List: 2019 InSession Film Awards (all nominees and winners)
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we featured our 7th annual InSession Film Awards! During Part 1, we discussed the very best that 2019 had to offer in terms of film. We dove into everything from movie surprises, to overlooked movies, to the best acting performances and so much more!
For every category, we each listed our own nominations and winners. Winners are highlighted in bold.
Best Actor
Brendan:
- Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
- Robert De Niro, The Irishman
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
- Ray Romano, Paddleton
- Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
JD:
- Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
- Adam Driver, Marriage Story
- Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
- Brad Pitt, Ad Astra
- Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Jay:
- Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Adam Driver, Marriage Story
- Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell
- Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Ryan:
- Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
- Taron Edgerton, Rocketman
- André Holland, High Flying Bird
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
- Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Best Actress
Brendan:
- Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale
- Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- Florence Pugh, Midsommar
- Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
JD:
- Awkwafina, The Farewell
- Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
- Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Jay:
- Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
- Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- Mary Kay Place, Diane
- Florence Pugh, Midsommar
Ryan:
- Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- Lupita Nyong’o, Us
- Florence Pugh, Midsommar
- Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Best Actor Supporting Role
Brendan:
- Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
- Baykali Ganambarr, The Nightingale
- Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
- Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
JD:
- Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
- Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
- Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Song Kang-ho, Parasite
Jay:
- Chris Cooper, Little Women
- Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
- Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Ryan:
- Timothée Chalemet, Little Women
- Daniel Craig, Knives Out
- Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Song Kang-ho, Parasite
Best Actress Supporting Role
Brendan:
- Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
- Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Valerie Pachner, A Hidden Life
- Florence Pugh, Little Women
- Shuzhen Zhao, The Farewell
JD:
- Juliette Binoche, High Life
- Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
- Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit
- Valerie Pachner, A Hidden Life
- Shuzhen Zhao, The Farewell
Jay:
- Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
- Paula Beer, Transit
- Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
- Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Ryan:
- Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
- Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
- Billie Lourd, Booksmart
- Shuzhen Zhao, The Farewell
Best Director
Brendan:
- Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
- Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
- Joe Talbot, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
JD:
- Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
- Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Joe Talbot, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Jay:
- Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Todd Haynes, Dark Waters
- Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
- Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Ryan:
- Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
- Jordan Peele, Us
- Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
- Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best Original Screenplay
Brendan:
- Pedro Almodóvar, Pain and Glory
- Tarell Alvin McCraney, High Flying Bird
- Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Lulu Wang, The Farewell
- S. Craig Zahler, Dragged Across Concrete
JD:
- Pedro Almodóvar, Pain and Glory
- Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
- Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
- Jordan Peele, Us
- Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Jay:
- Pedro Almodóvar, Pain and Glory
- Ronald Bronstein, and Benny and Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
- Rian Johnson, Knives Out
- David Robert Mitchell, Under the Silver Lake
- Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Ryan:
- Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
- Rian Johnson, Knives Out
- Tarell Alvin McCraney, High Flying Bird
- Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Best Adapted Screenplay
Brendan:
- Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant, I Lost My Body
- Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
- Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
JD:
- Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant, I Lost My Body
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Murilo Hauser, Inés Bortagaray, and Karim Aïnouz, Invisible Life
- Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
- Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Jay:
- Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan, Dark Waters
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Christian Petzold, Transit
- Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
- Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Ryan:
- Greta Gerwig, Little Women
- Christian Petzold, Transit
- Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
- Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
- Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Best Cinematography
Brendan:
- Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
- Hong Kyong-pyo, Parasite
- Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Pawel Pagorzelski, Midsommar
- Jörg Widmer, A Hidden Life
JD:
- Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
- Hoyte Van Hoytema, Ad Astra
- Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Adam Newport-Berra, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Jörg Widmer, A Hidden Life
Jay:
- Hoyte Van Hoytema, Ad Astra
- Darius Khondji, Uncut Gems
- Yorick Le Saux, Little Women
- Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Ryan:
- Hoyte Van Hoytema, Ad Astra
- Darius Khondji, Uncut Gems
- Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Pawel Pogorzelski, Midsommar
- Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best Documentary
Brendan:
- Apollo 11
- Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
- Honeyland
- Leaving Neverland
- One Child Nation
JD:
- Apollo 11
- For Sama
- Honeyland
- Leaving Neverland
- One Child Nation
Jay:
- Apollo 11
- Diego Maradona
- Leaving Neverland
- One Child Nation
- Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Ryan:
- American Factory
- Diego Maradona
- Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
- Maiden
- Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Best Foreign Language Film
Brendan:
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- I Lost My Body
- Pain and Glory
- Parasite
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
JD:
- Invisible Life
- Pain and Glory
- Parasite
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Transit
Jay:
- Ash Is Purest White
- Pain and Glory
- Parasite
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Transit
Ryan:
- Non-Fiction
- Pain and Glory
- Parasite
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Transit
Best Animated Movie
Brendan (*chose to only nominate four animated films):
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- I Lost My Body
- Missing Link
- Toy Story 4
JD:
- Frozen II
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- I Lost My Body
- Missing Link
- Toy Story 4
Jay:
- Frozen II
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- I Lost My Body
- Missing Link
- Toy Story 4
Ryan:
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
- I Lost My Body
- Missing Link
- Toy Story 4
Best Original Score
Brendan:
- Michael Abels, Us
- James Newton Howard, A Hidden Life
- Matt Morton, Apollo 11
- Emile Mosseri, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Max Richter, Ad Astra
JD:
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
- James Newton Howard, A Hidden Life
- Emile Mosseri, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Randy Newman, Marriage Story
- Max Richter, Ad Astra
Jay:
- Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
- James Newton Howard, A Hidden Life
- Daniel Lopatin, Uncut Gems
- Emile Mosseri, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Randy Newman, Marriage Story
Ryan:
- Michael Abels, Us
- Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, Ford v Ferrari
- Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
- James Newton Howard, A Hidden Life
- Nathan Johnson, Knives Out
Best Use of Soundtrack Music (Doesn’t have to be original. Closing and Opening credits count)
Brendan:
- “Breathe” by Something She, Her Smell
- “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” by Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- “Moonfog” by Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Bum
- “Shotgun Safari” by The O’Jays feat. Eddie Levert and Walter Williams, Dragged Across Concrete
- “Willow” by Tindersticks feat. Robert Pattinson, High Life
JD:
- “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” by Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- “Moonfog” by Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Bum
- “Heaven” by Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” by Emile Mosseri, Daniel Herskedal, and Mike Marshall, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- “The Dead Don’t Die” by Sturgill Simpson, The Dead Don’t Die
Jay:
- “Lost in the Woods” by Jonathan Groff, Frozen II
- “Love in This Club” by Usher, Hustlers
- “Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand (I Wanna Hold Your Hand)” by The Beatles, Jojo Rabbit
- “Being Alive” by Adam Driver, Marriage Story
- “F**k tha Police” by N.W.A., Us
Ryan:
- “Heaven” by Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
- “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” by Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- “I Got 5 on It” by LUNIZ, Us
- “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” by Neil Diamond, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- “I’m Still Standing” by Taron Edgerton, Rocketman
Best Opening/Closing Credits Sequence or Scene
Brendan:
- The Beach Bum (Closing credits)
- Booksmart (Closing credits)
- Jojo Rabbit (Opening credits)
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Opening title card)
- Uncut Gems (Opening title card)
JD:
- Her Smell (Closing)
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Closing)
- Little Women (Closing)
- Marriage Story (Closing)
- Us (Closing)
Jay:
- The Death of Dick Long (Closing credits)
- The Irishman (Opening “title card”)
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Opening title card)
- Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (Opening)
- Uncut Gems (Opening title card)
Ryan:
- Knives Out (Closing)
- Little Women (Closing)
- Parasite (Closing)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Closing)
- Uncut Gems (Opening)
Best Overlooked Movie
Brendan:
- Anima
- Arctic
- Diane
- The Mustang
- The Standoff at Sparrow Creek
JD:
- Diane
- High Life
- Light of My Life
- The Mustang
- Waves
Jay:
- Ash Is Purest White
- The Death of Dick Long
- The Nightingale
- Transit
- Under the Silver Lake
Ryan:
- Ash Is Purest White
- Diego Maradona
- High Flying Bird
- Non-Fiction
- The Peanut Butter Falcon
Best Surprise Movie
Brendan:
- Dark Waters
- Her Smell
- Hustlers
- Uncut Gems
- Under the Silver Lake
JD:
- All Is True
- Booksmart
- Honey Boy
- The Report
- Uncut Gems
Jay:
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Blinded by the Light
- Crawl
- Dark Waters
- Ford v Ferrari
Ryan:
- The Beach Bum
- Doctor Sleep
- Midsommar
- Queen & Slim
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Surprise Actor/Actress
Brendan:
- Sam Claflin, The Nightingale
- Snoop Dogg, The Beach Bum
- Kevin Garnett, Uncut Gems
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
- Ray Romano, Paddleton
JD:
- Jillian Bell, Brittany Runs a Marathon
- Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell
- Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
- Mary Kay Place, Diane
Jay:
- Kevin Garnett, Uncut Gems
- Liam Hemsworth, Isn’t It Romantic
- Ray Liotta, Marriage Story
- Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense
- Ray Romano, The Irishman and Paddleton
Ryan:
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
- Sienna Miller, American Woman
- Paul Rudd, Avengers: Endgame
- Kevin Garnett, Uncut Gems
- Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best Movie Discovery
Brendan:
- Julia Fox – Actress, Uncut Gems
- Zach Gottsagen – Actor, The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Jonathan Majors – Actor, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Joe Talbot – Director, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Lulu Wang – Director, The Farewell
JD:
- Julia Butters – Actress, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Adèle Haenel – Actress, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Dan Levy – Composer, I Lost My Body
- Taylor Russell – Actress, Waves
- Lulu Wang – Director, The Farewell
Jay:
- Julia Fox – Actress, Uncut Gems
- Kent Jones – Director, Diane
- Joe Talbot – Director, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Samara Weaving – Actress, Ready or Not
- Keith L. Williams – Actor, Good Boys
Ryan:
- Kaitlyn Dever – Actress, Booksmart
- Julia Fox – Actress, Uncut Gems
- Zach Gottsagen – Actor, The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Jonathan Majors – Actor, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Lulu Wang – Director, The Farewell
JD’s Individual Special Awards
Best Individual Score Track
- “A Hidden Life” – James Newton Howard (A Hidden Life)
- “I Got 5 On It” – Michael Abels, LUNIZ, and Michael Marshall (Us)
- “Sixteen Hundred Men” – Thomas Newman (1917)
- “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” – Emile Mosseri (The Last Black Man in San Francisco)
- “To the Stars” – Max Richter (Ad Astra)
Best Poster
- The Beach Bum
- A Hidden Life
- High Life
- Midsommar
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Best Editing
- The Irishman
- The Lighthouse
- Little Women
- Marriage Story
- Parasite
Best Directorial Debut
- Jérémy Clapin – I Lost My Body
- Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre – The Mustang
- Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
- Joe Talbot – The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Olivia Wilde – Booksmart
Best Action Hero of 2019
- Five Belgian Malinois Dogs, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Best Acting Year
- Adam Driver – The Dead Don’t Die, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Marriage Story, The Report, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- Scarlett Johannson – Avengers: Endgame, Jojo Rabbit, and Marriage Story
- Brad Pitt – Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Florence Pugh – Fighting with My Family, Little Women, and Midsommar
- Keanu Keeves – Always Be My Maybe, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and Toy Story 4
Brendan’s Individual Special Awards
Best Performance by a Non-Human, aka “Cheddar Goblin” Award
- The shark, The Beach Bum
- Cliff Booth’s dog Brandy, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- The seabirds, The Lighthouse
- Sofia’s shepherd dogs Santana and Tai, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
- The apple-dropping donkey, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Best Kick
- Gamora kicking Starlord, Avengers: Endgame
- Frank Sheeran kicking the grocery store owner, The Irishman
- Jojo kicking Hitler, Jojo Rabbit
- Jang Hye-jin’s “kick”, Parasite
Jay’s Individual Special Awards
Cinema Animal of the Year (MUST BE REAL)
- Sofia’s shepherd dogs Santana and Tai, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
- The seabirds, The Lighthouse
- Chekhov’s Bear, Midsommar
- Cliff Booth’s dog Brandy, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- White rabbits, Us
Character Most In Need of a Hug
- Roy McBride, Ad Astra
- Warden Williams, Clemency
- Otis, Honey Boy
- Dani, Midsommar
- Richard Jewell, Richard Jewell
Rock of the Year
- Infinity Stones, Avengers: Endgame
- Scholar stone, Parasite
- The opal, Uncut Gems
Cinematic House of the Year
- Moondog’s boat house, The Beach Bum
- Space Prison, High Life
- The Thrombey Estate, Knives Out
- Jimmie’s childhood home, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- The Namgoong House, Parasite
Cinematic Beverage of the Year
- Cancer water, Dark Waters
- Vodka-infused watermelon, The Irishman
- Kerosene, The Lighthouse
- Acid lemonade, Midsommar
- Eight goddamn whiskey sours, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Lesson of the Year
- Never spill yer beans
- Never wear shorts to a business meeting
- Never go to Scandanavia
- Never hire J.J. Abrams to direct the end of your trilogy
- Always keep your old movie props
Lingering Question of the Year
- What happened when Monte and Willow went into the black hole?, High Life
- How did Zombie Laurence Fishburne come to be?, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
- What?, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Did Cliff kill his wife?, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- What happened to Ki-taek?, Parasite
The “The World Needs to be More Like This” Award
- Apollo 11
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Blinded by the Light
- Little Women
- The Peanut Butter Falcon
Ryan’s Individual Special Awards
2019 Taking One for the Team Award
- Cats
- Greener Grass
Best Movie Trailer
- Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best Directorial Debut
- Olivia Wilde, Booksmart
Best Ensembler
- Knives Out
Best Performance that Just Missed Out
- Robert Pattinson, High Life
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
- Ana de Armas, Knives Out
- Awkwafina, The Farewell
- Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
- Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
- Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
2019 Jack-Of-All-Trades
- Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy and The Peanut Butter Falcon
2019 Cultural Icons
- Babu Frick, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- Forky, Toy Story 4
Well that’s it for our 2019 InSession Film Awards! Hopefully you all enjoyed our nominations and winners. If you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear how your nominations and winners would vary from our picks above. You can also email your selections to us at [email protected] or follow us on social media.
To hear our Top 10 Movies of 2019, listen to Part 2 of Episode 360!
