The 2026 Sundance Film Festival has officially unveiled its award winners, marking a powerful conclusion to one of the most anticipated celebrations of independent cinema. The awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, just ahead of the Festival’s final day on February 1. Filmmakers, jury members, and artists gathered to honor stories that challenged conventions, amplified underrepresented voices, and reflected the evolving global landscape of storytelling.
This year’s Festival featured screenings, discussions, premieres, and special events across Park City and Salt Lake City, as well as online nationwide. The program continued to honor the enduring vision of Sundance founder Robert Redford, whose influence remains central to the Festival’s commitment to bold, artist-driven cinema.
Grand Jury Prize Winners Across Categories
The highest honors of the Festival, the Grand Jury Prizes, were awarded to four standout films across the major competition categories. In the U.S. Dramatic Competition, Josephine claimed the top prize for its sensitive and nuanced portrayal of childhood trauma and emotional resilience. Directed by Beth de Araújo, the film centers on an eight-year-old girl grappling with the aftermath of witnessing a crime, delivering a deeply human story anchored by powerful performances.
In the U.S. Documentary Competition, Nuisance Bear received the Grand Jury Prize for its gripping examination of humanity’s complex relationship with the natural world. Following a polar bear navigating human-dominated spaces, the film confronts climate change, colonialism, and ecological responsibility with striking visuals and emotional weight.
The World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize went to Shame and Money, a film that explores dignity, displacement, and survival through the lens of a Kosovar family uprooted by economic forces. Meanwhile, To Hold a Mountain earned the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize for its intimate and visually arresting depiction of a family’s fight to protect their ancestral land from militarization.
Recognition in the NEXT Category
Innovation and experimentation took center stage in the NEXT section. The NEXT Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to The Incomer, a boldly imaginative film blending folklore, animation, and deadpan humor. The NEXT Special Jury Award presented by Adobe went to TheyDream, a deeply personal documentary that combines animation and archival storytelling to explore grief, memory, and creative expression. Both films exemplified Sundance’s commitment to supporting inventive approaches to cinematic form.
Audience Awards Reflect Viewer Connection
Audience Awards offered insight into which films resonated most strongly with festivalgoers. Josephine continued its success by winning the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Competition, presented by Acura. In the U.S. Documentary category, American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez received the Audience Award for its inspiring portrait of a pioneering Chicano artist who reshaped American theater and film.
In World Cinema categories, HOLD ONTO ME (Κράτα Με) won the Audience Award for Dramatic Competition, presented by United Airlines, while One In A Million captured the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary. The NEXT Audience Award, presented by Adobe, was awarded to Aanikoobijigan [ancestor great grandparent great grandchild], a powerful exploration of Indigenous repatriation and historical justice.
Excellence in Directing, Writing, and Editing
Several films were recognized for outstanding achievement in specific creative disciplines. Josef Kubota Wladyka received the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic for Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!, praised for its emotionally rich storytelling through dance and magical realism. In U.S. Documentary, J.M. Harper was honored for Soul Patrol, a film uncovering a hidden chapter of American military history.
International directing honors went to Andrius Blaževičius for How to Divorce During the War and to Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes for One In A Million. Screenwriting accolades were awarded to Liz Sargent for Take Me Home, while the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award recognized Matt Hixon’s work on Barbara Forever, a moving tribute to filmmaker Barbara Hammer.
Special Jury Awards Highlight Diverse Voices
The Festival also presented numerous Special Jury Awards celebrating debut features, ensemble casts, journalistic excellence, impact, and creative vision. Films such as Bedford Park, The Friend’s House is Here, Who Killed Alex Odeh?, The Lake, Filipiñana, LADY, Birds of War, Everybody To Kenmure Street, and TheyDream were recognized for their courage, originality, and social relevance.
These awards underscored Sundance’s role as a platform for stories that challenge dominant narratives and bring urgent global issues into focus through deeply personal perspectives.
A Festival of Scale, Legacy, and Transition
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival showcased 97 feature-length and episodic works and 54 short films, selected from over 16,000 submissions. As this edition concludes, it also marks the final Sundance Film Festival based in Utah. Beginning in 2027, the Festival will move to Boulder, Colorado, ushering in a new chapter while honoring the strong legacy built in Park City and Salt Lake City.
Festival leadership emphasized gratitude for the artists, audiences, and local communities who shaped this memorable year. As independent cinema continues to evolve, the 2026 Sundance Film Festival stands as a powerful reminder of storytelling’s ability to connect, challenge, and transform.
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