LGBTQ Critics Announce Dorian Film Award Nominations With ‘I Saw The TV Glow’ And ‘The Substance’ Leading The Way
Photos courtesy of MUBI / A24
PRESS RELEASE (Published Friday Jan. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles - GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, consisting of over 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons, today announced the group’s democratically chosen nominees for its 16th Dorian Film Awards. The Dorians go to both mainstream and LGBTQ-themed content, celebrating what the group calls “the expert Q+ eye on entertainment.”
Leading with an impressive nine nominations is writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s thought-provoking horror tale I Saw the TV Glow, a film overlooked by many other kudos groups considering 2024’s theatrical and digital releases. Star Demi Moore’s thriller of a comeback The Substance is a close second, with 8 Dorian nods.
From there, the genre-defying trans mobster musical Emilia Pérez and tense ménage-à-trois drama Challengers each hold six nominations, and Dorian-nominated director Brady Corbet’s artful epic The Brutalist makes more than good with five. Other movies GALECA anointed with multi-nominations: Anora, Nickel Boys and Wicked all with four nods each, and Problemista and Queer with three apiece.
In the per-studio counts, A24 has a whopping 25 nominations. Other outfits posting impressive scores: Amazon MGM with 13 nominations, Netflix: (11) and Mubi (10).
Some notable titles in the group’s trademark races include the inventive slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers vying for Unsung Film of the Year, Madame Web and Trap looking at Campiest Flick honors, and The Brutalist, Nosferatu and Dune: Part Two among the cinematic dazzlers aiming for Visually Striking Film.
The group’s Timeless Star career achievement honoree will be named when the winners are announced Thursday Feb. 13. GALECA’s members are tentatively scheduled to toast winners and nominees in a brunch the following Sunday.
Along with its film nominations, GALECA announced it is donating $1000 to The Los Angeles Press Club’s emergency relief fund, the amount earmarked for entertainment journalists directly affected by the historically devastating wildfires that have destroyed vast swaths LA, leaving thousands of residents homeless.
“Entertainment journalists are an obviously integral part of the Hollywood ecosystem, and we want to make sure they aren’t forgotten in what’s already a very tough environment for those in our profession,” said GALECA Executive Director John Griffiths. Added Vice President Diane Anderson-Minshall: “We applaud our friends at the Press Club and its sister organization the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards for coming to our brethren’s need.”
Professional journalists whose main livelihood involves entertainment criticism, editing and/or reportage can apply for help at lapressclub.org. Additional donations may be made there as well.
GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS
16TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS LIST OF NOMINEES
FILM OF THE YEAR
Anora (Neon)
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Love Lies Bleeding (A24)
Queer (A24)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (A24)
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (Mubi)
Luca Guadagnino, Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
— Original or adapted
Anora (Neon)
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
Conclave (Focus Features)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Love Lies Bleeding (A24)
Problemista (A24)
Queer (A24)
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
All We Imagine as Light (Sideshow / Janus Films)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films)
I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon)
LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Crossing (Mubi)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment)
Vermiglio (Sideshow / Janus Films)
All Shall Be Well (Strand Releasing)
UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
—To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention
Didi (Focus Features)
Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome)
My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)
Problemista (A24)
Thelma (Magnolia)
UNSUNG LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Femme (Utopia)
My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)
National Anthem (Variance, LD Entertainment)
The People’s Joker (Altered Innocence)
Problemista (A24)
FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (A24)
Daniel Craig, Queer (A24)
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (A24)
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (Universal)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street)
Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (A24)
Mikey Madison, Anora (Neon)
Demi Moore, The Substance (Mubi)
Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Michele Austin, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street)
Yura Borisov, Anora (Neon)
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)
Ariana Grande, Wicked (Universal)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (A24)
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (A24)
Margaret Qualley, The Substance (Mubi)
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Dahomey (Mubi)
Daughters (Netflix)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Will & Harper (Netflix)
LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Chasing Chasing Amy (Level 33)
Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
Merchant Ivory (Cohen Media Group)
Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment)
Will & Harper (Netflix)
ANIMATED FILM OF THE YEAR
Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films)
Inside Out 2 (Disney)
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)
The Wild Robot (Universal, DreamWorks)
GENRE FILM OF THE YEAR
For excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Nosferatu (Focus Features)
The Substance (Mubi)
Wicked (Universal)
FILM MUSIC OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24)
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
Wicked (Universal)
VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24)
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.)
Nosferatu (Focus Features)
Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
The Substance (Mubi)
CAMPIEST FLICK
Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome)
Madame Web (Sony)
Megalopolis (Lionsgate)
The Substance (Mubi)
Trap (Warner Bros.)
“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
Jonathan Bailey
Vera Drew
Karla Sofía Gascón
Brigette Lundy-Paine
Mikey Madison
Katy O’Brian
Drew Starkey
WILDE ARTIST AWARD
To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment
Colman Domingo
Luca Guadagnino
Coralie Fargeat
Jane Schoenbrun
Tilda Swinton
GALECA LGBTQIA+ FILM TRAILBLAZER
For creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Vera Drew
Cynthia Erivo
Luca Guadagnino
Jane Schoenbrun
Julio Torres
TIMELESS STAR (Career achievement award)
Honoring an exemplary career marked by character, wisdom and wit
To be announced February 13 with all winners.
Nomination counts per studio:
Altered Innocence - 1
Amazon/MGM + Orion - 13
A24 - 25
Bleecker Street - 2
Cineverse / Vinegar Syndrome - 2
Cohen Media Group - 1
Disney - 1
Focus Features - 4
Greenwich Entertainment - 2
IFC - 1
Level 33 - 1
Lionsgate - 1
Magnolia - 1
Mubi - 10
National Geographic - 1
Neon - 5
Netflix - 11
Searchlight -1
Sideshow / Janus Films - 4
Sony - 1
Sony Pictures Classics - 1
Strand - 1
Universal - 5
Utopia - 1
Variance / LD Entertainment - 1
Warner Bros. - 3
About GALECA & The Dorian Awards
Formed in 2009, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors the best in film, television and Broadway/Off Broadway, mainstream to LGBTQIA+, via the Dorian Awards. A 501 c 6 nonprofit, GALECA serves to remind bigots, bullies and our own beleaguered communities that the world looks to the informed Q+ eye on entertainment. The organization also advocates for better pay, access and respect for its members, especially those in our most underrepresented and vulnerable segments. GALECA’s efforts also include the Crimson Honors, a college film/TV criticism contest for LGBTQ women or nonbinary students of color.
See our members' latest reviews, commentary and interviews, along with looks at entertainment’s past, on Bluesky and elsewhere @DorianAwards. GALECA’s YouTube channel features the group's past Dorians film and TV Toast awards specials, video chats with filmmakers and performers, plus talks with members about their latest books and more. Find out more at GALECA.org.
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment journalists is a core member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, an alliance of underrepresented entertainment journalists organizations.
Contact
galeca@smithhousestrategy.com | John Griffiths | johngriffiths@galeca.org
