13TH ANNUAL North Carolina Film Critics Association Awards
Friday, January 3, 2025


BEST NARRATIVE FILM
“Conclave” • Focus Features
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Robert Harris, Alice Dawson
—
“Anora” | NEON
“The Brutalist” | A24
“Challengers” | Amazon MGM Studios
“Civil War” | A24
“Dune: Part Two” | Warner Bros Pictures
“I Saw the TV Glow” | A24
“Nickel Boys” | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios
“Nosferatu” | Focus Features
“The Substance” | MUBI


Best Director
Denis Villeneuve
“Dune: Part Two” • Warner Bros
Produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick
—
Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist” | A24
Coralie Fargeat – “The Substance” | MUBI
Luca Guadagnino – “Challengers” | Amazon MGM Studios
RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys” | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios


Best Actor
Colman Domingo
“Sing Sing” • A24
Directed by Greg Kwedar
Produced by Monique Walton, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
—
Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist” | A24
Timothée Chalamet – “A Complete Unknown” | Searchlight Pictures
Daniel Craig – “Queer” | A24
Ralph Fiennes – “Conclave” | Focus Features


Best Actress
Mikey Madison
“Anora” • NEON
Directed by Sean Baker
Produced by Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
—
Cynthia Erivo – “Wicked” | Universal Pictures
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – “Hard Truths” | Bleecker Street
Demi Moore – “The Substance” | MUBI
Zendaya – “Challengers” | Amazon MGM Studios


Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin
“A Real Pain” • Searchlight Pictures
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Produced by Ewa Puszczyńska, Jennifer Semler, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Ali Herting, Dave McCary
—
Yura Borisov – “Anora” | NEON
Chris Hemsworth – “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” | Warner Bros Pictures
Clarence Maclin – “Sing Sing” | A24
Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II” | Paramount Pictures


Best Supporting Actress
Margaret Qualley
“The Substance” • MUBI
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Produced by Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
—
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – “Nickel Boys” | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios
Ariana Grande – “Wicked” | Universal Pictures
Felicity Jones – “The Brutalist” | A24
Katy O’Brian – “Love Lies Bleeding” | A24
Isabella Rossellini – “Conclave” | Focus Features


BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Lupita Nyong’o
“The Wild Robot” • DreamWorks/Universal
Directed by Chris Sanders
Produced by Jeff Hermann
—
Kevin Durand – “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” | 20th Century Studios
Maya Hawke – “Inside Out 2” | Pixar Animation/Walt Disney Pictures
Pedro Pascal – “The Wild Robot” | DreamWorks/Universal Pictures
Sarah Snook – “Memoir of a Snail” | IFC Films


BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
“Conclave” • Focus Features
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Robert Harris, Alice Dawson
—
“Dune: Part Two” | Warner Bros Pictures
“Saturday Night” | Columbia Pictures
“Sing Sing” | A24
“Wicked” | Universal Pictures


Best Original Screenplay
“The Brutalist” • A24
Written by Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
Directed by Brady Corbet
Produced by Nick Gordon, D.J. Gugenheim, Andrew Lauren, Trevor Matthews
—
“Anora” – Sean Baker | NEON
“Challengers” – Justin Kuritzkes | Amazon MGM Studios
“A Different Man” – Aaron Schimberg | A24
“The Substance” – Coralie Fargeat | MUBI


Best Adapted Screenplay
“Conclave” • Focus Features
Written by Peter Straughan
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Robert Harris, Alice Dawson
—
“Dune: Part Two” – Denis Villeneuve & Jon Spaihts | Warner Bros Pictures
“Nickel Boys” – RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios
“Nosferatu” – Robert Eggers | Focus Features
“Sing Sing” – Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar | A24


BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” • Warner Bros, DC, HBO Documentary, CNN Films
Directed by Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Produced by Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford, Ian Bonhôte
—
“Dahomey” | MUBI
“No Other Land” | mTuckman Media
“Sugarcane” | National Geographic
“Will & Harper” | Netflix


Best Animated Film
“The Wild Robot” • DreamWorks/Universal
Directed by Chris Sanders
Produced by Jeff Hermann
—
“Flow” | Sideshow/Janus Films
“Inside Out 2” | Pixar Animation/Walt Disney Pictures
“Memoir of a Snail” | IFC Films
“Transformers One” | Paramount Pictures


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“All We Imagine As Light” • Sideshow/Janus
Directed by Payal Kapadia
Produced by Julien Graff, Thomas Hakim
—
“Emilia Pérez” | Netflix
“Evil Does Not Exist” | Sideshow/Janus Films
“I’m Still Here” | RT Features
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” | NEON


Best Cinematography
“Nosferatu” • Focus Features
Cinematography by Jarin Blaschke
Directed by Robert Eggers
Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
—
“The Brutalist” – Lol Crawley | A24
“Challengers” – Sayombhu Mukdeeprom | Amazon MGM Studios
“Dune: Part Two” – Greig Fraser | Warner Bros Pictures
“Nickel Boys” – Jomo Fray | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios


BEST EDITING
“Challengers” • Amazon MGM Studios
Editing by Marco Costa
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Produced by Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal, Zendaya
—
“Anora” – Sean Baker | NEON
“Conclave” – Nick Emerson | Focus Features
“Dune: Part Two” – Joe Walker | Warner Bros Pictures
“Nickel Boys” – Nicholas Monsour | Orion/Amazon MGM Studios


BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Nosferatu” • Focus Features
Costume Design by Linda Muir
Directed by Robert Eggers
Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
—
“Conclave” – Lisy Christl | Focus Features
“Dune: Part Two” – Jacqueline West | Warner Bros Pictures
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” – Jenny Beavan | Warner Bros Pictures
“Wicked” – Paul Tazewell | Universal Pictures


BEST HAIR & MAKE-UP
“The Substance” • MUBI
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Produced by Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
—
“A Different Man” | A24
“Dune: Part Two”| Warner Bros Pictures
“Nosferatu” | Focus Features
“Wicked” | Universal Pictures


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Nosferatu” • Focus Features
Directed by Robert Eggers
Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
—
“The Brutalist” | A24
“Dune: Part Two” | Warner Bros Pictures
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” | Warner Bros Pictures
“Wicked” | Universal Pictures


Best Score
“Challengers” • Amazon MGM Studios
Composed by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Produced by Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal, Zendaya
—
“The Brutalist” – Daniel Blumberg | A24
“Conclave” – Volker Bertelmann | Focus Features
“Nosferatu” – Robin Carolan | Focus Features
“The Wild Robot” – Kris Bowers | DreamWorks/Universal Pictures


BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Compress/Repress“
from “Challengers” • Amazon MGM Studios
Written by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Produced by Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal, Zendaya
—
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez” | Netflix
“Harper and Will Go West” from “Will & Harper” | Netflix
“Kiss the Sky” from “The Wild Robot” | DreamWorks/Universal Pictures
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing” | A24


BEST SOUND DESIGN
“Dune: Part Two” • Warner Bros
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick
—
“Challengers” | Amazon MGM Studios
“Civil War” | A24
“Nosferatu” | Focus Features
“Wicked” | Universal Pictures


BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
“Dune: Part Two” • Warner Bros
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick
—
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” | Warner Bros Pictures
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” | 20th Century Studios
“Nosferatu” | Focus Features
“The Substance” | MUBI


BEST STUNT COORDINATION
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” • Warner Bros
Directed by George Miller
Produced by Doug Mitchell, George Miller
—
“Dune: Part Two” | Warner Bros Pictures
“The Fall Guy” | Universal Pictures
“Gladiator II” | Paramount Pictures
“Monkey Man” | Universal Pictures


BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Josh Margolin
“Thelma” • Magnolia Pictures
Produced by Zoë Worth, Chris Kaye, Nicholas Weinstock, Benjamin Simpson, Karl Spoerri, Viviana Vezzani
—
Vera Drew – “The People’s Joker” | Altered Innocence
Francis Galluppi – “The Last Stop in Yuma County” | Well Go USA Entertainment
Zoë Kravitz – “Blink Twice” | Amazon MGM Studios
Sean Wang – “Dìdi (弟弟)” | Focus Features
Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson” | Netflix


BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Mikey Madison
“Anora” • NEON
Directed by Sean Baker
Produced by Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
—
Carlos Diehz – “Conclave” | Focus Features
Clarence Maclin – “Sing Sing” | A24
Katy O’Brian – “Love Lies Bleeding” | A24
Adam Pearson – “A Different Man” | A24


LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Roger Deakins
—
Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema


KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Margaret Qualley
“The Substance” • MUBI
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Produced by Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
—
Stephen McKinley Henderson – “Civil War” | A24
Jeff Nichols (Director) – “The Bikeriders” | Focus Features
Hunter Schafer – “Cuckoo” | NEON
Drew Starkey – “Queer” | A24

North Carolina Film Critics Association
Best Narrative Film:
Best Director:
Best Actor:
Best Actress:
Best Supporting Actor:
Best Supporting Actress:
Best Documentary:
Best Animated Feature:
Best Foreign Language Film:
Best Vocal Performance:
Best Acting Ensemble:
Best Original Screenplay:
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Best Cinematography:
Best Editing:
Best Costume Design:
Best Hair & Makeup:
Best Production Design:
Best Score:
Best Original Song:
Best Sound Design:
Best Special Effects:
Best Stunt Coordination:
Best Directorial Debut:
Best Breakthrough Performance:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:
Ken Hanke Tar Heel Award:
“Conclave”
Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two”
Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing”
Mikey Madison – “Anora”
Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain”
Margaret Qualley – “The Substance”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”
“The Wild Robot”
“All We Imagine As Light”
Lupita Nyong’o – “The Wild Robot”
“Conclave”
“The Brutalist” – Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
“Conclave” – Peter Straughan
“Nosferatu” – Jarin Blaschke
“Challengers” – Marco Costa
“Nosferatu” – Linda Muir
“The Substance”
“Nosferatu”
“Challengers” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
“Compress/Repress” from “Challengers”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
Josh Margolin – “Thelma”
Mikey Madison – “Anora”
Roger Deakins
Margaret Qualley – “The Substance”

North Carolina Film Critics Association
The NCFCA was formed by Kenneth R. Morefield in 2012 to promote film journalism in North Carolina. They are comprised of film journalists who either live in North Carolina or write for outlets that serve readers in this state. The NCFCA votes annually on awards for achievements in film. We also recognize the favorites of participating critics at certain film festivals.







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