Full Breakdown
2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Nominee Reveal
7/3/2026, 9:41:36 PM
Leading Nominees and Category Highlights
- Dust Bunny (Bryan Fuller) – nine nominations, including Best Wide Release, Best Director, and supporting nods for Mads Mikkelsen & Sigourney Weaver.
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Nia DaCosta) – nine nominations, covering Wide Release, Director, Screenplay, Score and Makeup FX.
- Backrooms – six nominations.
- The Bride!, Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) and Hokum (Damien McCarthy) – five each.
- Obsession – four nominations, with Best Director Curry Barker and Best Lead Performance Inde Navarrette.
- Weapons – Oscar-winning film, Best Picture contender.
Significance for the Horror Genre
The nominations underscore horror’s expanding commercial and critical footprint. By spotlighting blockbuster titles and fiercely independent visions, the awards aim to broaden audience exposure beyond box-office metrics. Source 5 notes that success of *Backrooms* and *Obsession* makes them dark-horse contenders for Oscar consideration, reflecting the genre’s growing legitimacy.
Official Statements & Responses
Fangoria’s leadership emphasized fan empowerment and genre diversity. Michael Varrati highlighted that the voting process lets horror enthusiasts influence outcomes, while Phil Nobile Jr. described the slate as a rebuke to awards that prioritize box-office performance over merit. Both officials framed the nominations as evidence that horror fans champion works deserving wider recognition.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ultimately, they're the ones who rally behind the nominees and make the final call," said Michael Varrati, writer and director of the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards.” — Michael Varrati, Writer/Director, Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
- “This year's nominees reflect a wide range of diverse stories, titles, and creatives whom horror enthusiasts have championed since our last show.” — Michael Varrati, Writer/Director, Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
- “If there’s a theme to be found in this year’s crop of nominations, it’s that horror lovers do not and will not abide by what mainstream box office numbers decide the ‘winners’ are. The big horror hits are here, of course, but so too are fiercely independent visions that, for one reason or another, have yet to find the audience they deserve. If we can get more eyeballs on these genre gems by celebrating them at the Chainsaw Awards, that’s a win for all of us,” — Phil Nobile Jr., Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria
What’s Next
The ceremony on October 25 will be streamed live on Shudder, where winners across all categories will be revealed. Post-award coverage may track which nominees, particularly those with Oscar buzz such as *Weapons*, gain further industry recognition.
