The Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer is one of the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. It was first awarded in 1998, with Sonja Sohn and Saul Williams being the first recipients of the award for their roles as Lauren Bell and Ray Joshua in Slam, respectively.
The category was called Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor until 2021.
Winners and nominees
1990s YearWinner and nomineesFilmRole1998Sonja SohnSlamLauren BellSaul WilliamsRay JoshuaNorman Reedus Six Ways to SundayHaroldSam Rockwell Lawn DogsTrent BurnsRobin Tunney Niagara, NiagaraMarcy1999Dylan BakerHappinessBill MaplewoodJanet McTeer TumbleweedsMary Jo Walker
2000s YearWinner and nomineesFilmRole2000Michelle RodriguezGirlfightDiana Guzman2001Yolonda RossStranger InsideTreasure2002Maggie GyllenhaalSecretaryLee Holloway2003Lee PaceSoldier's GirlCalpernia AddamsBobby Cannavale The Station AgentJoe OramasJesse Eisenberg Roger DodgerNickJudy Marte Raising Victor VargasJudyVictor Rasuk Raising Victor VargasVictorPaul Schneider All the Real GirlsPaul2004Catalina Sandino Moreno Maria Full of GraceMaria ÁlvarezMos Def The WoodsmanLucasEnsemble Cast Everyday PeopleVariousAnthony Mackie Brother to BrotherPerryDallas Roberts A Home at the End of the WorldJonathan Glover2005Amy Adams JunebugAshley JohnstenCamilla Belle The Ballad of Jack and RoseRose SlavinJoseph Gordon-Levitt Mysterious SkinNeil McCormickTerrence Howard Hustle & FlowDJayDamian Lewis KeaneWilliam Keane2006Shareeka EppsHalf NelsonDreyRinko Kikuchi BabelChieko WatayaAbigail Breslin Little Miss SunshineOlive HooverMelinda Page Hamilton Sleeping Dogs LieAmyChanning Tatum A Guide to Recognizing Your SaintsAntonio (young)2007Elliot Page JunoJuno MacGuffEmile Hirsch Into the WildChris McCandlessKene Holliday Great World of SoundClarenceJess Weixler TeethDawn O'KeefeLuisa Williams Day Night Day NightShe2008Melissa Leo Frozen RiverRay EddyPedro Castaneda August EveningJaimeRosemarie DeWitt Rachel Getting MarriedRachel BuchmanRebecca Hall Vicky Cristina BarcelonaVickyAlejandro Polanco Chop ShopAlejandro "Ale"Micheal J. Smith Sr. BallastLawrence2009Catalina SaavedraThe MaidRaquelBen Foster The MessengerSSgt. Will MontgomeryPatton Oswalt Big FanPaul AufieroJeremy Renner The Hurt LockerSergeant First Class William JamesSouléymane Sy Savané Goodbye SoloSolo
2010s YearWinner and nomineesFilmRole2010Ronald BronsteinDaddy Longlegs Lenny SokolPrince Adu Prince of Broadway LuckyGreta Gerwig Greenberg Florence MarrJennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone Ree DollyJohn Ortiz Jack Goes Boating Clyde2011Felicity JonesLike Crazy Anna Maria GardnerElizabeth Olsen Martha Marcy May Marlene Martha/Marcy May/"Marlene Lewis"Harmony Santana Gun Hill Road Michael/VanessaShailene Woodley The Descendants Alexandra "Alex" KingJacob Wysocki Terri Terri Thompson2012Emayatzy CorinealdiMiddle of Nowhere RubyMike Birbiglia Sleepwalk with Me Matt PandamiglioThure Lindhardt Keep the Lights On Erik RothmanMelanie Lynskey Hello I Must Be Going AmyQuvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild Hushpuppy2013Michael B. Jordan Fruitvale Station Oscar Grant IIIDane DeHaan Kill Your Darlings Lucien CarrKathryn Hahn Afternoon Delight RachelLupita Nyong'o 12 Years a Slave PatseyRobin Weigert Concussion Abby Ableman / Eleanor2014Tessa Thompson Dear White People Samantha "Sam" WhiteRiz Ahmed Nightcrawler RickMacon Blair Blue Ruin Dwight EvansEllar Coltrane Boyhood Mason Evans Jr.Joey King Wish I Was Here Grace BloomJenny Slate Obvious Child Donna Stern2015Mya Taylor Tangerine AlexandraRory Culkin Gabriel GabrielArielle Holmes Heaven Knows What HarleyLola Kirke Mistress America Tracy FishkoKitana Kiki Rodriguez Tangerine Sin-Dee Rella2016Anya Taylor-Joy The Witch ThomasinLily Gladstone Certain Women JamieLucas Hedges Manchester by the Sea Patrick ChandlerRoyalty Hightower The Fits ToniSasha Lane American Honey Star2017Timothée Chalamet Call Me by Your Name Elio PerlmanMary J. Blige Mudbound Florence JacksonHarris Dickinson Beach Rats FrankieKelvin Harrison Jr. It Comes at Night TravisBrooklynn Prince The Florida Project Moonee2018Elsie Fisher Eighth Grade Kayla DayYalitza Aparicio RomaCleodegaria "Cleo" GutiérrezHelena Howard Madeline's Madeline MadelineKiKi LayneIf Beale Street Could Talk Clementine "Tish" RiversThomasin McKenzie Leave No Trace Tom2019 Taylor Russell Waves Emily Williams Julia Fox Uncut GemsJulia HolmesAisling Franciosi The NightingaleClare CarrollChris Galust Give Me Liberty VicNoah JupeHoney Boy Young Otis LortJonathan Majors The Last Black Man in San Francisco Montgomery Allen
2020s YearWinner and nomineesFilmRole2020Kingsley Ben-AdirOne Night in Miami... Malcolm X Jasmine Batchelor The Surrogate Jess Harris Sidney Flanigan Never Rarely Sometimes Always Autumn Callahan Orion Lee First Cow King-Lu Kelly O'Sullivan Saint Frances Bridget2021Emilia JonesCODARuby Rossi Natalie Morales Language Lessons Cariño Rachel Sennott Shiva Baby Danielle Suzanna SonRed Rocket Strawberry Amalia Ulman El Planeta Leonor Jimenez2022Gracija Filipović Murina Julija Anna CobbWe're All Going to the World's FairCasey Frankie Corio Aftersun Sophie Anna Diop Nanny Aisha Kali Reis Catch the Fair One Kaylee 2023 Not awarded 2024Brandon WilsonNickel Boys Turner Lily Collias Good One Sam Ryan Destiny The Fire Inside Claressa "T-Rex" Shields Maisy Stella My Old Ass Elliott Izaac Wang Dìdi Chris Wang2025 Abou Sangaré Souleymane's Story SouleymaneASAP Rocky Highest 2 Lowest Archie/Yung FelonSebiye Behtiyar Preparation for the Next Life AisheChase Infiniti One Battle After Another Willa Ferguson / Charlene CalhounTonatiuh Kiss of the Spider Woman Luis Molina/Kendall Nesbitt
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