The Gotham Awards (/ˈɡɒθəm/) are American film awards, presented annually to the makers of independent films at a ceremony in New York City, the city first nicknamed "Gotham" by native son Washington Irving, in an issue of Salmagundi, published on November 11, 1807.[1] Part of the Gotham Film & Media Institute (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.[2]
| Gotham Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current: Gotham Independent Film Awards 2023 | |
 | |
| Awarded for | Independent film and television |
| Location | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | The Gotham Film & Media Institute |
| First awarded | 1991 |
| Website | awards |
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, California, and international locations as well.[citation needed]
Venue
Having outgrown its previous locations in the city's Manhattan borough, for the first time in its history, the 17th Annual Gotham Awards gala occurred outside of that borough, in the city's Brooklyn borough at Steiner Studios, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, on November 27, 2007, and it was "promoted nationally via a partnership with The New York Times and locally via broadcast on WNYE".[1][2][3]
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)
- Best Feature: since 2004
- Best Documentary: since 2004
- Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" Grant: since 2011
- Best Screenplay: since 2015
- Breakthrough Series – Long Form: since 2015
- Breakthrough Series – Short Form: 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
- Outstanding Performance in a New Series: since 2021
- Breakthrough Nonfiction Series: since 2021
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, theIFP replaced all mentioned individual category awards with Career Tributes.[4]
Discontinued categories
- Filmmaker Award: 1991 to 1997
- Below-the-Line Award: 1991 to 1998
- Writer Award: 1991 to 1998
- Producer/Industry Executive Award: 1991 to 1999
- Actor Award: 1991 to 2002
- Classical Film Tribute: 1999 to 2000
- Anthony Radziwell Documentary Achievement Award: 2000 to 2002
- Independent Vision Award: only 2001
- Celebrate New York Award: 2004 to 2005
- Best Ensemble Cast: 2005 to 2012 (2008 to 2012 as Best Ensemble Performance)
- Best Film Not Playing At Theater Near You: 2005 to 2012
- Special Jury Award for Ensemble Performance: 2014 to 2018
- Best Actor: 2013 to 2020
- Best Actress: 2013 to 2020
- Audience Award: 2010 to 2020
Ceremonies
| Edition | Date | Host(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | September 30, 1991 | Charles Grodin |
| 2nd | 1992 | |
| 3rd | September 28, 1993 | Eric Bogosian |
| 4th | September 20, 1994 | |
| 5th | September 19, 1995 | Michael Moore |
| 6th | September 17, 1996 | |
| 7th | September 16, 1997 | Jon Stewart |
| 8th | September 23, 1998 | Stanley Tucci |
| 9th | September 22, 1999 | Sandra Bernhard |
| 10th | September 20, 2000 | Jason Alexander |
| 11th | October 1, 2001 | Andy Dick |
| 12th | September 26, 2002 | Rosie Perez and John Turturro |
| 13th | September 22, 2003 | Michael Ian Black |
| 14th | December 1, 2004 | Bob Balaban |
| 15th | November 30, 2005 | Kyra Sedgwick |
| 16th | November 29, 2006 | David Cross |
| 17th | November 27, 2007 | Sarah Jones |
| 18th | December 2, 2008 | Aasif Mandvi |
| 19th | November 30, 2009 | Kumail Nanjiani |
| 20th | November 29, 2010 | Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci |
| 21st | November 28, 2011 | Edie Falco and Oliver Platt |
| 22nd | November 26, 2012 | Mike Birbiglia |
| 23rd | December 2, 2013 | Nick Kroll |
| 24th | December 1, 2014 | Uma Thurman |
| 25th | November 30, 2015 | Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer |
| 26th | November 28, 2016 | Keegan-Michael Key |
| 27th | November 27, 2017 | John Cameron Mitchell |
| 28th | November 26, 2018 | No host |
| 29th | December 2, 2019 | No host |
| 30th | January 11, 2021 | No host |
| 31st | November 29, 2021 | No host |
| 32nd | November 28, 2022 | No host |
| 33rd | November 27, 2023 | No host |
