New Jersey Film Critics Circle (NJFCC) Awards: Complete list of nominees explored

The New Jersey Film Critics Circle has officially released its nominations for this year's awards. It is the first complete awards season for the newly formed critics group. Winners are set to be announced on December 31, 2025.

New Jersey Film Critics Circle's leadership and members are as follows:

Board of directors

• Lexi Amoriello: President
• David Gonzalez: Vice President
• Ezra Cubero: Executive Director

Members

• Nicholas Attanasio
• Frank J. Avella
• Jeffery Berg
• Anthony Bombacie
• Pat "Monty" Bulfamante
• Alfred Castaneda
• Afrim Celaj
• Jack Christal Gattanella
• Kristin Ciliberto
• Shane Conto
• Ryan Fecskovics
• Debbie Higgins
• Marissa Hill
• Cole Jaeger
• Justin Jaeger
• Harry Marks
• Zachary Marsh
• Eric McClanahan
• Zach Miller
• Ashley Morales
• Brandon Norwood
• Dempsey Pillot
• Mike Reyes
• Joselyn Nicole Safadi
• Elizabeth Sayko
• Darian Scalamoni
• Robert Stinner
• Bryan Sudfield
• Tessa Swehla
• Ian Waldman

The inaugural nominations list of the New Jersey Film Critics Circle awards is mainly led by Sinners and One Battle After Another in total nominations. Other notable films, including Sentimental Value, Hamnet, and Train Dreams, also appear across significant categories.

Sinners leads with 18 nominations. One Battle After Another follows with 16 nominations. Sentimental Value has earned 10 nominations, while Hamnet and Marty Supreme each have received 8. Other notable titles, including F1, No Other Choice, and Train Dreams, tied with six nominations each.

It is worth noting that the New Jersey Film Critics Circle nominees list features an award for Best New Jersey Representation. It highlights films that are linked to the state through setting or production.

New Jersey Film Critics Circle's official website reads:

"Each year, the New Jersey Film Critics Circle Awards honor the best in cinema across a range of categories. By celebrating excellence in filmmaking, the NJFCC strives to strengthen the connection between the film community and its audiences, ensuring that the voices of New Jersey critics remain a key part of the conversation."

The group has also added its description, which is as follows:

"Founded in 2024, the New Jersey Film Critics Circle serves as a platform for both seasoned critics and emerging voices in film criticism. We are committed to championing distinct viewpoints and advocating for inclusivity in both the films we review and the critical conversations we foster."

Moreover, they stated that the group's work spans the "full spectrum" of cinema, which includes studio releases, independent films, documentaries, international projects, and more. The New Jersey Film Critics Circle added that their aim is to strengthen film criticism within the state and to give New Jersey-based film critics visibility and recognition.

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Complete list of nominees at the 2025 New Jersey Film Critics Circle Awards

Best picture

• Hamnet
• It Was Just An Accident
• Marty Supreme
• No Other Choice
• One Battle After Another
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Train Dreams
• Weapons

Best director

• Chloé Zhao: Hamnet
• Park Chan wook: No Other Choice
• Paul Thomas Anderson: One Battle After Another
• Joachim Trier: Sentimental Value
• Ryan Coogler: Sinners

Best original screenplay

• It Was Just An Accident
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Weapons

Best adapted screenplay

• Bugonia
• Hamnet
• No Other Choice
• One Battle After Another
• Train Dreams

Best actor

• Timothée Chalamet: Marty Supreme
• Leonardo DiCaprio: One Battle After Another
• Joel Edgerton: Train Dreams
• Ethan Hawke: Blue Moon
• Michael B. Jordan: Sinners

Best actress

• Jessie Buckley: Hamnet
• Rose Byrne: If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Chase Infiniti: One Battle After Another
• Renate Reinsve: Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone: Bugonia

Best supporting actor

• Benicio del Toro: One Battle After Another
• Jacob Elordi: Frankenstein
• Delroy Lindo: Sinners
• Sean Penn: One Battle After Another
• Stellan Skarsgård: Sentimental Value

Best supporting actress

• Elle Fanning: Sentimental Value
• Ariana Grande: Wicked: For Good
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas: Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan: Weapons
• Teyana Taylor: One Battle After Another

Best acting ensemble

• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Weapons

Best original score

• F1
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Best original song

• Drive: F1
• Golden: KPop Demon Hunters
• I Lied to You: Sinners
• Last Time (I Seen the Sun): Sinners
• Train Dreams: Train Dreams

Best editing

• F1
• Marty Supreme
• No Other Choice
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Best production design

• Frankenstein
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Wicked: For Good

Best costume design

• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Hedda
• Sinners
• Wicked: For Good

Best hair and makeup

• Frankenstein
• Sinners
• The Smashing Machine
• Weapons
• Wicked: For Good

Best sound

• F1
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Sirāt
• Warfare

Best animated feature

• Arco
• Elio
• Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• KPop Demon Hunters
• Zootopia 2

Best international feature

• It Was Just An Accident
• No Other Choice
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sirāt

Best documentary

• 2000 Meters to Andriivka
• Come See Me in the Good Light
• Orwell: 2+2=5
• The Perfect Neighbor
• Predators

Best cinematography

• Hamnet
• No Other Choice
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

Best visual effects

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• F1
• Frankenstein
• Sinners
• Superman

Best stunts

• F1
• Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
• One Battle After Another
• The Running Man
• Sinners

Best directorial debut

• The Chronology of Water
• Friendship
• Pillion
• Sorry, Baby
• The Ugly Stepsister

Best breakthrough performance

• Miles Caton: Sinners
• Chase Infiniti: One Battle After Another
• Jacobi Jupe: Hamnet
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas: Sentimental Value
• Eva Victor: Sorry, Baby

Best animal in a movie

• Bing the Dog: The Friend
• Googoo the Meerkat: Left Handed Girl
• Indy the Dog: Good Boy
• Noochie the Cat: Sorry, Baby
• Tonic the Cat: Caught Stealing

Best LGBTQIA+ representation

• Blue Moon
• Hedda
• Pillion
• Plainclothes
• Twinless

Best New Jersey representation

• The Housemaid
• Marty Supreme
• Ponyboi
• Presence
• Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

The 2025 awards are the first complete year of competitive nominations for the critics group. Any film released in 2025 was eligible. Additional criteria were applied only to the Best New Jersey Representation category.

For further updates, fans can keep an eye on the official New Jersey Film Critics Circle pages.

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