FANGORIA’s 2025 Chainsaw Awards Nominees Revealed, Voting is Open Now

FANGORIA’s 2025 Chainsaw Awards nominees have been revealed, and voting is now open! With voting taking place from July 9th – 20th, you’ll have plenty of time to vote for your favorite nominees across categories you might expect from an entertainment awards show…. but where else are you going to be able to vote on your favorite creature FX, makeup FX, and public domain resurrection movie? You can vote now or learn more and check out the nominees list below:

[From the Press Release] FANGORIA, the iconic horror magazine and genre authority, has announced the nominees for the 2025 Chainsaw Awards, recognizing standout achievements in horror across film, television, and gaming. Voting opens July 9 and runs through July 20 at fangoria.com/vote, putting the power in fans’ hands to crown the best in blood. 

Ready to see who made the cut? The full list of the 2025 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards nominees awaits below. Scroll to the bottom of this release to view every category and contender. 

Cast Your Vote: https://fangoria.com/vote 

Highlights from this year’s nominee slate include genre-defying films like The Substance and Sinners, standout lead performances by Willa Fitzgerald (Strange Darling) and Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo), and some highly anticipated sequels in the video game category like Death Stranding 2 and Silent Hill 2 Remake. 

Nominees were selected by a nominating body of over 150 industry tastemakers, creators, and professionals, drawing from the most impactful releases between July 2024 and June 2025. 

“This year we continue the new tradition of pitting the second half of last year with the first half of this year in a cage match of cinematic carnage. Like the Grammys, but gorier,” says FANGORIA Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. “It’s made for a rather chaotic list of nominees, and we expect the voting to be vicious and voluminous.” 

Launched in 1992, the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards remain the genre’s premier fan-powered celebration, recognizing bold, visionary work while championing artists often overlooked by traditional awards. Categories include Best Wide Release, Best Streaming Premiere, Best Director, Best Kill, Best Creature FX, and more. 

“One of the most exciting aspects of putting this show together each year is knowing that it all comes down to the fans. Until the votes are cast, there’s always an element of the unknown,” said Michael Varrati, Writer and Director of the Chainsaw Awards. “This year’s nominees represent a wide and diverse range of stories and artistry from across the genre. I encourage horror fans to vote,

because their voice, their love of a film, could be the thing that makes all the difference.” 

Winners will be revealed in October 2025 during the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards broadcast on Shudder. 

Official Nominees for the 2025 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards 

Nominees are presented alphabetically by category, and alphabetically within each category. The order may be calm, but the competition is chaos. 

BEST WIDE RELEASE 

• 28 Years Later 
• Bring Her Back 
• Final Destination: Bloodlines 
• Heretic 
• Longlegs 
• Nosferatu 
• Sinners 
• Strange Darling 
• The Substance 
• The Ugly Stepsister 

BEST LIMITED RELEASE MOVIE 

• Azrael 
• Frankie Freako 
• Freaky Tales 
• Get Away 
• Little Bites 

BEST STREAMING PREMIERE 

• Best Wishes to All 
• Cannibal Mukbang 
• Gazer 
• Mr. Crocket 
• There’s a Zombie Outside

BEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIE

• Cuckoo 
• Dangerous Animals 
• Oddity 
• Red Rooms 
• The Ugly Stepsister 

BEST FIRST FEATURE 

• Best Wishes to All 
• Blink Twice 
• Cannibal Mukbang 
• Mr. Crocket 
• The Ugly Stepsister 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE 

• Lily-Rose Depp, Nosferatu 
• Willa Fitzgerald, Strange Darling
• Sally Hawkins, Bring Her Back
• Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
• Maika Monroe, Longlegs 
• Demi Moore, The Substance
• Lea Myren, The Ugly Stepsister
• Hunter Schafer, Cuckoo 
• Naomi Scott, Smile 2 
• Sophie Thatcher, Companion 

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE 

• Nicolas Cage, Longlegs 
• Miles Caton, Sinners 
• Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later
• Hugh Grant, Heretic 
• David Jonsson, Alien: Romulus
• Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners 
• Jack O’Connell, Sinners 
• Margaret Qualley, The Substance
• Bill Skarsgård, Nosferatu 
• Dan Stevens, Cuckoo 

BEST DIRECTOR

• Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later 
• Ryan Coogler, Sinners 
• Robert Eggers, Nosferatu 
• Coralie Fargeat, The Substance 
• Osgood Perkins, Longlegs 

BEST SCREENPLAY 

• Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, Heretic 
• Ryan Coogler, Sinners 
• Coralie Fargeat, The Substance 
• Bill Hinzman & Danny Philippou, Bring Her Back
• J.T. Mollner, Strange Darling 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

• Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners 
• Andres Arochi, Longlegs 
• Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu 
• Benjamin Kracun, The Substance 
• Anthony Dod Mantle, 28 Years Later 

BEST SCORE 

• Robin Carolan, Nosferatu 
• Ludwig Göransson, Sinners 
• Raffertie, The Substance 
• Young Fathers, 28 Years Later 
• Zilgi, Longlegs 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 

• Ruth E. Carter, Sinners 
• Linda Muir, Nosferatu 
• Manon Rasmussen, The Ugly Stepsister 
• Mari-An Ceo, MaXXXine 
• Emmanuelle Youchnovski, The Substance 

BEST MAKEUP FX 

• Felix Fox, Harlow MacFarlane, Werner Pretorius, Longlegs
• Damien Leone, Terrifier 3 
• John Nolan, 28 Years Later
• Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, The Substance
• David White, Traci Loader, Nosferatu 

BEST CREATURE FX 

• Paul McDonnell, Oddity 
• Jeremy Selenfriend / Millennium FX / Morphology / Studio Gillis, Smile 2
• Pierre Olivier Persin, The Substance 
• Studio Gillis, Werewolves 
• Legacy Effects / Studio Gillis / Wētā Workshop, Alien: Romulus

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 

• Doc of Chucky 
• George A. Romero’s Resident Evil 
• In Search of Darkness: 1990 – 1994 
• Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic 
• The J-Horror Virus

BEST NON-FICTION TV SERIES OR MINISERIES 

• The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula 
• Horror’s Greatest 
• The Last Drive-In 
• Svengoolie 

BEST SERIES 

• The Creep Tapes 
• From 
• The Last of Us 
• Squid Game 
• Yellowjackets 

BEST VIDEO GAME 

• Death Stranding 2 
• Mouthwashing 
• Silent Hill 2 Remake 
• Slitterhead 
• Sorry We’re Closed 

BEST PUBLIC DOMAIN RESURRECTION

• Popeye’s Revenge 
• Mousetrap 
• Popeye the Slayer Man 
• Screamboat 
• Shiver Me Timbers 
• Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare 

About The FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards 

Launched by FANGORIA over 30 years ago, the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards are a cornerstone of horror culture, spotlighting genre-defining performances and uniting fans and filmmakers across the globe. Past winners include Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss, Mia Goth, and Jordan Peele. Today, the Chainsaw Awards serve as both a time capsule and a launchpad for horror’s most unforgettable moments. 

About FANGORIA 

Founded in 1979, FANGORIA has evolved from a cult-favorite print magazine into a global horror entertainment force spanning editorial, digital media, podcasting, merchandise, live events, and original film/TV under FANGORIA Studios. From Sundance-lauded films in production to a ravenous fan community, FANGORIA continues to honor horror’s legacy while shaping its future. FANGORIA’s mission is rooted in one belief: Everyone screams in the same language. 

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