It’s about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independent Spirit Awards will head to the Hollywood Palladium in mid-February — the perfect setting for an awards show that celebrates cinema’s boldest risk-takers. The Spirit Awards ceremony is one of the events during the season where indie storytellers loosen up and treat the show’s usual blue carpet like a creative playground. Over the years, everyone from Greta Lee to Natasha Lyonne and Andrew Scott has arrived serving looks that shake up the fashion world. And in true Spirit Awards fashion, last year Demi Moore even brought her Chihuahua as her red-carpet date, proving that this ceremony always invites a little quirk. 

Amid the playful grandeur, Sundance Institute–supported projects continue to shine — and this year’s nominations carry that legacy forward in a major way with a collection of bold projects poised to make waves at the 41st annual Spirit Awards. From James Sweeney’s Twinless to Matt Wolf’s docuseries Pee-wee as Himself, both of which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, we love to see so many bold projects among the nominees. 

And we’re thrilled to see Peter Hujar’s Day, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, land five noms and Sorry, Baby, which took home the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, earning four noms. Both projects gained noms in categories like Best Feature and Best Director. 

Below, see the complete list of Sundance Institute–supported projects nominated for the Film Independent Spirit Awards, taking place Sunday, February 15, 2026, and get ready to cheer on the nominees when the show streams live on Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels.