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    2025 GVN Critics Choice Awards Recap: ‘Dune: Part Two Sweeps’, ‘The Substance’ Shines, and More

    A man in a hood.
    The ballots are in, and the results of the 2025 GVN Critics Choice Awards season have been tallied. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two emerged as the night’s biggest winner, dominating technical and genre categories, while Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance proved a fierce contender across multiple fields. Here are the winners and their closest runners-up, followed by some key takeaways.

    Best Picture

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: The Substance
      Two men are fighting in front of a large group of people.
      (L-r) TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides and AUSTIN BUTLER as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

    Best Director

    • Winner: Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
      Mikey Madison As Ani And Mark Eydelshteyn As Ivan. Courtesy Of NEON
      Mikey Madison As Ani And Mark Eydelshteyn As Ivan. Courtesy Of NEON

    Best Actress

    Best Actor

    • Winner: Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
    • Runner-Up: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
      Close-up of a person wearing a crown, with a serious expression. The background features dark blue tones with butterfly and bird illustrations.

    Supporting Actor

    Supporting Actress

    Best Original Screenplay

    • Winner: The Substance
    • Runner-Up: Anora
      A woman with a high bun and black outfit holds a clear glass of liquid, looking to the side.
      Margaret Qualley as Sue in The Substance courtesy of MUBI

    Best Adapted Screenplay

    • Winner: Nickel Boys
    • Runner-Up: Dune: Part Two

    Best Breakthrough Performance

    • Winner: Brandon Wilson – Nickel Boys
    • Runner-Up: Lily Collias – Good One

    Best Vocal or Motion Capture

    Best Ensemble Cast

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Conclave

    Best Animated Feature

    • Winner: The Wild Robot
    • Runner-Up: Inside Out 2
      (from left) Fink (Pedro Pascal), Roz (Lupita N’yongo), and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders.

    Best Documentary

    • Winner: No Other Land
    • Runner-Up: Super/Man

    Best International Film

    • Winner: I’m Still Here
    • Runner-Up: All We Imagine as Light

    Best Original Score

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Challengers

    Best Original Song

    • Winner: “Like A Bird” – Sing Sing
    • Runner-Up: “Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot

    Best Use of Pre-Existing Song

    • Winner: “Like A Prayer” – Deadpool & Wolverine
    • Runner-Up: “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl” – I Saw The TV Glow

    Best Cinematography

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Nosferatu

    Best Production Design

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Nosferatu

    Best Hair & Make-Up

    • Winner: The Substance
    • Runner-Up: Nosferatu

    Best Costume Design

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Wicked

    Best Sound Design

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Nosferatu

    Best Editing

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: The Substance

    Best VFX

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Wicked

    Best Stunt Work or Fight Choreography

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: The Fall Guy
      A person stands in front of a window with drawn curtains, wearing patterned clothing, in low-light conditions.
      Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU, a Focus Features release.
      Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

    Best Horror Film

    • Winner: Nosferatu
    • Runner-Up: The Substance

    Best Comedy

    • Winner: The Fall Guy
    • Runner-Up: My Old Ass

    Best Sci-Fi or Fantasy Film

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

    Best Action Film

    • Winner: Dune: Part Two
    • Runner-Up: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

    Observations and Takeaways

    This year’s awards showcase a clear frontrunner: Dune: Part Two dominates across multiple categories, including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Sound Design, Editing, VFX, Stunt Work, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Action, often with a significant lead. Denis Villeneuve’s epic not only secured the top spot in Best Picture but also swept the technical fields, proving its broad appeal and mastery of craft.
    Meanwhile, The Substance is a strong contender, particularly in Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Hair & Make-Up, and Horror. Coralie Fargeat’s visceral thriller came close to toppling Dune in several categories, with Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore leading their respective acting races. Nosferatu and The Brutalist also perform well in technical and performance categories, with Nosferatu claiming Best Horror and The Brutalist scoring high in Best Picture and Actor thanks to Adrien Brody’s standout turn.
    Some categories—like Best Animated Feature, where The Wild Robot secured a landslide victory, and Best VFX, dominated by Dune: Part Two—showed clear favorites. Others, such as Best Comedy and Best Actor, were more competitive, with tight races between The Fall Guy and My Old Ass, and Colman Domingo edging out Adrien Brody. The results reflect a year of bold storytelling, technical prowess, and memorable performances, with Dune: Part Two setting the pace and The Substance nipping at its heels.
    What do you think of this year’s winners? Let us know in the comments!
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