The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place Sunday, February 15 at a new venue, the Hollywood Palladium, organizers said Friday.
The Spirits have traditionally taken place in Santa Monica, but the area around the Santa Monica Pier is undergoing renovations, prompting the move for the ceremony that celebrates the year’s best in indie film and TV.
“Following the celebration of 40 years of the Spirit Awards earlier this year, we are excited to have the opportunity to reimagine the Spirit Awards experience during a moment of tremendous growth and transformation for our organization,” said Brenda Robinson, acting president of nonprofit Film Independent’. “We are proud to continue to be a beacon for the bold and resilient independent storytelling community and to honor excellence in storytelling in all its forms.”
Earlier this year, the Spirits, hosted for a second consecutive time by Aidy Bryant, awarded eventual Best Picture Oscar winner Anora its Best Feature prize along with wins for that pic’s director Sean Baker and star Mikey Madison on their her way to their own Oscar wins.
The Spirits, which for years had taken place the Saturday before the Oscars, have more recently shifted their dates earlier in the film awards season; the 2025 show was February 22 and streamed on Film Independent’s YouTube channel.
This year’s Oscars are Sunday, March 15.
