Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Presented byFilm Independent
First awardedAnjelica Huston
The Trip to Bountiful (1988)
Last awardedRuth Negga
Passing (2021)
Websitefilmindependent.org

The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an independent film. It was first presented in 1985 with Anjelica Huston being the first recipient of the award for her role as Gretta Conroy in The Dead. It was last presented in 2022 with Ruth Negga being the final recipient of the award for her role in Passing.

In 2022, it was announced that the four acting categories would be retired and replaced with two gender neutral categories, with both Best Supporting Male and Best Supporting Female merging into the Best Supporting Performance category.[1]

Since its inception, the award has been given to 33 actresses. With 3 nominations, Allison Janney is the most nominated female in this category (finally winning one for her performance in I, Tonya).

Winners and nominees

1980s

Year Actress Film Role
1987
[2]		 Anjelica Huston The Dead Gretta Conroy
Karen Allen The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield
Kathy Baker Street Smart Punchy
Martha Plimpton Shy People Grace
Ann Sothern The Whales of August Tisha Doughty
1988 Rosanna DeSoto Stand and Deliver Fabiola Escalante
Bonnie Bedelia The Prince of Pennsylvania Pam Marshetta
Debbie Harry Hairspray Velma Von Tussle
Amy Madigan The Prince of Pennsylvania Carla Headlee
Patti Yasutake The Wash Marsha
1989 Laura San Giacomo Sex, Lies, and Videotape Cynthia Patrice Bishop
Bridget Fonda Shag Melaina Buller
Heather Graham Drugstore Cowboy Nadine
Mare Winningham Miracle Mile Julie Peters
Mary Woronov Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills Lisabeth Hepburn-Saravian

1990s

Year Actress Film Role
1990 Sheryl Lee Ralph To Sleep with Anger Linda
Tracy Arnold Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Becky
Ethel Ayler To Sleep with Anger Hattie
Tisha Campbell-Martin House Party Sidney
Adrienne-Joi Johnson Sharane
1991 Diane Ladd Rambling Rose Mother
Sheila McCarthy Bright Angel Nina
Deirdre O'Connell Pastime Inez Brice
Emma Thompson Impromptu Duchess D'Antan
Mary B. Ward Hangin' with the Homeboys Luna
1992 Alfre Woodard Passion Fish Chantelle
Brooke Adams Gas Food Lodging Nora
Sara Gilbert Poison Ivy Sylvie Cooper
Karen Sillas Simple Men Kate
Danitra Vance Jumpin' at the Boneyard Jeanette
1993 Lili Taylor Household Saints Teresa Carmela Santangelo
Lara Flynn Boyle Equinox Beverly Franks
Gua Ah-leh The Wedding Banquet Mrs. Gao
Lucinda Jenney American Heart Charlotte
Julianne Moore Short Cuts Marian Wyman
1994 Dianne Wiest Bullets over Broadway Helen Sinclair
V.S. Brodie Go Fish Ely
Carla Gallo Spanking the Monkey Toni Peck
Kelly Lynch The Beans of Egypt, Maine Roberta Bean
Brooke Smith Vanya on 42nd Street Sonya
1995 Mare Winningham Georgia Georgia Flood
Jennifer Lopez My Family Young Maria
Vanessa Redgrave Little Odessa Irina Shapira
Chloë Sevigny Kids Jennie
Celia Weston Dead Man Walking Mary Beth Percy
1996 Elizabeth Peña Lone Star Pilar Cruz
Mary Kay Place Manny & Lo Elaine
Queen Latifah Set It Off Cleopatra 'Cleo' Sims
Lili Taylor Girls Town Patti Lucci
Lily Tomlin Flirting with Disaster Mary Schlichting
1997 Debbi Morgan Eve's Bayou Mozelle Batiste Delacroix
Farrah Fawcett The Apostle Jessie Dewey
Amy Madigan Loved Brett Amerson
Miranda Richardson The Apostle Toosie
Patricia Richardson Ulee's Gold Connie Hope
1998 Lynn Redgrave Gods and Monsters Hanna
Stockard Channing The Baby Dance Rachel Luckman
Patricia Clarkson High Art Greta
Lisa Kudrow The Opposite of Sex Lucia DeLury
Joely Richardson Under Heaven Eleanor Dunston
1999 Chloë Sevigny Boys Don't Cry Lana Tisdel
Barbara Barrie Judy Berlin Sue Berlin
Vanessa Martinez Limbo Noelle De Angelo
Sarah Polley Go Ronna Martin
Jean Smart Guinevere Deborah Sloane

2000s

Year Actress Film Role
2000
[3]		 Zhang Ziyi Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Jen Yu
Pat Carroll Songcatcher Viney Butler
Jennifer Connelly Requiem for a Dream Marion Silver
Marcia Gay Harden Pollock Lee Krasner
Lupe Ontiveros Chuck & Buck Beverly Franco
2001
[4]		 Carrie-Anne Moss Memento Natalie
Davenia McFadden Stranger Inside Brownie
Summer Phoenix The Believer Carla Moebius
Uma Thurman Tape Amy Randall
Tamara Tunie The Caveman's Valentine Sheila Ledbetter
2002
[5]		 Emily Mortimer Lovely & Amazing Elizabeth Marks
Viola Davis Antwone Fisher Eva May
Jacqueline Kim Charlotte Sometimes Darcy / Charlotte
Juliette Lewis Hysterical Blindness Beth Tocyznski
Julianne Nicholson Tully Ella Smalley
2003
[6]		 Shohreh Aghdashloo House of Sand and Fog Nadi Behrani
Sarah Bolger In America Christy Sullivan
Patricia Clarkson Pieces of April Joy Burns
Hope Davis The Secret Lives of Dentists Dana Hurst
Frances McDormand Laurel Canyon Jane
2004
[7]		 Virginia Madsen Sideways Maya Randall
Cate Blanchett Coffee and Cigarettes Cate / Shelly
Loretta Devine Woman Thou Art Loosed Cassey Jordan
Robin Simmons Robbing Peter Shawna
Yenny Paola Vega Maria Full of Grace Blanca
2005
[8]		 Amy Adams Junebug Ashley Johnsten
Maggie Gyllenhaal Happy Endings Jude
Allison Janney Our Very Own Joan Whitfield
Michelle Williams Brokeback Mountain Alma Beers Del Mar
Robin Wright Nine Lives Diana
2006
[9]		 Frances McDormand Friends with Money Jane
Melonie Diaz A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Young Laurie
Marcia Gay Harden American Gun Janet Huttenson
Mary Beth Hurt The Dead Girl Ruth
Amber Tamblyn Stephanie Daley Stephanie Daley
2007
[10]		 Cate Blanchett I'm Not There Jude Quinn
Anna Kendrick Rocket Science Ginny Ryerson
Jennifer Jason Leigh Margot at the Wedding Pauline
Tamara Podemski Four Sheets to the Wind Miri Smallhill
Marisa Tomei Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Gina Hanson
2008
[11]		 Penélope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona María Elena
Rosemarie DeWitt Rachel Getting Married Rachel Buchman
Rosie Perez The Take Marina De La Pena
Misty Upham Frozen River Lila Littlewolf
Debra Winger Rachel Getting Married Abby Buchman
2009
[12]		 Mo'Nique Precious Mary Lee Johnston
Dina Korzun Cold Souls Nina
Samantha Morton The Messenger Olivia Pitterson
Natalie Press Fifty Dead Men Walking Lara
Mia Wasikowska That Evening Sun Pamela Choat

2010s

Year Actress Film Role
2010
[13]		 Dale Dickey Winter's Bone Merab
Ashley Bell The Last Exorcism Nell Sweetzer
Allison Janney Life During Wartime Trish
Daphne Rubin-Vega Jack Goes Boating Lucy
Naomi Watts Mother and Child Elizabeth
2011
[14]		 Shailene Woodley The Descendants Alexandra "Alex" King
Jessica Chastain Take Shelter Samantha LaForche
Anjelica Huston 50/50 Diane Lerner
Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs Hubert Page
Harmony Santana Gun Hill Road Michael
2012
[15]		 Helen Hunt The Sessions Cheryl Cohen-Greene
Rosemarie DeWitt Your Sister's Sister Hannah
Ann Dowd Compliance Sandra
Brit Marling Sound of My Voice Maggie
Lorraine Toussaint Middle of Nowhere Ruth
2013
[16]		 Lupita Nyong'o 12 Years a Slave Patsey
Melonie Diaz Fruitvale Station Sophina
Sally Hawkins Blue Jasmine Ginger
Yolonda Ross Go for Sisters Fontayne
June Squibb Nebraska Kate Grant
2014
[17]		 Patricia Arquette Boyhood Olivia Evans
Jessica Chastain A Most Violent Year Anna Morales
Carmen Ejogo Selma Coretta Scott King
Emma Stone Birdman Sam Thomson
Andrea Suarez Paz Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Mariana
2015
[18]		 Mya Taylor Tangerine Alexandra
Robin Bartlett H. Helen
Marin Ireland Glass Chin Ellen Doyle
Jennifer Jason Leigh Anomalisa Lisa Hesselman
Cynthia Nixon James White Gail White
2016
[19]		 Molly Shannon Other People Joanne Mulcahey
Edwina Findley Free in Deed Melva Neddy
Paulina García Little Men Leonor Calvelli
Lily Gladstone Certain Women Jamie
Riley Keough American Honey Krystal
2017
[20]		 Allison Janney I, Tonya LaVona Golden
Holly Hunter The Big Sick Beth Gardner
Laurie Metcalf Lady Bird Marion McPherson
Lois Smith Marjorie Prime Marjorie Lancaster
Taliah Lennice Webster Good Time Crystal
2018
[21]		 Regina King If Beale Street Could Talk Sharon Rivers
Kayli Carter Private Life Sadie Barrett
Tyne Daly A Bread Factory Dorothea
Thomasin McKenzie Leave No Trace Tom
J. Smith-Cameron Nancy Ellen Lynch
2019
[22]		 Zhao Shuzhen The Farewell Nai Nai
Jennifer Lopez Hustlers Ramona Vega
Taylor Russell Waves Emily Williams
Lauren “Lolo” Spencer Give Me Liberty Tracy
Octavia Spencer Luce Harriet Wilson

2020s

Year Actress Film Role
2020
[23][24]		 Youn Yuh-jung Minari Soon-ja
Alexis Chikaeze Miss Juneteenth Kai Jones
Han Ye-ri Minari Monica Yi
Valerie Mahaffey French Exit Mme. Reynard
Talia Ryder Never Rarely Sometimes Always Skylar
2021
[25]		 Ruth Negga Passing Clare Kendry
Jessie Buckley The Lost Daughter Young Leda Caruso
Amy Forsyth The Novice Jamie Brill
Revika Anne Reustle Pleasure Joy
Suzanna Son Red Rocket Strawberry

Multiple nominees

See also

References

  1. ^ Chapman, Wilson (August 23, 2022). "Spirit Awards to Implement Gender Neutral Acting Categories". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2020-03-21.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Tiger Takes 3 Spirit Awards". ABC News. March 24, 2001. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  4. ^ ""Memento" Has the Spirit". E! Online. March 23, 2002. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  5. ^ Hernandez, Eugene; Brooks, Brian (March 22, 2003). ""Far From Heaven" Sweeps 2003 Independent Spirit Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  6. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (February 28, 2004). ""Lost In Translation" Tops Independent Spirit Awards, "Station Agent" Another Big Winner". IndieWire. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  7. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (February 28, 2005). "Sideways Wins Six at Independent Spirit Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ^ Germain, David (March 4, 2006). "'Brokeback' named best independent film". USA Today. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  9. ^ McNary, Dave (February 24, 2007). "'Sunshine' brightens Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  10. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 23, 2008). "'Juno' tops Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  11. ^ Brooks, Brian (February 21, 2009). ""The Wrestler" Leads 2009 Spirit Award Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  12. ^ Breznican, Anthony (March 6, 2010). "'Precious' dominates Spirit Awards with 5 prizes". USA Today. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  13. ^ Knegt, Peter (February 27, 2011). ""Black Swan" Lead Spirit Award Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  14. ^ McNary, Dave (February 25, 2012). "'The Artist' dominates Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  15. ^ "Independent Spirit Awards 2013: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. February 23, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  16. ^ Atkinson, Katie. "Independent Spirit Awards 2014: The winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  17. ^ "Spirit Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  18. ^ "Spirit Awards 2016: Complete Winners List". Variety. 2016-02-27. Archived from the original on 2020-03-21. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  19. ^ Earl, William (2017-02-26). "2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Full Winners List". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2020-03-21. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  20. ^ Nyren, Erin (March 3, 2018). "2018 Independent Spirit Awards: Winners List (Updating Live)". Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  21. ^ Welk, Brian (February 24, 2019). "Independent Spirit Awards 2019: Complete Winners List". TheWrap. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Blyth, Antonia (February 8, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance With Wins For Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  23. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 22, 2021). "'Nomadland' Wins Independent Spirit Awards For Best Picture, Director, Editing & Cinematography, Further Solidifying Oscars Prospects". Deadline. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  24. ^ Sharf, Zack (April 23, 2021). "2021 Independent Spirit Awards Winner's List". IndieWire. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  25. ^ Long, Brent; Tangcay, Jazz (December 14, 2021). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2021.

External links

Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Categories