Some Scary Horror Stuff for You!

The Academy Awards may not celebrate the horror genre all that often, but that’s why horror has its own awards celebrations. The biggest and best are the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, and the nominees for this year’s ceremony have been announced this morning. As always, the legendary horror magazine is putting the power in YOUR hands, with voting OPEN NOW!

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2025 will recognize standout achievements in horror across film, television, and gaming, and voting is open now through July 20 at fangoria.com/vote!

Fangoria previews, “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 Chainsaw Awards broadcast on Shudder. Read on for the full list of nominees and VOTE NOW only over on Fangoria’s website!

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
● Blink Twice
● Cannibal Mukbang
● Gazer
● Mr. Crocket

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
● Eliot Rockett, 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
● 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
● Generation Terror
● George A. Romero’s Resident Evil
● In Search of Darkness: 1990 – 1994
● Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic

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
● The Mouse Trap
● Popeye the Slayer Man
● Screamboat
● Shiver Me Timbers
● Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare

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.