Celebrating the very best in horror across films, TV, and gaming, FANGORIA has announced the nominees for the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards! And what's so great about these awards, on top of their killer awards broadcast, is that the winners are determined by horror fans who can vote starting right now! Voting is officially open, running through July 15, and we have all the details on this year's nominees:
From the Press Release: "Leading the pack for this year’s nomination slate is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Bryan Fuller's Dust Bunny, each earning 9 nominations. Dust Bunny scored nominations across major categories including Best Limited Release, Best Director, and two nods in Best Supporting Performance for Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver. Meanwhile, Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple demonstrated broad strength across categories, earning recognition for Best Wide Release, Director, Screenplay, Score, and Makeup FX.
Other standouts include Backrooms, which earned six nominations, while Maggie Gyllenhaal's THE BRIDE!, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Damien McCarthy's Hokum each received five nominations.
Fan-favorite Obsession came in with four total nominations, including Best Director for Curry Barker and Best Lead Performance for Inde Navarette.
“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,” said FANGORIA Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr.
Nominees were selected by a nominating body of industry tastemakers, creators, and professionals, drawing from the most impactful releases between July 2025 and June 2026.
"One of the most rewarding parts of putting the Chainsaw Awards together every year is seeing the passion and fervor of the fans. 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. "This year's nominees reflect a wide range of diverse stories, titles, and creatives whom horror enthusiasts have championed since our last show. I encourage fans to get out and vote, because it may well be their voice and love of fright that changes the course of horror history."
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To cast your vote, visit: https://fan.gd/vote
Voting officially closes at 11:59 PM PT on July 15th, and winners will be revealed on October 25th during the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards broadcast on Shudder.
Official Nominees for the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards:
*Nominees are presented alphabetically within each category.
BEST WIDE RELEASE
BEST LIMITED RELEASE MOVIE
BEST STREAMING PREMIERE
BEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIE
BEST FIRST FEATURE
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST SCREENPLAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST SCORE
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST MAKEUP FX
BEST CREATURE FX
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BEST NON-FICTION TV SERIES OR MINISERIES
BEST SERIES
BEST VIDEO GAME
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To cast your vote, visit: https://fan.gd/vote
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
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