‘Marriage Story’ Sweeps Gotham Awards; Full Winners List

A complete list of the 2019 Gotham Independent Film Awards winners.

December 2, 2019 5:27pm

Modified on October 23, 2025,Published on December 2, 2019

The Gotham Independent Film Awards were handed out Monday night at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, where Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story won all four awards it was nominated for, including the top prize of best feature.

The Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver starrer, which follows a divorcing couple negotiating custody of their son, also won best screenplay for Baumbach and best actor for Driver. Marriage Story took home the audience award — voted on by IFP members — as well.

The Farewell, Uncut Gems andThe Last Black Man in San Francisco went into the evening with three nominations each, butThe Farewell was the only film of the group to win an award — best actress honors for leading lady Awkwafina.

Films nominated for two awards included Clemency, Diane, High Flying Bird andMidsommar.

On the TV side, When They See Uswon in the breakthrough series longform category, whilePEN15 prevailed in the shortform category.

Previously announced tribute awards went to actors Laura Dern and Sam Rockwell; director Ava DuVernay; and FilmNation CEO Glen Basner. Dern has a supporting role inMarriage Story, while DuVernay wrote, directed and executive producedWhen They See Us. Additionally, Emmy-winning filmmaker and disability rights activist Jason DaSilva received a Made in New York award.

Additionally, IFP announced the winners of its first Student Short Film Showcase:Mizaru (Sudarshan Suresh, Columbia University);Darling (Saim Sadiq, Columbia University);Bob and Dale (David Melvin Rosfeld, CUNY Brooklyn College);Keeper of Earth and Time (Tiantian Wang, School of Visual Arts); andYouth (Farida Zahran, NYU Tisch).

These shorts, from five New York City graduate student filmmakers, will receive a theatrical premiere in January and be shown on JetBlue's seatback entertainment systems under the "IFP Selects" category and on Focus Features' digital platforms, with the filmmakers each receiving a generous grant from JetBlue and Focus.

Gotham Award nominees are selected by committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final award recipients.

Recent Gotham Award winners have included Oscar nominees and winnersCall Me by Your Name, Moonlight, Spotlight, Birdman, Boyhood, Citizenfour, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Act of Killing, Moonrise Kingdom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Beginners, The Tree of Life, Winter’s Bone andThe Hurt Locker.

A list of winners is below.

Gotham Awards: Will Ferrell, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Sandler, Elisabeth Moss and More Stars Hit the Red Carpet

Dec. 5, 7:55 p.m. This story has been updated with the winners of IFP's Student Short Film Showcase, announced during the Gotham Awards.

Best Feature
Image Credit: Telluride Film Festival
Marriage Story (WINNER)
Noah Baumbach, director; Noah Baumbach, David Heyman, producers (Netflix)
The Farewell
Lulu Wang, director; Daniele Melia, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng, Lulu Wang, Anita Gou, producers (A24)
Hustlers
Lorene Scafaria, director; Jessica Elbaum, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Benny Medina, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, producers (STXfilms)
Uncut Gems
Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, directors; Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear McClard, producers (A24)
Waves
Trey Edward Shults, director; James Wilson, Kevin Turen, Trey Edward Shults, producers (A24)
Best Documentary
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival
American Factory (WINNER)
Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, directors; Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Jeff Reichert, Julie Parker Benello, producers (Netflix)
Apollo 11
Todd Douglas Miller, director; Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Baxley Petersen, Evan Krauss, producers (NEON and CNN Films)
The Edge of Democracy
Petra Costa, director; Petra Costa, Tiago Pavan, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris, producers (Netflix)
Midnight Traveler
Hassan Fazili, director; Emelie Mahdavian, Su Kim, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
One Child Nation
Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, directors; Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Christoph Jörg, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, producers (Amazon Studios)
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre forThe Mustang (Focus Features) (WINNER)
Kent Jones forDiane (IFC Films)
Joe Talbot forThe Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)
Olivia Wilde forBooksmart (United Artists Releasing)
Phillip Youmans forBurning Cane (ARRAY Releasing)
Best Screenplay
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netlix
Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach (Netflix) (WINNER)
The Farewell, Lulu Wang (A24)
High Flying Bird, Tarell Alvin McCraney (Netflix)
The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Jimmie Fails, Joe Talbot, Rob Richert (A24)
Midsommar, Ari Aster (A24)
Best Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netlix
Adam Driver in Marriage Story (Netflix) (WINNER)
Willem Dafoe inThe Lighthouse (A24)
Aldis Hodge inClemency (NEON)
André Holland inHigh Flying Bird (Netflix)
Adam Sandler inUncut Gems (A24)
Best Actress
Image Credit: Courtesy of A24
Awkwafina inThe Farewell (A24) (WINNER)
Elisabeth Moss inHer Smell (Gunpowder & Sky)
Mary Kay Place inDiane (IFC Films)
Florence Pugh inMidsommar (A24)
Alfre Woodard inClemency (NEON)
Breakthrough Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of A24
Taylor Russell in Waves (A24) (WINNER)
Julia Fox inUncut Gems (A24)
Aisling Franciosi inThe Nightingale (IFC Films)
Chris Galust inGive Me Liberty (Music Box Films)
Noah Jupe inHoney Boy (Amazon Studios)
Jonathan Majors inThe Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)
Breakthrough Series – Long Format
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
When They See Us, Ava DuVernay, creator; Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, executive producers (Netflix) (WINNER)
Chernobyl, Craig Mazin, creator; Craig Mazin, Carolyn Strauss, Jane Featherstone, executive producers (HBO)
David Makes Man, Tarell Alvin McCraney, creator; Mike Kelley, Melissa Loy, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Denitria Harris-Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, executive producers (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
My Brilliant Friend, Saverio Costanzo, creator; Domenico Procacci, Mario Gianani, Guido De Laurentiis, Elena Recchia, Jennifer Schuur, Paolo Sorrentino, executive producers (HBO)
Unbelievable, Susannah Grant, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Lisa Cholodenko, Ayelet Waldman & Michael Chabon, Katie Couric, Richard Tofel, Neil Barsky, Robyn Semien, Marie, executive producers (Netflix)
Breakthrough Series – Short Format
Image Credit: Alex Lombardi/Hulu
PEN15, Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman, creators; Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman, Debbie Liebling, Gabe Liedman, Marc Provissiero, Brooke Pobjoy, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Becky Sloviter, Shelley Zimmerman, Brin Lukens, Jordan Levin, executive producers (Hulu) (WINNER)
Ramy, Ramy Youssef, Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch, creators; Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Ravi Nandan, Bridget Bedard, Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch, executive producers (Hulu)
Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler, creators; Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler, Dave Becky, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, Allison Silverman, executive producers (Netflix)
Tuca & Bertie, Lisa Hanawalt, creator; Lisa Hanawalt, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, executive producers (Netflix)
Undone, Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creators; Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, Tommy Pallotta, executive producers (Amazon Prime Video)
Audience Award
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netlix
Marriage Story (WINNER)
American Factory
Apollo 11
Booksmart
Burning Cane
Diane
The Edge of Democracy
The Farewell
Hustlers
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Midnight Traveler
The Mustang
One Child Nation
Uncut Gems
Waves