best animated movies of the year

Best Foreign Language Film

Read our list of the five best international movies of the year

  • It Was Just an Accident
  • No Other Choice
  • Sentimental Value
  • The Secret Agent
  • The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Director

  • Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
  • Park Chan-wook, “No Other Choice”
  • Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
  • Guillermo del Toro, “Frankenstein”
  • Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
  • Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” – Read our review
  • Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
  • Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” – Read our review

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
  • Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
  • Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
  • Jennifer Lawrence, “Die My Love”
  • Emma Stone, “Bugonia”

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
  • Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
  • Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”
  • Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
  • Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value”

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme”
  • Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
  • Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
  • Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
  • Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”

Best Acting Ensemble

  • One Battle After Another
  • Marty Supreme
  • Sinners
  • Sentimental Value
  • Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
  • Weapons

Best Vocal Performance in Animation or Mixed Media

  • Jason Bateman, “Zootopia 2”
  • Arden Cho, “KPop Demon Hunters”
  • May Hong, “KPop Demon Hunters”
  • Ke Huy Quan, “Zootopia 2”
  • Ji-young Yoo, “KPop Demon Hunters”

Best Original Screenplay

  • It Was Just an Accident
  • Marty Supreme
  • Sentimental Value
  • Sinners
  • Weapons

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • Bugonia
  • Frankenstein
  • No Other Choice
  • One Battle After Another
  • Train Dreams
  • Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Best Cinematography

  • Frankenstein
  • No Other Choice
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners
  • Train Dreams

Best Editing

  • F1
  • Marty Supreme
  • No Other Choice
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners

Best Costume Design

  • Frankenstein
  • Hamnet
  • Marty Supreme
  • Sinners
  • Wicked: For Good

Best Hair and Makeup

  • 28 Years Later
  • Frankenstein
  • Sinners
  • Weapons
  • Wicked: For Good

Best Production Design

  • Frankenstein
  • Hamnet
  • Marty Supreme
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners
  • Wicked: For Good

Best Special Effects

  • Avatar: Fire and Ash
  • F1
  • Frankenstein
  • Sinners
  • Superman

Best Sound Design

  • F1
  • Frankenstein
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners
  • Sirât
  • Warfare

Best Score

  • Bugonia
  • Marty Supreme
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners
  • Train Dreams

Best Original Song

  • “Golden,” “KPop Demon Hunters”
  • “Highest 2 Lowest,” “Highest 2 Lowest”
  • “I Lied to You,” “Sinners”
  • “Last Time (I Seen the Sun),” “Sinners”
  • “Train Dreams,” “Train Dreams”
  • “What It Sounds Like,” “KPop Demon Hunters”

Directorial Debut

  • Andrew DeYoung, “Friendship”
  • Lawrence Lamont, “One of Them Days”
  • Ben Leonberg, “Good Boy”
  • Charlie Polinger, “The Plague”
  • Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby”

Best Stunt Coordination

  • F1
  • Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
  • One Battle After Another
  • Sinners
  • Superman

Best Breakthrough Performance

  • Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme”
  • Miles Caton, “Sinners”
  • Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
  • Jacobi Jupe, “Hamnet”
  • Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby”

Lifetime Achievement: Costume Design

  • Colleen Atwood
  • Jenny Beavan
  • Ruth E. Carter
  • Edith Head
  • Sandy Powell

Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award

The NCFCA Tar Heel Award honors films representing North Carolina or North Carolinians in a meaningful way.

  • “A Little Prayer” and Angus MacLachlan – N.C. native and filmed in N.C.
  • “Christy” – Filmed in N.C.
  • “I Know What You Did Last Summer” – Set and filmed in N.C.
  • “Roofman” – Set and filmed in N.C.
  • “The Problem of the Hero” – Celebrates North Carolina’s literary and artistic heritage

For a full list of previous award winners, information on NCFCA members or other details about the organization, visit ncfilmcritics.org.