This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we featured our 10th annual InSession Film Awards! During Part 1, we discussed the very best that 2022 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:
- Ram Charan, RRR
- Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Paul Mescal, Aftersun
- Bill Nighy, Living
JD:
- Paul Mescal, Aftersun
- Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin / After Yang
- Brendan Fraser, The Whale
- Bill Nighy, Living
- Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
Jay:
- Austin Butler, Elvis
- Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Bardo
- Ram Charan, RRR
- Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Gabrielle LaBelle, The Fabelmans
Ryan:
- Colin Farrell, After Yang / The Banshees of Inisherin
- Adam Driver, White Noise
- Park Hae-il, Decision to Leave
- Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Franz Rogowski, Great Freedom
Best Actress
Brendan:
- Cate Blanchett, TÁR
- Mia Goth, Pearl
- Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Tilda Swinton, The Eternal Daughter
- Tang Wei, Decision to Leave
JD:
- Cate Blanchett, TÁR
- Danielle Deadwyler, Till
- Vicky Krieps, Corsage
- Mia Goth, Pearl
- Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Jay:
- Cate Blanchett, TÁR
- Penelope Cruz, Official Competition
- Danielle Deadwyler, Till
- Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
- Tang Wei, Decision to Leave
Ryan:
- Cate Blanchett, TÁR
- Tang Wei, Decision to Leave
- Tilda Swinton, The Eternal Daughter
- Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
- Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Actor Supporting Role
Brendan:
- Diego Calva, Babylon
- Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
- Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time
JD:
- Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
- Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
- Albrecht Schuch, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Hit the Road
Jay:
- Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
- Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
- Steven Yeun, Nope
Ryan:
- Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
- Don Cheadle, White Noise
- Mark Rylance, Bones and All
- Justin H Min, After Yang
- Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Best Actress Supporting Role
Brendan:
- Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Chloe East, The Fabelmans
- Judith Ivey, Women Talking
- Ji-eun Lee, Broker
- Pantea Panahihi, Hit the Road
JD:
- Hong Chau, The Whale
- Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness
- Pontea Panahiha, Hit the Road
Jay:
- Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Bae Doona, Broker
- Greta Gerwig, White Noise
- Zoe Kravitz, The Batman
- Janelle Monae, Glass Onion
Ryan:
- Nina Hoss, TAR
- Lashana Lynch, The Woman King
- Janelle Monae, Glass Onion
- Isabella Rosselini, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Jessie Buckley, Women Talking
Best Director
Brendan:
- Damien Chazelle, Babylon
- Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
- Jordan Peele, Nope
- Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
- Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
JD:
- Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
- Robert Eggers, The Northman
- Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
Jay:
- Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Damien Chazelle, Babylon
- Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
- Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
- S.S. Rajamouli, RRR
Ryan:
- Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
- Steven Spielberg, The Fabelman
- Todd Field, TAR
- Jordan Peele, Nope
- James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water
Best Original Screenplay
Brendan:
- Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Hirokazu Koreeda, Broker
- Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
- Todd Field, TÁR
- Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung, Decision to Leave
JD:
- Todd Field, TÁR
- Jordan Peele, Nope
- Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
Jay:
- Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Jeong Seo-kyeong and Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
- Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
- Jordan Peele, Nope
- Todd Field, TÁR
Ryan:
- Todd Field, TÁR
- Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Bardo
- Martin McDonaugh, The Banshees of Inisherin
- The Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Joanna Hogg, The Eternal Daughter
Best Adapted Screenplay
Brendan:
- Kogonada, After Yang
- Guillermo del Toro and Patrick McHale, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Dean Fleisher-Camp, Nick Paley, and Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Sjon and Robert Eggers, The Northman
- Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews, Women Talking
JD:
- Sarah Polley, Women Talking
- Kogonada, Aftersun
- Rian Johnson, Glass Onion
- Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Warren Singer and Ehren Kruger, Top Gun: Maverick
- Dean FLeischer-Camp, Jenny late and Nick Paley, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Jay:
- Edward Berger, Ian Stokell and Lesley Paterson, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Sjón and Robert Eggers, The Northman
- Guillermo del Toro and Patrick McHale, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Noah Baumbach, White Noise
- Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Ryan:
- After Yang, Kogonada
- White Noise, Noah Baumbach
- Glass Onion, Rian Johnson
- She Said, Rebecca Lenkiewicz
- Women Talking, Sarah Polley
Best Cinematography
Brendan:
- James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Linus Sandgren, Babylon
- Kim Ji-yong, Decision to Leave
- Hoyte Van Hoytema, Nope
- Jarin Blaschke, The Northman
JD:
- Gregory Oke, Aftersun
- Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick
- Kim Ji-Yong, Decision to Leave
- Amin Jafari, Hit the Road
- Jarin Blaschke, The Northman
Jay:
- James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Linus Sandgren, Babylon
- Kim Ji-yong, Decision to Leave
- Michal Dymek, Eo
- Hoyte van Hoytema, Nope
Ryan:
- Top Gun Maverick, Claudio Miranda
- Bardo, Darius Khondji
- Decision to Leave, Kim Ji-yong
- Nope, Hoyte van Hoytema
- All Quiet on the Western Front, James Friend
Best Documentary
Brendan:
- Fire of Love
- Lucy and Desi
- Moonage Daydream
- “Sr.”
- This Much I Know to Be True
JD:
- Sr.
- Fire of Love
- Bad Axe
- All That Breathes
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Jay:
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
- Fire of Love
- Jackass Forever
- Sr.
- This Place Rules
Ryan:
- Bad Axe
- Fire of Love
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
- Moonage Daydream
- Sr.
Best Foreign Language Film
Brendan:
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Broker
- Decision to Leave
- Hit the Road
- RRR
JD:
- RRR
- Decision to Leave
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Broker
- Hit the Road
Jay:
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Broker
- Decision to Leave
- Eo
- RRR
Ryan:
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Bardo
- Broker
- Decision to Leave
- Great Freedom
Best Animated Movie
Brendan:
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Mad God
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Turning Red
JD:
- The Sea Beast
- Turning Red
- Puss in Booths: The Last Wish
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Jay:
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
- Mad God
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- The Sea Beast
- Wendell & Wild
Ryan:
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers
- Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood
Best Original Score
Brendan:
- Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
- Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Blonde
- Michael Abels, Nope
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Living
JD:
- Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Alexandre Desplat, Pinocchio
- Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
- Aska Matsumiya, After Yang
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking
Jay:
- Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet On the Western Front
- Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
- John Williams, The Fabelmans
- Michael Abels, Nope
- Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough, The Northman
Ryan:
- Bryce Dessner, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Bardo
- Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Michael Abels, Nope
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking
- Michael Giacchino, The Batman
Best Use of Soundtrack Music (Doesn’t have to be original. Closing and Opening credits count)
Brendan:
- “Under Pressure” by Queen & David Bowie, Aftersun
- “Losing My Religion” by REM, Aftersun
- “Something in the Way” by Nirvana, The Batman
- “Deyar” by Shahram Shabpareh, Hit the Road
- “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees, Women Talking
JD:
- “Dosti” by MM Keeravani, RRR
- “My Son” by David Bradley, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen, Aftersun
- “Concerto in D Minor BWV 974: II” by Bach, The Fabelmans
- “Barbarian” by Besomorph, TÁR
Jay:
- “Riki Tiki Tavi” by Donovan, Barbarian
- “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, Ambulance
- “Something In the Way” by Nirvana, The Batman
- “Toxic Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley, and Jamieson Shaw, Elvis
- “Wolf Like Me” by TV On the Radio, Wendell and Wild
Ryan:
- “Ciao Papa” – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- “New Body Rumba” – White Noise
- “Peaceful Easy Feeling” – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- “(You Made It Fell Like) Home – Bones and All
- “This is a Life” – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Opening/Closing Credits Sequence or Scene
Brendan:
- Babylon (Opening Title Drop)
- Moonage Daydream (Opening Title Reveal)
- Pearl (Closing Credits)
- Tar (Opening Credits)
- Top Gun: Maverick (Opening Credits)
JD:
- TÁR (Closing)
- Decision to Leave (Closing)
- After Yang (Opening)
- Aftersun (Closing)
- The Fabelmans (Closing)
Jay:
- Babylon (Closing)
- The Fabelmans (Closing)
- The Northman (Closing)
- RRR (Closing Credits)
- Tar (Closing)
Ryan:
- After Yang (Opening)
- The Fabelmans (Closing)
- TAR (Opening)
- Pearl (Closing)
- White Noise (Closing)
Best Overlooked Movie
Brendan:
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
- Hit the Road
- Hustle
- Living
- This Much I Know to Be True
JD:
- Devotion
- Hit the Road
- Cha Cha Real Smooth
- Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
- See How They Run
Jay:
- Benediction
- Funny Pages
- Great Freedom
- Official Competition
- Sr.
Ryan:
- Bad Axe
- Nitram
- Sundown
- Weird
- The Wonder
Best Surprise Movie
Brendan:
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- The Eternal Daughter
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
- Top Gun: Maverick
JD:
- The Menu
- Catherine Called Birdy
- Living
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- RRR
Jay:
- Ambulance
- Barbarian
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
- Nitram
- Vengeance
Ryan:
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Cha Cha Real Smooth
- Confess, Fletch
- The Eternal Daughter
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Best Surprise Actor/Actress
Brendan:
- Jessica Chastain, Armageddon Time
- Mia Goth, X / Pearl
- Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Mark Rylance, Bones and All
- Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water
JD:
- Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Justin H. Min, After Yang
- Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick
- Diego Calva, Babylon
- Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water
Jay:
- Austin Butler, Elvis
- Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick
- Ashton Kutcher, Vengeance
- Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal
- Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water
Ryan:
- Mia Goth, Pearl/X
- Paul Mascal, Aftersun
- Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
- Nicole Kidman, The Northman
- Austin Butler, Elvis
Best Movie Discovery
Brendan:
- Charlotte Wells – Director, Aftersun
- Edward Berger – Director, All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front - Diego Calva – Actor, Babylon
- Gabriel LaBelle – Actor, The Fabelmans
JD:
- Chanda Dancy – Composer, Devotion
- Edward Berger – Director, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Panah Panahi – Director, Hit the Road
- Charlotte Wells – Director, Aftersun
- Paul Mescal – Actor, Aftersun
Jay:
- Edward Berger, All Quiet On the Western Front
- Diego Calva, Babylon
- Danielle Deadwyler, Till
- Owen Kline, Funny Pages
- Gabriel LaBelle, The Fabelmans
Ryan:
- Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Ti West, X/Pearl
- Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
- Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Gabriel LaBelle, The Fabelmans
JD’s Individual Special Awards
Best Individual Score Track
- “In My Breath” – Aska Matsumiya (After Yang)
- “Voodoo Mama” – Justin Hurwitz (Babylon)
- “We Know What You Whisper” – Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
- “Tanks” – Volker Bertelsmann (All Quiet on the Western Front)
- “From Darkness to Light” – Simon Franklin (Avatar: The Way of Water)
Best Stop Motion Character
- Marcel – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Pinocchio – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Wild – Wendell & Wild
- Wendell – Wendell & Wild
- The Assassin – Mad God
Best Young Performer
- Gabriel Labelle – The Fabelmans
- Eden Dambrine – Close
- Frankie Curio – Aftersun
- Gregory Mann – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Rayan Sarlak – Hit the Road
Best Directorial Debut
- Max Walker-Silverman – A Love Song
- Lila Neugebauer – Causeway
- Alice Diop – Saint Omer
- Charlotte Wells – Aftersun
- Panah Panahi – Hit the Road
Best Movie Not In My Top 20 That Still Resonates Profoundly
- Close
Brendan’s Individual Special Awards
Best Performance by a Non-Human, aka “Cheddar Goblin” Award
- The rattlesnake, Babylon
- Jenny the donkey, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Jessy the dog, Hit the Road
- The scarecrow, Pearl
- Lulu the dog, Dog
Best Song-and-Dance Credits Sequence
- After Yang
- Hit the Road
- RRR
- White Noise
Best Use of Sound the Academy Forgot About
- Nope
Best Dual Tilda Swinton Performance (of course there’s more than one)
- The Eternal Daughter
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Best Performance by a Director NOT Playing Themselves
- David Lynch, The Fabelmans
Best Performance by a Monkey in a Movie About the Exploitation of Movies
- Gordy, Nope
- Mitzi’s pet monkey, The Fabelmans
Jay’s Individual Special Awards
Movie That Honestly Might Seem Revolutionary in 10 Years
- Ambulance
The Nicolas Cage Aware for ABSOLUTELY GOING FOR IT
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Ambulance
- Paul Dano, The Batman
- Mark Rylance, Bones and All
- Colin Farrell, The Batman
- Tobey Macguire, Babylon
Inanimate Object of the Year
- Sheep Shears, The Banshees of Inisherin
- Auditor of the Month award, Everything Everywhere All at Once
- OrchiBed, Crimes of the Future
- Horse Poop, Pinocchio
- The Mona Lisa, Glass Onion
Movie Advice of the Year
- “When the horizon is at the top, it’s interesting. When it’s on the bottom, it’s interesting. When it’s in the middle, it’s boring as shit!”, The Fabelmans
Movie Your Dad Is Probably Falling Asleep to Right Now
- Thirteen Lives
Movie Animal of the Year
- Eo, Eo
- Lulu, Dog
- Jenny, The Banshees of Inisherin
Blink and You’ll Miss Them Award for Best Micro-Performance
- David Lynch, The Fabelmans
- Isabelle Huppert, Eo
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Bones and All
- Toby Huss, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
The King of the World Award
- For the 25th consecutive year, Big Jim Cameron
The “Retire Please” Award for Directors Who Have Lost It (AKA The Zemeckis)
- Judd Apatow, The Bubble
- Robert Zemeckis, Pinocchio
Ryan’s Individual Special Awards
2021 Taking One for the Team Award
- Anyone who had to watch Jungle Cruise
2021 Best Jay Intro
- Cruella
- Nine Days
- Titane
- The Ring
- Shiva Baby
- Zola
2021 Best Podcast Line
- “4K Titties” Erik Anderson, Mulholland Drive Episode
2021 Movie Series of the Year
- Terrence Malik
- Michael Mann
- Spike Lee
- David Lynch
- Billy Wilder
2021 Best Cinematic Vehicle
- Red Car in Drive My Car
- The Moving Truck in Licorice Pizza
- Astin Martin in No Time to Die
- Family Station Wagon- The Mitchells vs the Machines
- Cadillac in Titane
2021 Best Movie Trailer
- The Matrix Resurrections
2021 Cultural Icons
- Baby Annette, Annette
- Bronco Henry, The Power of the Dog
- Clifford, Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Gabriel, Malignant
- Sand Worms, Dune
- Palo Gucci, House of Gucci
- Notorious PIG, Space Jam: A New Legacy
- Mid Size Sudan, Old
- Trish, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
Well, that’s it for our 2020 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 2022, listen to Part 2 of Episode 516!
