The 31st Fangoria Chainsaw Awards honored the best horror films that were released between July 2024 and June 2025. The nominees were announced on July 9, 2025. The ceremony was livestreamed on Shudder on October 19, 2025.
Among the nominees, Sinners and The Substance led with ten nominations each. The former received four wins, including Best Wide Release.
Winners and nominees Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
Best Wide Release Best Limited Release Sinners − Directed by Ryan Coogler 28 Years Later − Directed by Danny Boyle Bring Her Back − Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou Final Destination Bloodlines − Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein Heretic − Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods Longlegs − Directed by Osgood Perkins Nosferatu − Directed by Robert Eggers Strange Darling − Directed by JT Mollner The Substance − Directed by Coralie Fargeat The Ugly Stepsister − Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt | valign="top" | Azrael − Directed by E. L. Katz Frankie Freako − Directed by Steven Kostanski Freaky Tales − Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Get Away − Directed by Steffen Haars Little Bites − Directed by Spider One |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best International Movie ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Streaming Premiere |- | valign="top" | Oddity − Directed by Damian McCarthy Cuckoo − Directed by Tilman Singer Dangerous Animals − Directed by Sean Byrne Red Rooms − Directed by Pascal Plante The Ugly Stepsister − Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt | valign="top" | Mr. Crocket − Directed by Brandon Espy Best Wishes to All − Directed by Yûta Shimotsu Cannibal Mukbang − Directed by Aimee Kuge Gazer − Directed by Ryan J. Sloan There's A Zombie Outside − Directed by Michael Varrati |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Director ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best First Feature |- | valign="top" | Ryan Coogler − Sinners Danny Boyle − 28 Years Later Robert Eggers − Nosferatu Coralie Fargeat − The Substance Osgood Perkins − Longlegs The Ugly Stepsister − Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt Best Wishes to All − Directed by Yûta Shimotsu Blink Twice − Directed by Zoë Kravitz Cannibal Mukbang − Directed by Aimee Kuge Mr. Crocket − Directed by Brandon Espy |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Lead Performance ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Supporting Performance |- | valign="top" | Demi Moore − The Substance as Elisabeth Sparkle Lily-Rose Depp − Nosferatu as Ellen Hutter Willa Fitzgerald − Strange Darling as The Lady Sally Hawkins − Bring Her Back as Laura Michael B. Jordan − Sinners as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore Maika Monroe − Longlegs as Lee Harker Lea Myren − The Ugly Stepsister as Elvira Hunter Schafer − Cuckoo as Gretchen Naomi Scott − Smile 2 as Skye Riley Sophie Thatcher − Companion as Iris | valign="top" | Nicolas Cage − Longlegs as Longlegs Miles Caton − Sinners as Samuel "Sammie" Moore Ralph Fiennes − 28 Years Later as Dr. Ian Kelson Hugh Grant − Heretic as Mr. Reed David Jonsson − Alien: Romulus as Andy Wunmi Mosaku − Sinners as Annie Jack O'Connell − Sinners as Remmick Margaret Qualley − The Substance as Sue Bill Skarsgård − Nosferatu as Count Orlok Dan Stevens − Cuckoo as Herr König |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Screenplay ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Score |- | valign="top" | Sinners − Ryan Coogler Bring Her Back − Bill Hinzman and Danny Philippou Heretic − Scott Beck and Bryan Woods Strange Darling − JT Mollner The Substance − Coralie Fargeat | valign="top" | Sinners − Ludwig Göransson 28 Years Later − Young Fathers Longlegs − Zilgi Nosferatu − Robin Carolan The Substance − Raffertie |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Make-Up FX ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Creature FX |- | valign="top" | The Substance − Pierre-Olivier Persin and Stéphanie Guillon 28 Years Later − John Nolan Longlegs − Felix Fox, Harlow MacFarlane, and Werner Pretorius Nosferatu − David White and Traci Loader Terrifier 3 − Damien Leone | valign="top" | The Substance − Pierre-Olivier Persin Alien: Romulus − Legacy Effects, Studio Gillis, Wētā Workshop Oddity − Paul McDonnell Smile 2 − Millennium FX, Morphology, Jeremy Selenfriend, and Studio Gillis Werewolves − Studio Gillis |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Costume Design ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Cinematography |- | valign="top" | Nosferatu − Linda Muir MaXXXine − Mari-An Ceo Sinners − Ruth E. Carter The Substance − Emmanuelle Youchnovski The Ugly Stepsister − Manon Rasmussen | valign="top" | Nosferatu − Jarin Blaschke 28 Years Later − Anthony Dod Mantle Longlegs − Andrés Arochi Tinajero Sinners − Autumn Durald Arkapaw The Substance − Benjamin Kračun |- ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Documentary Feature ! style="width:50%; background:#EEDD82;" | Best Video Game |- | valign="top" | George A. Romero's Resident Evil Doc of Chucky In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 The J-Horror Virus Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic Silent Hill 2 Remake Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Mouthwashing Slitterhead Sorry We're Closed Best Series Best Non-Fiction Series or Miniseries The Last of Us The Creep Tapes From Squid Game Yellowjackets The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Horror's Greatest Svengoolie Best Public Domain Resurrection Best Kill Screamboat − Directed by Steven LaMorte Popeye's Revenge − Directed by William Stead The Mouse Trap − Directed by Jamie Bailey Popeye the Slayer Man − Directed by Robert Michael Ryan Shiver Me Timbers − Directed by Paul Stephen Mann Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare − Directed by Scott Chambers | valign="top" |The Shower Kill — Terrifier 3
Editorial Eye on the Future AwardWinners are selected by the Fangoria editorial team in the spirit of looking ahead in horror. This award recognizes emerging talent in the horror space who made a significant impact in the horror industry in the last year. WINNERS Ksusha Genenfeld Curtis RX
Films with multiple nominations and awards
+ Films with multiple nominations Nominations Film 10 Sinners The Substance 8 Nosferatu 7 Longlegs 6 28 Years Later 5 The Ugly Stepsister 3 Bring Her Back Cuckoo Heretic Strange Darling 2 Alien: Romulus Best Wishes to All Cannibal Mukbang Mr. Crocket Oddity Smile 2
+ Films with multiple wins Awards Film 4 Sinners 3 The Substance 2 Nosferatu
Presenters Shannon Purser — presented Best Supporting Performance Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian — presented Best First Feature Fayna Sanchez and Sarah Nicklin — presented Best Non-Fiction Series or Miniseries Adam Cesare — presented Best Documentary Feature Bill Moseley and Tiffany Shepis — presented Best Creature FX Dee Snider — presented Best Make-Up FX Felissa Rose and Peaches Christ — presented Best Costume Design Dusty Gannon — presented Best Score Alec Gillis and Flying Lotus — presented Best Cinematography Reece Feldman — presented Best Video Game Del Howison — presented Horror Host Segment Joe Bob Briggs — presented Best Public Domain Resurrection Biqtch Puddin' and Catherine Corcoran — presented Best Series Michael Gingold — introduced Editorial Eye on the Future Award Phil Nobile Jr. — presented Editorial Eye on the Future Award Julie Benz, Ron Perlman and Busy Phillips — presented Best Screenplay Katie Hettenbach — presented Rules and Regulations of the awards Jackie Kong — presented Best International Movie Tina Romero — presented Best Limited Release Chelsea Rebecca and James A. Janisse — presented Best Streaming Premiere Gwar — presented Best Kill David Howard Thornton — presented Best Lead Performance Jeffrey Reddick — presented Best Director Ernest Dickerson — presented Best Wide Release
References
External links Fangoria website