The Gotham Awards () are American film awards, presented annually to the makers of
independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
s at a ceremony in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the city first
nicknamed "Gotham" by native son
Washington Irving
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...
, in an issue of ''
Salmagundi
Salmagundi (alternatively salmagundy or sallid magundi) is a cold dish or salad made from different ingredients which may include meat, seafood, Egg as food, eggs, cooked and raw vegetables, fruits, or Pickling, pickles. In English culture, the ...
'', published on November 11, 1807.
Part of
the Gotham Film & Media Institute
The Gotham Film & Media Institute (also simply the Gotham), formerly known as the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to independent film. It offers programs that assist independent fi ...
(formerly Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)), "the largest membership organization in the United States dedicated to independent film" (founded in 1979), the awards were inaugurated in 1991 as a means of showcasing and honoring films made primarily in the
northeastern region of the United States.
Scope
In 2004, the scope of the awards broadened to include the international film scene, when the number of awards presented increased from six awards given to films and those involved in making them primarily from the northeastern U.S. film community to nine awards, including in its broader scope films originating in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and international locations as well.
Venue
Having outgrown its previous locations in the city's
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
, for the first time in its history, the 17th Annual Gotham Awards gala occurred outside of that borough, in the city's
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
borough at
Steiner Studios
Steiner Studios is a film studio at Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York City. It is the largest film and television production studio complex in the United States outside Hollywood. Steiner Studios, spread across , contains 30 soundstages a ...
, in the
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a se ...
, on November 27, 2007, and it was "promoted nationally via a partnership with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and locally via broadcast on
WNYE".
[Database (undated)]
"The 17th Annual Gotham Awards (2007)"
. IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
Categories
Current categories
* Tribute Award: since 1991
* Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award: since 1991 (until 2002 as Open Palm Award; from 2003 to 2012 as Breakthrough Director Award)
* Breakthrough Performer: since 1998 (until 2020 as Award for Breakthrough Actor; not awarded in 2023)
* Best Feature: since 2004
* Best Documentary: since 2004
* Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" Grant: since 2011
* Best Screenplay: since 2015
* Appreciation Award: since 2015
* Made in NY Award: since 2016
* Best International Feature: since 2020
* Outstanding Lead Performance: since 2021
* Outstanding Supporting Performance: since 2021
* Best Director: since 2024
From 1991 to 2002, the Tribute Award, also called Career Tribute, was awarded as a Lifetime Achievement Award to one person each year and the individual achievement awards (Filmmaker Award, Writer Award, Actor Award, Below-the-Line Award, Producer/Industry Executive Award and Independent Vision Award) were given out separately. As of the 2003 Gotham Awards, the IFP replaced all mentioned individual category awards with Career Tributes.
Discontinued categories
Ceremonies
Gotham TV Awards
In April 2024, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced that television series and performances will be honored at a separate ceremony going forward with the first edition of the Gotham TV Awards taking place on June 4, 2024. In previous years, television categories had been part of the main awards ceremony, where two television awards for new series were presented for the first time in 2015. In 2021, two further awards, one for performance and one for non-fiction television, were introduced. Out of the eight categories to be presented at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards only the award for Breakthrough Nonfiction Series had been given out before (in 2021 and 2022); the three other awards for series, the three awards for outstanding performances and the audience award for television were newly created.
Current categories
* Breakthrough Comedy Series: since 2024
* Breakthrough Drama Series: since 2024
* Breakthrough Limited Series: since 2024
* Breakthrough Nonfiction Series: since 2021 (part of the main awards ceremony from 2021 to 2022; not awarded in 2023)
* Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast, or Streaming: since 2025
* Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series: since 2024
* Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series: since 2024
* Outstanding Lead Performance in a Limited Series: since 2024
* Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series: since 2025
* Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama Series: since 2025
* Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Limited Series: since 2025
* Outstanding Performance in an Original Film: since 2025
* Audience Award (TV): since 2024
Ceremonies
See also
* List of film awards
This is a list of groups, organizations, and festivals that recognize achievements in film, cinema, usually by awarding various prizes. The awards sometimes also have popular unofficial names (such as the "Oscar" for Hollywood's Academy Awards), wh ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Gotham Awards
1991 establishments in New York City
1991 in New York City
Annual events in New York City
Culture of Brooklyn
Culture of Manhattan
Mass media in New York City