2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards: The complete list of winners

The 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards are now a done deal, but you can still watch them on Shudder. It was a competitive group this year, but a few films stood out with multiple wins. Obsession was the big winner, taking home 4 of the most prestigious awards, and Backrooms was hot on its heels with 3.

The presenters consisted of iconic horror actors and creators, including Felissa Rose, Devon Sawa, Lin Shaye, John Kassir, Tiffany Shepis, Mick Garris, Kelli Maroney, Peaches Christ, and Dee Wallace.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Wide Release Movie: Obsession

Best Limited Release Movie: Dust Bunny  I was so glad to see Dust Bunny win this, it was one of my favorite movie experiences of the year.

Best Streaming Premiere: V/H/S/Halloween

Best International Movie: Exit 8

Best First Feature: Backrooms

Best Series: Widow’s Bay

Best Lead Performance: Inde Navarrette (Obsession)  Navarette gave a very strong performance, and I feel like she deserved this win.

Best Supporting Performance: Amy Madigan (Weapons)  I am glad she can now set her Chainsaw Award on the shelf right next to the Academy Award she won for the same role!

Best Director: Curry Barker  (Obsession)

Best Screenplay: Curry Barker, (Obsession)

Best Cinematography: Jeremy Cox (Backrooms)

Best Score: Kane Parsons and Edo Van Breemen (Backrooms)

Best Costume Design: Kate Hawley (Frankenstein)  This award absolutely went to the correct film, those costumes were amazing.

Best Makeup FX: Mike Hill (Frankenstein)  I can’t argue with this one either. Good, solid movie with great effects.

Best Creature FX: Jim Henson’s Creature Shop (Five Nights at Freddy’s 2)

Best Documentary Feature: In Search of Darkness: 1995 – 1999

Best Non-Fiction Series: The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs  I was really glad to see Joe Bob win this award…it’s bittersweet, and I wonder if Shudder regrets their decision. The audience love and outrage has been so strong since the cancellation announcement.

Best Video Game: Resident Evil: Requiem

The goodest good boy won a very special Fangoria Chainsaw Award

Best Kill: Obsession, Brick Kill, which should not surprise anyone who has seen the film. The audience audibly gasped when I saw it in a theatre.

Editor’s Eyeball Award: Joe Bird (Leviticus) in recognition of his achievements in horror, and his “promising future” in the genre. Bird also delivered a soul-crushing performance in 2022’s Talk to Me, and he is only 19 years old.

Editor’s Eyeball award: James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, creators and hosts of Dead Meat YouTube channel and podcast

Chainsaw Award for Goodest Boy: Indy (Good Boy)  (write in award) It honestly made me tear up when they announced that so many people had written Indy’s name in that they had to create the award. SO well deserved, and one of my favorite films of 2025.