From Avatar: Fire and Ash to The Pitt, AFI’s annual honors spotlight the films and series that shaped 2025 through ambition, artistry, and cultural impact.

The American Film Institute has officially weighed in on the year’s most significant achievements in film and television, hosting its annual AFI Awards luncheon on January 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. The invitation-only gathering brought together many of the industry’s most influential filmmakers, performers, and executives to recognize storytelling excellence across both mediums.

Distinct from traditional awards bodies, AFI continues to position itself as a champion of creative collaboration — honoring entire teams rather than individual winners. That ethos was reflected throughout the event, which culminated in a benediction delivered by Carol Burnett, who underscored the enduring power of cinema and television as shared cultural language.

This year’s honorees reflect a wide-ranging snapshot of contemporary storytelling, spanning blockbuster spectacle, intimate character studies, political allegory, and genre reinvention.

On the film side, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash was recognized for expanding its world-building ambition while grounding its spectacle in deeply human themes of family, morality, and ecological responsibility. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia earned praise for its destabilizing approach to reality and power dynamics, anchored by charged performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was honored as both a reverent adaptation and a forward-looking work, with AFI singling out its emotional core and standout performances — particularly Jacob Elordi’s turn as the Creature. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet was cited for its lyrical exploration of grief and transcendence, powered by Jessie Buckley’s widely acclaimed performance and Paul Mescal’s interpretation of Shakespeare.

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme was framed as a brash, kinetic portrait of ambition and identity, with Timothée Chalamet positioned as the defining leading man of a new generation. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged as a central cultural touchstone — a film AFI described as both explosive and intimate, blending political urgency with family dynamics and anchored by Leonardo DiCaprio alongside a formidable ensemble.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was recognized for fusing genre filmmaking with historical reckoning, while Train Dreamsearned distinction for its poetic meditation on memory and the passage of time, elevated by Joel Edgerton’s performance. Wicked: For Good rounded out the film honors, celebrated for deepening its exploration of friendship and consequence through the performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Television honorees reflected an equally ambitious year. Adolescence was recognized for its immersive formal experimentation and its unsettling examination of youth and rage, while Andor continued to be praised for expanding the political and emotional scope of the Star Wars universe.

The Diplomat earned recognition for sustaining its high-wire political drama into its third season, and The Pitt was honored for its visceral, empathetic reimagining of the medical genre — capturing frontline healthcare with urgency and humanity. Vince Gilligan’s Plur1bus stood out for its high-concept audacity, with Rhea Seehorn’s performance singled out as one of the year’s most singular achievements.

Severance continued its ascent as a defining series of the era, while The Studio was acknowledged as a sharply observed, acerbic satire of Hollywood’s creative machinery. Task rounded out the television list with a character-driven exploration of tragedy, justice, and redemption.

AFI also presented a Special Award to Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, recognizing the film as both an artistic achievement and an act of creative defiance — reinforcing AFI’s commitment to cinema as a vehicle for truth and resistance.

As awards season accelerates toward its final stretch, the AFI Awards once again serve as a cultural barometer — not just of what succeeded, but of what mattered.

MOTION PICTURE RATIONALES

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH - further realizes the impossible. James Cameron’s unfolding epic deepens an otherworldly immersion – transporting audiences back to a seductively lush Pandora, while also igniting a conversation about how we live on planet Earth. For all of its extraordinary technical achievements, the film’s true magic is the exploration of what is human – a fiery conflict between good and evil, a celebration of family and, ultimately, an appeal to the heart that beats within – and connects – all living creatures.

BUGONIA - shatters the concept of “reality” in a cinematic experience unlike any other. Yorgos Lanthimos’ vision is wildly and uniquely his own – blending genres with a sleight of hand that proves explosive when worlds collide. The clash of wills between Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons is a masterclass in the art of acting – demanding audiences question point of view and asking us to consider our world long after we leave the theater.

FRANKENSTEIN - electrifies Mary Shelley’s classic novel with a bolt of fragile beauty. Guillermo del Toro’s creation is a monument to the art of cinema – celebrating all that came before while looking to the future with a beating heart. Among the gifts of a brilliant all-star cast including Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, Jacob Elordi stands tall in this tale of monsters and men, fathers and sons and, ultimately, the power of forgiveness.

HAMNET - takes audiences to the very depths of grief, only to lift them high above humanity in the spiritual revelation that we are never alone. Chloé Zhao’s command of time, place and peace bewitches from the Groundlings to the Galleries, and Paul Mescal embodies the Bard with bravado as Jessie Buckley gives the performance of a lifetime – and for all time.

JAY KELLY - invites audiences to define “family” – and encourages a commitment to be present for the answer. Noah Baumbach’s insightful valentine to the movies is tailor-made for America’s leading man – George Clooney – whose brilliantly self-reflective performance is further illuminated by emotionally nuanced turns from Adam Sandler and Laura Dern. Hilarious and heart-breaking, this instant Hollywood classic celebrates the making of movies and, more importantly, the making of memories.

MARTY SUPREME - manifests the American dream at a time set in the past, but utterly of the moment. Josh Safdie’s sprawling epic ping-pongs between genres in an exhilarating ride that reminds us that life is not a sport we play to win or lose. Along for the journey are Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion, a legend and a rising star playing opposite Timothée Chalamet – whose brash, ambitious and impossibly magnetic anti-hero prove his purpose as the undeniable leading man of a new generation.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - serves as a rallying cry for fearless originality in American film. Paul Thomas Anderson’s tale for our times pulses with action, explodes with comedy and all on an epic scale. At its core, though, it is an ode to the bond of family – brought to brilliant life by cinema’s supernova, Leonardo DiCaprio. And all hail the stellar supporting cast of Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor and the star-making arrival of Chase Infiniti. ¡Viva la revolución!

SINNERS - stakes a rightful place in cinema history by sinking its teeth into the horrors of America’s past. Ryan Coogler’s blood-soaked tale of revisionist vengeance layers genre, music, fire and brimstone to create a wholly original vision. This modern masterpiece is filled with cinematic spirits embodied by talents that span from newcomer Miles Caton to the legendary Delroy Lindo – and Michael B. Jordan’s powerful dual role as “Smoke” and “Stack” confirms that he stands alone as one of today’s brightest stars.

TRAIN DREAMS - weaves together memory, time and place to create an art piece worthy of the highest poetry. Presented as a collection of dreamlike American tintypes, Clint Bentley’s ethereal narrative is grounded in an eternally resonant performance from Joel Edgerton. Across his triumphs, turning points and tragedies, audiences are ultimately reminded that every moment is precious.

WICKED: FOR GOOD - soars beyond the rainbow and into a world where the youthful defiance of gravity meets the reality of choices made. Jon M. Chu’s return to Oz remains gilded in confectionery colors, but the spellbinding performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande explore the deepest complexities of friendship – leaving America’s beloved cultural canon changed for the better. And, yes, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard is “wonderful.”

TELEVISION RATIONALES

ADOLESCENCE - envelops audiences in a nightmare – only to reveal a reality even more chilling. Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne’s landmark drama addresses the rage of the innocent and the devastating consequences of allowing it to simmer and spread. With performances by Graham and Owen Cooper grounding the issue in humanity, the creative ensemble’s hour-long takes are a wonder to behold – not as tricks of television but underscoring the hypnotic nature of this unforgettable “why-done-it.”

ANDOR - reimagines one of our culture’s sacred texts to meet this moment in American history. Tony Gilroy proves the power of STAR WARS expands “far, far away” beyond space opera – and cuts deep as a tale of complex, fearless heroes and a rising resistance in the face of fascism.

DEATH BY LIGHTNING - arrives with a thunderclap – illuminating an impactful, but bygone moment in American history to provide insight into our divided present. Mike Makowsky’s page from the past is sketched with fine strokes of a romantic yesteryear, tragic pathos and a sly humor brought to life by Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen and a brilliant ensemble.

THE DIPLOMAT - ascends to the highest office in television in its third term. Politics are personal in Debora Cahn’s stylish and sophisticated series, with Keri Russell and an all-star ensemble personifying the tension between affairs of the state and affairs of the heart as the two collide in a world on the brink.

THE LOWDOWN - stands tall as a story for our time. Sterlin Harjo’s neo-pulp series peers into the forgotten corners of a marginalized America – embracing the human poetry beneath the grit and decay of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ethan Hawke’s “truthstorian” Lee Raybon arrives a hapless anti-hero in one of the year’s most magnetic performances.

THE PITT - pulses with empathy for America’s frontline heroes. R. Scott Gemmill’s riveting reinvention of the medical drama is taut and timely – capturing a grueling single-day where horrors span from gun violence and pandemics – to proper funding for healthcare. Heartbreaking performances from an ensemble led by Noah Wyle embody the toll taken on the individuals we rely on with unconditional hope and trust.

PLUR1BUS - invades Earth with a smile and a scream to beg the question: what makes us human? Vince Gilligan proves his mastery of tone in this high-concept slow-burn, and Rhea Seehorn stands alone, literally and figuratively, as she navigates the cosmic conformity of the uncanny masses whose only aspiration is to serve man.

SEVERANCE - continues its ascent into television history as it descends into a fluorescent-lit darkness. A stellar ensemble brings a hope-filled humanity to Dan Erickson’s surreal serial – a corporate nightmare where each new labyrinth deepens the grim commentary on today’s schizophrenic work-life balance.

THE STUDIO - cuts Hollywood’s bullshit to the bone. Creators Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez’s extreme close-up of today’s creative machine delivers a poison-pen love letter to the film industry – satirizing with deep insider insights, as smart and acerbic as they are consistently, uncomfortably hilarious.

TASK - transports audiences to a world where tragedy and redemption discover each other – and embrace. Brad Ingelsby creates an ensemble of characters so complex – and so beautifully realized by Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey and an extraordinary cast – that audiences look beyond the pulse-pounding police procedural and, instead, reflect on family and forgiveness.

AFI SPECIAL AWARD RATIONALE

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT - is filmmaking at its finest and, in its creation, a battle cry in the expression of bravery. Jafar Panahi’s lively revenge romp is clear-eyed about atrocity and, yet, skillful in finding the humanity and the humor in unimaginable circumstances. Here and today, this master of cinema’s work stands proudly as proof that filmmaking can be an act of revolution.