SINNERS SCORES DRAMATIC VICTORY – 7 AWARDS FROM 11 NOMINATIONS ACROSS 8 CATEGORIES
The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group has announced the winners of the 2026 Golden Claw Awards, celebrating the very best in horror cinema released in the UK over the past year.
This year’s winners reflect a huge show of support for Ryan Coogler’s Southern-set Vampire Blues film Sinners, which scored 7 awards from its 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Ryan Coogler), Best Male Or Non-Binary Lead Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Male Or Non-Binary Supporting Actor (Jack O’Connell), and a clean sweep of every single behind the camera category.
In fact, Sinners could only have scored 8 wins at most, as it had multiple nominations in each of the supporting acting categories, leading its cast to battle against each other for victory in the awards just as they do in the film. The only category in which it was beaten by any other film was for Best Female Actor In A Supporting Role, which went to Amy Madigan for Weapons.
Zach Cregger’s Weapons was the only other film to score multiple awards, taking home two awards for Amy Madigan (Best Female Actor In A Supporting Role) as Aunt Gladys, and Best Kill (for – SPOILER ALERT – the film’s climactic scene, in which a wave of children are magically weaponized and sent out to kill Madigan’s character).
The other successful films were Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister, which won for Best Horror Film Not In The English Language, Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, which won Best British or Irish Horror Film, and Bring Her Back with that film’s Sally Hawkins taking home the award for Best Female Lead Actor.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS (AND NOMINEES) FOR THE 2026 GOLDEN CLAW AWARDS:
Best Film
Sinners
28 Years Later
Bring Her Back
The Ugly Stepsister
Weapons
Best British or Irish Horror Film
28 Years Later
Fréwaka
Get Away
Hallow Road
Sister Midnight
Best Horror Film Not in the English Language
The Ugly Stepsister
Alpha
Best Wishes To You
Fréwaka
Sister Midnight
Female Lead Actor
Sally Hawkins – Bring Her Back
Lea Myren – The Ugly Stepsister
Cassandra Naud – Influencers
Rosamund Pike – Hallow Road
Sophie Thatcher – Companion
Male Or Non-Binary Lead Actor
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jai Courtney – Dangerous Animals
Cooper Hoffman – The Long Walk
Oscar Isaac – Frankenstein
Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later
Female Supporting Actor
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Jodie Comer – 28 Years Later
Mia Goth – Frankenstein
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Hailee Steinfeld – Sinners
Male or Non-Binary Supporting Actor
Jack O’Connell – Sinners
Miles Caton – Sinners
Ralph Fiennes – 28 Years Later
David Jonsson – The Long Walk
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Director
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Emilie Blichfeldt – The Ugly Stepsister
Danny Boyle – 28 Years Later
Zach Cregger – Weapons
Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou – Bring Her Back
Screenplay
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Emilie Blichfeldt – The Ugly Stepsister
Zach Cregger – Weapons
Alex Garland – 28 Years Later
Danny Philippou & Bill Hinzman – Bring Her Back
Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Anthony Dod Mantle – 28 Years Later
Aaron McLisky – Bring Her Back
Larkin Seiple – Weapons
Marcel Zyskind – The Ugly Stepsister
Original Score
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein
Robin Carolan – Nosferatu
Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia
Young Fathers – 28 Years Later
Marcelo Zarvos – K-Pop Demon Hunters
Best Kill
Weapons – Wave of Children (Finale)
Bring Her Back – Car and puddle
Final Destination Bloodlines – Garbage van
Final Destination Bloodlines – MRI scanner
The Monkey – Swimming pool
Announcing the winners, Mo Moshaty commented:
“This year’s Golden Claws winners each remind us that horror remains one of our sharpest social mirrors, reflecting grief, identity, and the expectations placed on women with an honesty few other genres seem willing to approach.”
Andrew Pope added:
“I’m delighted that Sinners took home so many awards – it’s exactly the kind of handsomely-mounted fresh genre moviemaking that audiences have been crying out for as they drown in reheated IP. And a particularly congratulations to the winners and nominees alike in the two Supporting Actor categories. Those awards were highly contested this year, and both came right down to the wire – a testament to the breadth of quality in our cinemas.”
Earlier, announcing the nominees, Kat Hughes commented:
“Whilst it has been fantastic to see more traditional awards bodies finally start to embrace the genre of horror, the Golden Claws continue to strive to push genre cinema to the forefront of everyone’s consciousness. This year’s nominees champion a diverse range of films and are a testament to just how strong the last twelve months in horror cinema has been.”
Zoë Rose Smith added:
“We continue to live in a world where horror is our escape from the atrocities we’re seeing all around us. It’s a way for us to connect with one another, and find safety in community. This year’s awards demonstrate how pertinent the genre is, whilst delivering on the gore, catharsis, scares and relevance we seek from fear.”
Tim Coleman noted:
“Horror has always been a vibrant – and much needed – voice in the cinematic landscape, and in our current uncertain times we need it more than ever. It is such a joy to once again celebrate the best the genre has to offer with the Golden Claws.”
Bloody Flicks 