By George & Josh Bate
Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire thriller Sinners dominated the 2026 Windie Awards, as voted by members of Chicago Indie Critics (CIC).
Sinners led the pack with a whopping 10 total Windie Awards wins, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and the coveted Best Studio Film.
Guillermo del Toro’s gothic take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein earned the second-most wins, napping awards for Production Design, Costume Design and Makeup.
The other two films to win multiple awards were Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic dramedy One Battle After Another (Best Adapted Screenplay and Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor) and James Cameron’s sweeping blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash (Best Visual Effects and Sight Unseen Performance for Oona Chaplin).
Chicago native Chase Infiniti won the on-screen breakout award for her performance in One Battle After Another. Meanwhile, Chicago veteran film critic Michael Phillips won The Impact Award, which honors a person who has had a positive influence on the Chicagoland film community. Phillips left his long-standing position as film critic at the Chicago Tribune in August of last year.
Check out the full list of winners of the 2026 Windie Awards below….
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM
Train Dreams
Producers: Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, and Michael Heimler
BEST STUDIO FILM
Sinners
Producers: Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Sentimental Value
Producers: Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
BEST DOCUMENTARY
John Candy: I Like Me
Producers: Colin Hanks, Johnny Pariseau, George Dewey, Shane Reid, Ryan Reynolds, Sean Stuart, and Glen Zipper
BEST ANIMATED FILM
KPop Demon Hunters
Producers: Maggie Kang, Chris Applehans, and Michelle Wong
BEST DIRECTOR
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sinners – Ryan Coolger
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
BEST ACTOR
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Madigan – Weapons
BEST ENSEMBLE
Sinners – Francine Maisler
BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMER
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
BREAKOUT BEHIND THE SCENES
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
SIGHT UNSEEN PERFORMANCE
Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire and Ash
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell
BEST EDITING
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
BEST MAKEUP
Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett
BEST STUNTS
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Wade Eastwood
BEST SOUND
Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, and Felipe Pacheco
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“I Lied to You” – Sinners
Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson
Performed by Miles Caton
THE IMPACT AWARD
Given to individual or group who has made a positive impact on local Chicago cinema Michael Phillips – former film critic of The Chicago Tribune
WINDIE AWARD WINNERS BY THE NUMBERS:
10: Sinners
3: Frankenstein
2: Avatar: Fire and Ash, One Battle After Another
1: Hamnet, John Candy: I Like Me, KPop Demon Hunters, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Sentimental Value, Train, Dreams, Weapons