The following is a list of award winners at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. The festival presents jury awards across multiple competition categories, including Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and several short film programs (Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Midnight, Texas, and Music Video), as well as an Independent TV Pilot Competition, Poster Design Competition, and XR Experience Competition. In addition to jury awards, all festival selections are eligible for audience awards, with voting certified by the accounting firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter.
The festival also presents various special awards, which have changed over the years. Recurring special awards have included the Louis Black "Lone Star" Award (for films shot in Texas or directed by Texas residents, named for SXSW co-founder Louis Black), the Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award (for unconventional filmmaking in the Visions section, named for Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch), and the ZEISS Cinematography Award.
Winners of the SXSW Narrative, Documentary, and Animated Short Film jury awards are eligible for Academy Awards consideration. British short films and animations screened at SXSW are eligible for BAFTA nomination, and feature films are eligible for the Independent Spirit Awards.
2026 SXSW Film Awards The SXSW 2026 jury and special awards were announced March 19, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
Jury Awards Award Winner Narrative Feature Competition Jury Award Wishful Thinking, directed by Graham Parkes Narrative Feature Competition Special Jury Award for Performance Susan Kent in The Snake Special Jury Award for Screenwriting Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divianian and Frankie Quiñones for Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film Documentary Feature Competition Jury Award Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story, directed by Ayden Mayeri Documentary Feature Competition Special Jury Award The Last Critic, directed by Matty Wishnow and Stormbound, directed by Miko Lim Narrative Short Competition Jury Award Souvenir, directed by Renée Marie Petropoulos Narrative Short Competition Special Jury Award Supper, directed by Savannah Braswell Documentary Short Competition Jury Award In The Morning Sun, directed by Serville Poblete Documentary Short Competition Special Jury Award Eructation, directed by Victoria Trow Animated Shorts Competition Jury Award Paper Trail, directed by Don Hertzfeldt Animated Shorts Competition Special Jury Award Hag, directed by Anna Ginsburg Midnight Shorts Competition Jury Award Tongue, directed by Lim Da Seul Midnight Shorts Competition Special Jury Award Man Eating Pussy, directed by Emily Lawson Texas Shorts Competition Jury Award Forcefield of Love, directed by Liz Moskowitz and Riley Engemoen Texas Shorts Competition Special Jury Award for Standout Ensemble Stalin Boys, directed by Ora and Bianca Giaever Music Video Competition Jury Award Rawayana and Bomba Estéreo - "Fogota" directed by Paola Ossa Music Video Competition Special Jury Award Doechii - "Anxiety" directed by James Mackel Independent TV Pilot Competition Jury Award In My Blood, directed by Alex Bendo Independent TV Pilot Competition Special Jury Award Son of a Bikram, directed by Johnny Rey Diaz XR Experience Competition Jury Award Body Proxy, designed by Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman XR Experience Competition Special Jury Award The Forgotten War, designed by Hayoun Kwon Agog Immersive Impact Award A Long Goodbye, directed by Kate Voet and Victor Maes Green Lens Award Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film, directed by Robb Boardman Janet Pierson Champion Award Benjamin Wiessner NEON Auteur Award The Peril at Pincer Point, directed by Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine Redbreast Unhidden Award We Were Here, directed by Pranav Bhasin Best of Texas Award Stages, directed by Ryan Booth Vimeo Staff Pick Mantis Stream! Like & Subscribe directed by Lincoln Robisch and Sarah Maerten
Audience Awards Award Winner Headliner Audience Award Over Your Dead Body, directed by Jorma Taccone Narrative Feature Competition Audience Award Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film, directed by Robb Boardman Documentary Feature Competition Audience Award The Ascent, directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Cronin Narrative Spotlight Audience Award Campeón Gabacho, directed by Jonás Cuarón Documentary Spotlight Audience Award Ceremony, directed by Banchi Hanuse Midnighter Audience Award Never After Dark, directed by Dave Boyle Visions Audience Award Daughters of the Forest, directed by Otilia Portillo Padua Global Audience Award Mickey, directed by Dano García, 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award Noah Kahan: Out of Body directed by Nick Sweeney Festival Favorite Audience Award Cookie Queens, directed by Alysa Nahmias Narrative Short Competition Audience Award We Were Here, directed by Pranav Bhasin Documentary Short Competition Audience Award I Got My Brother, directed by Victor K. Gabriel Animated Short Competition Audience Award Paper Trail, directed by Don Hertzfeldt Midnight Short Competition Audience Award The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much, directed by Eric Jackowitz Music Video Competition Audience Award OK GO – "Love", directed by Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada, and Damian Kulash TV Premiere Audience Award Monsters of God, directed by Eric Goode TV Spotlight Audience Award Woodstockers, directed by Oliver Bernsen, Independent TV Pilot Competition Audience Award Birth is For P*ssies, directed by Hannah Shealy and Celine Sutter XR Experience Competition Audience Award Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking, directed by Luiza Justus and Marcelo Marcati XR Experience Spotlight Audience Award The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up, directed by Singing Chen,
2025 SXSW Film Awards The SXSW 2025 jury and special awards were announced March 12, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
Jury Awards Award Winner Narrative Feature Competition Jury Award Slanted, directed by Amy Wang Narrative Feature Competition Special Jury Award for a Multi-Hyphenate Annapurna Sriram, Fucktoys Narrative Feature Competition Special Jury Award for Performance Amanda Peet in Fantasy Life Documentary Feature Competition Jury Award Shuffle, directed by Benjamin Flaherty Documentary Feature Competition Special Jury Award The Python Hunt, directed by Xander Robin Documentary Feature Competition Special Jury Award Remaining Native, directed by Paige Bethmann Narrative Short Competition Jury Award One Day This Kid, directed by Alexander Farah Narrative Short Competition Special Jury Award I'm The Most Racist Person I Know, directed by Leela Varghese Documentary Short Competition Jury Award Looking for a Donkey, directed by Juan Vicente Manrique Documentary Short Competition Special Jury Award Welcome Home Freckles, directed by Huiju Park Animated Shorts Competition Jury Award Retirement Plan, directed by John Kelly Animated Shorts Competition Special Jury Award My Wonderful Life, directed by Calleen Koh Midnight Shorts Competition Jury Award Stomach Bug, directed by Matty Crawford Midnight Shorts Competition Special Jury Award Whitch, directed by Hoku Uchiyama Music Video Competition Jury Award BIJI – "ZIGIDI", directed by Maceo Frost Music Video Competition Special Jury Award Sarah Klang – "Other Girls", directed by Rose Bush and Kirsten Bode Texas Shorts Competition Jury Award Harvester, directed by Charlie Schwan Texas Shorts Competition Special Jury Award Newbies, directed by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence and Megan Trufant Tillman Independent TV Pilot Competition Jury Award F*ckups Anonymous, directed by Kat Whalen Independent TV Pilot Competition Special Jury Award Denim, directed by Tedra Wilson Poster Design Competition Jury Award Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody for the Soul, designed by Scott Berman, Anthony Francisco Schepperd, and Micah Buzan Poster Design Competition Special Jury Award Glorious Summer, designed by Patryk Hardziej XR Experience Competition Jury Award Reflections of Little Red Dot, created by Chloé Lee XR Experience Competition Special Jury Award Proof As If Proof Were Needed, created by Ting Tong Chang and Matt Adams Agog Immersive Impact Award In the Current of Being, created by Cameron Kostopoulos Redbreast Unhidden Award Brief Somebodies, directed by Andy Reid Vimeo Staff Pick Award Familiar, directed by Marco Novoa NEON Auteur Award Dead Lover, directed by Grace Glowicki Howl of Fame Award Indy in Good Boy, directed by Ben Leonberg Best of Texas Award Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt, directed by Tom Stern Janet Pierson Champion Award Lindsey Dryden
Audience Awards Award Winner Headliner Audience Award The Accountant 2, directed by Gavin O'Connor Narrative Feature Competition Audience Award Fantasy Life, directed by Matthew Shear Documentary Feature Competition Audience Award Remaining Native, directed by Paige Bethmann Narrative Spotlight Audience Award The Baltimorons, directed by Jay Duplass Documentary Spotlight Audience Award Luv Ya, Bum!, directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas and David Hartstein Midnighter Audience Award Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, directed by Matt Johnson Visions Audience Award Ghost Boy, directed by Rodney Ascher Global Audience Award Corina, directed by Urzula Barba Hopfner 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award Selena y Los Dinos, directed by Isabel Castro Festival Favorite Audience Award Deaf President Now!, directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim Narrative Short Competition Audience Award Ben's Sister, directed by Emma Weinswig Documentary Short Competition Audience Award Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, directed by Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud Animated Short Competition Audience Award Retirement Plan, directed by John Kelly Midnight Short Competition Audience Award Lurk, directed by Mairin Hart and Josh Wallace Kerrigan Texas Short Competition Audience Award Sweetbriar, directed by Danny Rivera Music Video Competition Audience Award A$AP Rocky – "Tailor Swif", directed by Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia TV Premiere Audience Award Spy High, directed by Jody McVeigh-Schultz TV Spotlight Audience Award Mix Tape, directed by Lucy Gaffy Independent TV Pilot Competition Audience Award Bulldozer, directed by Andrew Leeds XR Experience Competition Audience Award Face Jumping, directed by Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman XR Experience Spotlight Audience Award Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody for the Soul, directed by Scott Berman and Ryan Hartsell 2024 SXSW Film Awards The SXSW 2024 jury awards were presented March 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas at the Paramount Theater.
Jury Awards