Dune: Part Two Leads with Ten Nominations Followed by Challengers, Conclave and Nosferatu with Nine Each
The North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) is pleased to announce its nominations for the 13th annual awards, recognizing exceptional achievements in the art of filmmaking. This year’s selections celebrate a rich tapestry of talent and storytelling, showcasing the transformative power of film across genres.
The NCFCA consists of over 60 film critics living and/or working in North Carolina —representing critics, scholars, reporters, and journalists across print, broadcast, and digital media. This diversity is reflected by multiple nominations going to films such as the blockbuster sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two, indie drama The Brutalist, and the genre-bending commentary, The Substance. Notable entries also include Nosferatu, Anora, and Conclave.
Winners are scheduled to be announced on January 3, 2025. Recognition is given to nominees in the following categories:
BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Substance
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Transformers One
The Wild Robot
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Luca Guadagnino, Challengers
RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig, Queer
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Zendaya, Challengers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Denzel Washington, Gladiator II
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley, The Substance
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Kevin Durand, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
Maya Hawke, Inside Out 2
Pedro Pascal, The Wild Robot
Sarah Snook, Memoir of a Snail
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Different Man
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
The Substance
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Challengers
Dune: Part 2
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
BEST EDITING
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked
HAIR AND MAKEUP
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked
BEST SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Compress/Repress," Challengers
"El Mal," Emilia Pérez
"Harper and Will Go West," Will & Harper
"Kiss the Sky," The Wild Robot
"Like a Bird," Sing Sing
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Challengers
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu
The Substance
BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man
DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Vera Drew, The People's Joker
Francis Galluppi, The Last Stop in Yuma County
Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice
Josh Margolin, Thelma
Sean Wang, Dìdi (弟弟)
Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Carlos Diehz, Conclave
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Mikey Madison, Anora
Katy O'Brian, Love Lies Bleeding
Adam Pearson, A Different Man
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Cinematography
Roger Deakins
Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema
KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Civil War
Jeff Nichols, Director, The Bikeriders
Margaret Qualley, The Substance
Hunter Schafer, Cuckoo
Drew Starkey, Queer
Select Films with Multiple Nominations include (this is not the full list):
Dune: Part 2 – 10 nominations
Challengers – 9 nominations
Conclave – 9 nominations
Nosferatu – 9 nominations
The Brutalist – 8 nominations
The Substance – 8 nominations
Wicked – 7 nominations
Anora -6 nominations
Nickel Boys – 6 nominations
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – 5 nominations
The Wild Robot – 5 nominations
For a full list of previous award winners, NCFCA members, or general information about the North Carolina Film Critics Association, visit ncfilmcritics.org.
