Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Annual US film award
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The Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance is an award presented annually at the Independent Spirit Awards to honor outstanding performances given by a new talent in an independent film. It was first presented in 1995 at the 10th Independent Spirit Awards as Best Debut Performance, which was won by Sean Nelson for his performance in the film Fresh.[1]
Presented byIndependent Spirit Awards
First awardSean Nelson
Fresh (1995)
Fresh (1995)
Currently held byKayo Martin
The Plague (2025)
The Plague (2025)
Websitefilmindependent.org
| Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance | |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Independent Spirit Awards |
| First award | Sean Nelson Fresh (1995) |
| Currently held by | Kayo Martin The Plague (2025) |
| Website | filmindependent.org |
The category was then discontinued in 2005, but it was later re-introduced as Best Breakthrough Performance at the 2023 ceremony.[2] The Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series category was added ahead of the 2024 ceremony.[3]
Winners and nominees
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1990s
2000s
2020s
| Year | Winner and nominees | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 [4] |
Stephanie Hsu | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Joy Wang / Jobu Tupaki |
| Frankie Corio | Aftersun | Sophie | |
| Gracija Filipović | Murina | Julija | |
| Lily McInerny | Palm Trees and Power Lines | Lea | |
| Daniel Zolghadri | Funny Pages | Robert | |
| 2023 [5] |
Dominic Sessa | The Holdovers | Angus Tully |
| Marshawn Lynch | Bottoms | Mr. G | |
| Atibon Nazaire | Mountains | Xavier | |
| Tia Nomore | Earth Mama | Gia | |
| Anaita Wali Zada | Fremont | Donya | |
| 2024 [6] |
Maisy Stella | My Old Ass | Elliott |
| Isaac Krasner | Big Boys | Jamie | |
| Katy O'Brian | Love Lies Bleeding | Jacqueline "Jackie" Cleaver | |
| Mason Alexander Park | National Anthem | Carrie | |
| René Pérez Joglar | In the Summers | Vicente | |
| 2025 |
Kayo Martin | The Plague | Jake |
| Liz Larsen | The Baltimorons | Didi | |
| Misha Osherovich | She’s the He | Ethan | |
| SZA | One of Them Days | Alyssa | |
| Tabatha Zimiga | East of Wall | Tabatha |
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
2020s
| Year | Winner and nominees | Series | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 [5] |
Keivonn Montreal Woodard | The Last of Us | Sam |
| Clark Backo | The Changeling | Emma "Emmy" Valentine | |
| Aria Mia Loberti | All the Light We Cannot See | Marie-Laure LeBlanc | |
| Adjani Salmon | Dreaming Whilst Black | Kwabena | |
| Kara Young | I'm a Virgo | Jones | |
| 2024 [6] |
Jessica Gunning | Baby Reindeer | Martha Scott |
| Diarra Kilpatrick | Diarra from Detroit | Diarra Brickland | |
| Joe Locke | Agatha All Along | Billy Maximoff and Tommy Maximoff | |
| Megan Stott | Penelope | Penelope | |
| Hoa Xuande | The Sympathizer | The Captain | |
| 2025 |
Owen Cooper | Adolescence | Jamie Miller |
| Asif Ali | Deli Boys | Mir Dar | |
| Wally Baram | Overcompensating | Carmen Neil | |
| Michael Cooper Jr. | Forever | Justin Edwards | |
| Ernest Kingsley Junior | Washington Black | George Washington 'Wash' Black |