National Board of Review Awards

Overview

The National Board of Review Awards are among the first major awards announced each film season. The NBR announced its 2025 honorees on December 3, 2025, with One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) winning Best Film, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro), and Breakthrough Performance (Chase Infiniti). The 2025 gala took place on January 13, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, hosted by NBC's Willie Geist.

The NBR views over 250 films per year, including studio, independent, foreign-language, animated, and documentary releases. Screenings are frequently followed by Q&A sessions with directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters. The organization has approximately 130 members, including film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students, primarily based in the New York metropolitan area.

The early December announcement makes the NBR one of the first bodies to reveal its choices each season. The results generate immediate media coverage that shapes the awards conversation going forward. Studios and distributors monitor the NBR announcements as the unofficial start of the Oscar race.

Eligibility and Submission Rules

A film must receive a theatrical release in the United States to qualify for NBR Award consideration. There is no paperwork to file and no forms to complete. Instead, films must be made available for viewing by NBR members either digitally or in a theater in New York City. This typically occurs through private screening rooms or through "pass-through" screenings at commercial theaters where NBR members attend press and industry screenings.

The decision to offer a screening exclusively for NBR members or to offer seats at a press/all-media screening is at the discretion of the film's representatives. The type of screening does not affect eligibility. All costs and reservation logistics are handled by the film representatives, and all screenings must be approved by NBR administrative staff. The last day to screen films for consideration typically falls during the last week of November.

Films that premiere on streaming platforms without a qualifying theatrical release are not eligible. For questions about the qualification process, distributors can contact eligibility@nbrmp.org.

Voting Process

The NBR membership of approximately 130 includes a mix of "film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students." Unlike critics groups whose members are professional reviewers, the NBR draws from a broader base of dedicated film advocates. The organization does not publicly disclose its full membership list.

Ballots are sent to members and tabulated by the certified public accounting firm Lutz and Carr. The top awards (Best Film, Best Director, acting categories, screenplay, and top ten lists) are voted on by the full membership. An Awards Committee determines special achievement awards presented at the annual gala.

The NBR's membership composition gives its selections a character distinct from both critics circles and industry guild awards. The group has historically favored accessible, well-crafted films with broad appeal, though it also recognizes challenging and independent work through its top ten lists and specialized categories.

Key Categories

• Best Film
• Best Director
• Best Actor and Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress
• Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Directorial Debut
• Breakthrough Performance
• Best Animated Feature
• Best International Film
• Best Documentary
• Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
• Top Ten Films - an annual list of the year's best American films
• Top Five International Films
• Top Five Documentaries
• Freedom of Expression Award - for films addressing free speech, civil liberties, or human rights
• NBR Icon Award and NBR Spotlight Award

History

The National Board of Review was founded in 1909 as the National Board of Censorship of Motion Pictures, established to review films and provide content guidance as an alternative to government censorship. The organization evolved away from censorship and toward advocacy and recognition, eventually becoming a film appreciation body that presents annual awards.

The NBR has been presenting awards since 1929, making it one of the oldest film recognition bodies in the world. Its top ten lists, published annually since the 1930s, predate most modern critics groups and awards ceremonies. The organization's longevity gives its selections a historical depth that few other bodies can match.

The NBR's transition from a censorship body to an awards organization mirrors the broader evolution of American film culture. The group's current mission focuses on supporting cinema as both art and entertainment, with educational programming and member screenings throughout the year.

Business Impact for Filmmakers

The NBR's early December announcement gives it outsized influence on the awards season narrative. A Best Film selection generates the first wave of "frontrunner" coverage, which shapes public perception and campaign strategy for the remaining months of awards season. In 2025, One Battle After Another swept the NBR with 5 awards, following wins at the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle, establishing it as the early Oscar frontrunner.

For smaller films without massive marketing budgets, an NBR selection provides free visibility at a critical moment. The top ten lists ensure that multiple films receive recognition, broadening the conversation beyond the single Best Film winner. In 2025, the NBR top ten included both studio releases and independent films, giving indie distributors valuable awards-season positioning.

The Freedom of Expression Award provides recognition for socially engaged filmmaking that may not receive attention in other categories. The Breakthrough Performance award has historically identified emerging talent early in their careers, providing career momentum that extends beyond a single film.

Recent Results (2025 NBR Awards, announced December 2025)

• Best Film: One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
• Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
• Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
• Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
• Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
• Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
• Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
• Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams
• Best Animated Feature: Arco
• Best International Film: It Was Just an Accident
• Best Documentary: Cover-Up
• Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners

Watch

Eligibility Quirks That Trip People Up

• No formal submission process: Unlike most awards that require formal submissions and fees, the NBR has no paperwork to file and no forms to complete. Films must simply be made available for viewing by NBR members either digitally or in a theater in New York City. This informality trips up filmmakers who expect a formal submission portal.
• Theatrical release required: Films must receive a theatrical release in the United States to qualify. Films that premiere on streaming platforms without a qualifying theatrical release are not eligible, regardless of their critical acclaim or festival pedigree.
• New York City screenings: Films must be screened for NBR members in New York City, either through private screening rooms or through pass-through screenings at commercial theaters where NBR members attend press and industry screenings. Films that do not secure NYC screenings for NBR members are effectively invisible to the organization.
• Last screening week of November: The last day to screen films for consideration typically falls during the last week of November. Films that open in December and do not arrange advance screenings for NBR members before this cutoff are ineligible, even if they qualify theatrically.
• Approximately 130 members, not all critics: Unlike critics groups whose members are professional reviewers, the NBR draws from a broader base of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students, primarily based in the New York metropolitan area. The organization does not publicly disclose its full membership list.

Prestige Tier

The National Board of Review is one of the oldest film recognition bodies in the world, presenting awards since 1929. Among critics' awards, the NBR ranks alongside the New York Film Critics Circle in historical prestige, though its broader membership composition gives it a different character than pure critics' circles. The early December announcement makes the NBR one of the first bodies to reveal its choices each season, giving it outsized influence on the awards conversation. A Best Film selection generates the first wave of frontrunner coverage that shapes public perception and campaign strategy. The top ten lists ensure that multiple films receive recognition, broadening the conversation beyond the single Best Film winner. In 2025, One Battle After Another swept the NBR with 5 awards, following wins at the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle, establishing it as the early Oscar frontrunner.

See Also

For understanding how early-season awards shape distribution and campaign strategy, see Festival Strategy for Independent Films. To model how awards visibility affects revenue, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating the cost of an awards-season campaign against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.