Independent Spirit Awards Honor Indie Film and Television Excellence in Los Angeles

The prestigious Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles are set to honor notable performances this Sunday, with actors Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Keke Palmer among those vying for accolades. The event will be hosted by comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum, Ego Nwodim, and will be broadcast live on YouTube at 5 p.m. ET.

Leading the nominations at the 41st annual ceremony is Ira Sachs’ “Peter Hujar’s Day,” featuring Ben Whishaw as the renowned 1970s photographer. Other strong contenders include Clint Bentley’s visually poetic “Train Dreams,” starring Joel Edgerton, and Eva Victor’s poignant “Sorry, Baby,” which explores the aftermath of an assault.

For the first time, the awards show will take place at the Hollywood Palladium, moving from its traditional Santa Monica location due to ongoing renovations. The event also serves as a fundraiser supporting Film Independent’s initiatives throughout the year.

While some Spirit Award winners have mirrored Oscar successes in the past, like “Anora” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” eligibility criteria dictate a budget cap of $30 million, excluding higher-budget films such as “One Battle After Another.”

Rose Byrne is among the select few nominated for both a Spirit Award and an Oscar for her role as a troubled mother in Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Competing in the lead performance category, which adopted gender-neutral nominations in 2022, Byrne faces strong competition from fellow actors like Joel Edgerton for “Train Dreams,” Dylan O’Brien for “Twinless,” Keke Palmer for “One of Them Days,” Tessa Thompson for “Hedda,” and Ben Whishaw.

Supporting performance nominees include Naomi Ackie (“Sorry, Baby”), Zoey Deutch (“Nouvelle Vague”), Kirsten Dunst (“Roofman”), Nina Hoss (“Hedda”) and Archie Madekwe (“Lurker”).

Films nominated in the international category include “Sirāt,”“The Secret Agent” and “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.” “Come See Me in the Good Light,” “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow” and “The Perfect Neighbor” are also up for the documentary prize.

Hawke, who is nominated for an Oscar for “Blue Moon,” is up for a Spirit Award for his leading performance in the television series “The Lowdown,” where other nominees include Seth Rogen for “The Studio,” Stephen Graham for “Adolescence” and Noah Wyle for “The Pitt.”