National Board of Review 2025: ‘One Battle After Another’ leads with five major honours — full list of winners
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another extended its early-season momentum on Wednesday, dominating the National Board of Review’s 2025 honours with a sweep that cements the film’s widening awards-season footprint. The revolutionary epic collected five major prizes — Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro and Breakthrough Performance for Chase Infiniti.
The NBR’s verdict arrives on the heels of a strong week for Anderson’s film. It won Best Feature at the Gotham Awards on Monday and was named Best Film by the New York Film Critics Circle on Tuesday. The pattern suggests the awards season leading up to the Oscars has already begun to circle the director’s muscular, detail-rich storytelling. For Anderson, this marks a fourth NBR win overall and a second directing honor. DiCaprio, too, adds to a long history with the group, earning his third acting prize.
Rose Byrne continued her own streak, winning Best Actress for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You after taking the same award from the NYFCC. Best Supporting Actress went to Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, a breakout recognition in a competitive field. Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident was named Best International Film, while the animated category went to Arco and Documentary to the Seymour Hersh investigation Cover-Up.
Warner Bros.’ footprint extended beyond Anderson’s film. Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay for Sinners, which also picked up the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography award for Autumn Durald Arkapaw. The only other multiple-winner of the day, Sinners also earned a slot on NBR’s Top 10 Films list.
Netflix made a strong showing as well, with Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Train Dreams, which appeared on the Top 10 list alongside Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Universal’s Wicked: For Good and Searchlight’s Rental Family were also included.
A few expected contenders failed to appear: Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? were all shut out.
The NBR’s track record with the Oscars remains inconsistent, though its selections often shape early narratives. This year’s winners were drawn from a slate of 265 films, and they will be honored at the organization’s annual gala on January 13, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, hosted by NBC’s Willie Geist.
Here’s a full list of winners:
Best Film: One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value (Neon)
Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (A24)
Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams (Netflix)
Best Animated Feature: Arco (Neon)
Best International Film: It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Best Documentary: Cover-Up (Netflix)
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (Kino Lorber)
Top 10 Films (Alphabetical)
Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)
F1 (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Marty Supreme (A24)
Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Top 5 International Films (Alphabetical)
Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)
The Love That Remains (Janus Films)
The Secret Agent (Neon)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sirāt (Neon)
Top 5 Documentaries (Alphabetical)
2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS)
Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple Original Films)
My Mom Jayne (HBO Documentary Films)
Natchez (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)
Top 10 Independent Films (Alphabetical)
The Baltimorons (IFC)
Bring Her Back (A24)
Father Mother Sister Brother (Mubi)
Friendship (A24)
Good Boy (IFC)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
The Mastermind (Mubi)
Rebuilding (Bleecker Street)
Sorry, Baby (A24)
Urchin (1-2 Special)
Published – December 04, 2025 12:17 pm IST