The Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) announced the winners for its 24th annual awards on January 8, 2026. The ceremony honored the best films and performances of 2025. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was a major winner, securing the top prize for Best Film among several other awards.
The group of over 25 professional critics from Columbus, Ohio, and nearby areas revealed their selections following the earlier announcement of nominees. Ethan Hawke and Benicio Del Toro were celebrated for their lead and supporting performances, respectively.
Complete List of Winners and Nominees from the 2025 COFCA Awards
Here is the full breakdown of winners and runners-up across all categories for the 2025 COFCA Awards. The list is compiled from the official announcement.
- Best Film: One Battle After Another. Runner-up: No Other Choice (Eojjeolsuga eobsda). Other nominees included Sinners, It Was Just an Accident, Bugonia, Wake Up Dead Man, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, Weapons, and Marty Supreme.
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Ryan Coogler for Sinners.
- Best Lead Performance: Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon. Runner-up: Jessie Buckley in Hamnet.
- Best Supporting Performance: Benicio Del Toro in One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Sean Penn, also in One Battle After Another.
- Best Ensemble: One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Sinners.
- Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work): Josh O’Connor for The History of Sound, The Mastermind, Rebuilding, and Wake Up Dead Man. Runner-up: Benicio Del Toro for One Battle After Another and The Phoenician Scheme.
- Breakthrough Film Artist: Chase Infiniti for acting in One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Eva Victor for acting, directing, and screenwriting in Sorry, Baby.
- Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners. Runner-up: Michael Bauman for One Battle After Another.
- Best Film Editing: Andy Jurgensen for One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Stephen Mirrione for F1.
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another. Runner-up: Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee for No Other Choice.
- Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler for Sinners. Runner-up: Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident.
- Best Score: Ludwig Göransson for Sinners. Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood for One Battle After Another.
- Best Documentary: Predators. Runner-up: Cover-Up.
- Best Foreign Language Film: It Was Just an Accident (Yek tasadof-e sadeh). Runner-up: No Other Choice (Eojjeolsuga eobsda).
- Best Animated Film: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes). Runner-up: KPop Demon Hunters.
- Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy: One of Them Days. Runner-up: The Baltimorons.
- Best Overlooked Film: Warfare. Runner-up: The Mastermind.
Spotlight on Major Winners: One Battle After Another and Key Performances
The 2025 COFCA Awards were strongly led by Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic drama, One Battle After Another. The film, which had a leading 14 nominations, claimed victories in several top categories. Beyond winning Best Film, it earned awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Performance (Benicio Del Toro), Best Ensemble, Best Film Editing (Andy Jurgensen), and Best Adapted Screenplay. This sweep highlights the film’s recognition for its overall direction, writing, and collective acting strength.
In the acting categories, Ethan Hawke’s win for Best Lead Performance in Blue Moon stood out. He was chosen over a competitive field that included Jessie Buckley, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Emma Stone. The Best Supporting Performance award saw Benicio Del Toro triumph for his role in One Battle After Another, with his co-star Sean Penn named as the runner-up.
The Breakthrough Film Artist award went to Chase Infiniti for his acting in One Battle After Another. This win adds to a growing list of critics’ awards for Infiniti this season.
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The Awards Season Landscape and COFCA’s Role
The COFCA awards are part of the busy film critics’ awards season, which leads up to major ceremonies like the Oscars. One Battle After Another entered the COFCA ceremony as a frontrunner, having already won Best Picture from numerous other critics’ groups. Its success with COFCA members continues its strong momentum.
Other films also solidified their status. **Ryan Coogler’s *Sinners, which was the runner-up for Best Film and Best Ensemble, won awards for *Ryan Coogler’s Original Screenplay*, *Ludwig Göransson’s Score*, and *Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s Cinematography*. The award for *Best Foreign Language Film* went to **Jafar Panahi’s *It Was Just an Accident, a film that has been widely recognized this season.
Founded in 2002, the Columbus Film Critics Association comprises professional critics working in print, radio, television, and online media in the Columbus area.
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