The New York Film Critics Circle is gathering in Manhattan this morning to select the best films and performances of 2025.
The esteemed membership of more than 50 journalists — including Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman — has never been shy about going against the grain. As the oldest critics’ group in the United States, the NYFCC is viewed as an early bellwether for awards season, with its best film winner often correlating with an Academy Award nomination for best picture. Since the Oscars expanded to 10 best picture nominees in 2009, only two NYFCC winners — “Carol” (2015) and “First Cow” (2020) — have failed to secure nominations in the top category.
The NYFCC remains one of the industry’s most prestigious critics’ groups, even if its choices rarely mirror the Academy’s ultimate victors. The membership gravitates toward deep, textural narratives — think Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven” (2002) and Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” (2021) — and often sidesteps the presumed Oscar frontrunner. The group has aligned with the Academy’s best picture winner only once in the past decade, with Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist.”
The organization is also known for the occasional flash of recency bias, memorably selecting “American Hustle” in 2013 just one day after screening it. Now celebrating its 91st year, the NYFCC continues to shape the early awards conversation.
The list of winners is below.
Best Film:
Director:
Actor:
Actress:
Supporting Actor:
Supporting Actress:
Screenplay:
Animated Film:
Cinematography:
Non-Fiction Film:
International Film:
First Film: