Andy Bryant brought the house down with her hilarious hosting at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards.
The Saturday Night Live alum served up comedy gold for a star-studded crowd that included Demi Moore, Amy Adams, Sebastian Stan, Hunter Schafer, and Mikey Madison.
Opening her monologue with impeccable timing, Bryant reminisced about a sketch cut from SNL where she was meant to kiss Indie Spirit and Oscar-nominated actor Kieran Culkin of A Real Pain.
She had caught wind that Kieran had jokingly mentioned her enthusiasm for the kiss to another SNL cast member, only for the sketch to be scrapped, amplifying her embarrassment.
‘It’s a thing that I had to live with,’ Bryant said with perfect comedic sincerity. ‘I’m sorry to Kieran and Kieran’s wife.’
‘I’m being told that Kieran is not here,’ she continued. before pausing for dramatic effect and continuing, ‘Well, I guess I’ll say this: I didn’t go for the kiss. I was doing a normal, nothing-ass kiss. If I did go for it, his ass would be divorced!’’
Andy Bryant brought the house down with her unforgettably hilarious hosting at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards
The Saturday Night Live alum served up comedy gold for a star-studded crowd that included Demi Moore , Amy Adams , Sebastian Stan , Hunter Schafer , and Mikey Madison
Meanwhile, Baby Reindeer stars Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning made a triumphant duo at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, lighting up the red carpet before claiming well-deserved honors.
Nava won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, while Jessica earned Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for their riveting portrayals in the hit Netflix drama.
The pair beamed as they posed together post-victory, flashing their trophies—and their megawatt smiles.
Nava stunned in a sleek, strapless pinstriped gown, while Jessica radiated elegance in a deep navy couture ensemble.
Adding to the night’s significance, Nava received her award from fellow trans actress Hunter Schafer, who made her first public appearance at the gala after calling out President Trump for listing her as ‘male’ on her passport due to his executive order.
The presenters include Michelle Yeoh, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Kathryn Hahn, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Questlove, Edgar Ramirez, Hunter Schafer, and more.
This Spirit Awards considered films with budgets from $112,000 to $28 million this year.
The budgetary restrictions applied to film nominations did not extend to television series recognized by the Spirit Awards, exemplified by Shōgun, a large-scale historical epic that garnered five nominations, including Best New Scripted Series.
Opening her monologue with impeccable timing, Bryant reminisced about a sketch cut from SNL where she was meant to kiss Indie Spirit and Oscar-nominated actor Kieran Culkin of A Real Pain
Meanwhile, Baby Reindeer stars Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning made a triumphant duo at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, lighting up the red carpet before claiming well-deserved honors
The series is competing against Baby Reindeer, Diarra From Detroit, English Teacher, and Fantasmas.
Anora earned further nominations for director Sean Baker, lead actress Mikey Madison, and supporting stars Yura Borisov and Karren Karagulian.
As the Indie Spirit Awards do not categorize performers by gender, those competing for best leading performance in a film are: Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Ryan Destiny (The Fire Inside), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo), Justice Smith (I Saw The Tv Glow), June Squibb (Thelma) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice).
While the Oscars and Spirit Awards sometimes diverge in their selections, as evidenced by last year’s differing top film choices, they have also overlapped in prior years, with films like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Nomadland, and Moonlight winning their top film prizes.
‘What I love about the Spirit Awards is I feel like they have a looseness and a bit more personality, and I think we’re just trying to lean into that,’ Bryant told Entertainment Weekly about the show.
‘I think the Spirits are going to be extremely fun. I feel like this has been such an intense year that I really hope that this is just a place where people can blow off some steam and we can celebrate some really great small movies.’
The 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards will stream live on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the IMDb and Film Independent YouTube and X channels.
Independent Spirit Awards 2025 winners
MOVIES
Best Lead Performance
Amy Adams – Nightbitch
Ryan Destiny – The Fire Inside
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Keith Kupferer – Ghostlight
Mikey Madison – Anora — WINNER
Demi Moore – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Justice Smith – I Saw The Tv Glow
June Squibb – Thelma
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Demi Moore earned a nod for her role in the The Substance
Best Supporting Performance
Yura Borisov – Anora
Joan Chen – Dìdi
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain — WINNER
Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Carol Kane – Between The Temples
Karren Karagulian – Anora
Kani Kusruti – Girls Will Be Girls
Jack Haven – I Saw The Tv Glow
Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin – Sing Sing
Adam Pearson – A Different Man
Kieran Culkin is nominated for his role in the dark comedy A Real Pain
Best Breakthrough Performance
Isaac Krasner – Big Boys
Katy O’brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Mason Alexander Park – National Anthem
René Pérez Joglar – In The Summers
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass — WINNER
Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance in a feature for her role in the coming-of-age dramedy My Old Ass
Best Feature
Anora – Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan — WINNER
I Saw The Tv Glow – Ali Herting, Luca Intili, Dave Mccary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall
Nickel Boys – Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton
The Substance – Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner
Anora, which follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn, is nominated for Best Feature
Best Documentary
Gaucho Gaucho
Hummingbirds
No Other Land — WINNER
Patrice: The Movie
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Best Director
Ali Abbasi – The Apprentice
Sean Baker – Anora — WINNER
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Alonso Ruizpalacios – La Cocina
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw The TV Glow
Sean Baker received a nomination for his film Anora
Best Screenplay
Scott Beck, Bryan Woods – Heretic
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain — WINNER
Megan Park – My Old Ass
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw The Tv Glow
Actor and writer Jesse Eisenberg is nominated for Best Screenplay for A Real Pain
Best First Feature
Dìdi — WINNER
In the Summers
Janet Planet
The Piano Lesson
Problemista
John Cassavetes Award
Big Boys
Ghostlight
Girls Will Be Girls — WINNER
Jazzy
The People’s Joker
TELEVISION
Best Lead Performance In A New Scripted Series
Brian Jordan Alvarez – English Teacher
Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
Lily Gladstone – Under The Bridge
Kathryn Hahn – Agatha All Along
Cristin Milioti – The Penguin
Julianne Moore – Mary & George
Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun
Anna Sawai – Shōgun
Andrew Scott – Ripley
Julio Torres – Fantasmas
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd is nominated for his lead role in the hit Netflix series
Best Supporting Performance In A New Scripted Series
Tadanobu Asano – Shōgun
Enrico Colantoni – English Teacher
Betty Gilpin – Three Women
Chloe Guidry – Under The Bridge
Moeka Hoshi – Shōgun
Stephanie Koenig – English Teacher
Patti Lupone – Agatha All Along
Nava Mau – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
Ruth Negga – Presumed Innocent
Brian Tee – Expats
Ruth Negga is nominated for her role in the Apple TV + series Presumed Innocent
Best Breakthrough Performance In A New Scripted Series
Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer — WINNER
Diarra Kilpatrick – Diarra From Detroit
Joe Locke – Agatha All Along
Megan Stott – Penelope
Hoa Xuande – The Sympathizer
Jessica Gunning won Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for her portrayal of a stalker in Netflix series Baby Reindeer
Best New Scripted Series
Baby Reindeer – Creator/Exec Producer: Richard Gadd. Exec Producers: Wim De Greef, Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Ed Macdonald
Diarra From Detroit – Creator/Exec Producer: Diarra Kilpatrick. Exec Producers: Kenya Barris, Miles Orion Feldsott, Darren Goldberg. Co-Exec Producers: Ester Lou, Mark Ganek
English Teacher – Creators/Exec Producer: Brian Jordan Alvarez. Exec Producers: Paul Simms, Jonathan Krisel, Dave King. Co-Exec Producers: Kathryn Dean, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn
Fantasmas – Creator/Exec Producer: Julio Torres. Exec Producers: Emma Stone, Dave Mccary, Olivia Gerke, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell. Co-Exec Producer: Ali Herting
Shōgun – Creators/Exec Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks. Exec Producers: Edward L. Mcdonnell, Michael De Luca, Michaela Clavell. Co-Exec Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Jamie Vega Wheeler — WINNER
Shōgun is nominated for Best New Scripted Series
