The Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance is an award presented annually at the Independent Spirit Awards to honor outstanding performances given by a new talent in an independent film. It was first presented in 1995 at the 10th Independent Spirit Awards as Best Debut Performance, which was won by Sean Nelson for his performance in the film Fresh.
The category was then discontinued in 2005, but it was later re-introduced as Best Breakthrough Performance at the 2023 ceremony. The Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series category was added ahead of the 2024 ceremony.
Winners and nominees
1990s Year Winner and nominees Film Role 1995 Sean Nelson Fresh Fresh Jeff Anderson Clerks Randal Graves Jeremy Davies Spanking the Monkey Ray Aibelli Alicia Witt Fun Bonnie Renée Zellweger Love and a .45 Starlene Cheatham 1996 Justin Pierce Kids Casper Jason Andrews Rhythm Thief Simon Lisa Donaldson River of Grass Cozy Gabriel Casseus New Jersey Drive Kyle "Midget" Rose McGowan The Doom Generation Amy Blue 1997 Heather Matarazzo Welcome to the Dollhouse Dawn Wiener Jena Malone Bastard Out of Carolina Ruth Anne "Bone" Boatwright Brendan Sexton III Welcome to the Dollhouse Brandon McCarthy Arie Verveen Caught Nick Jeffrey Wright Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat 1998 Aaron Eckhart In the Company of Men Chad Tyrone D. Burton, Eddie Cutanda and Phuong Duong Squeeze Tyson, Hector and Bao Lysa Flores Star Maps Maria Darling Narita Bang The Girl Douglas Spain Star Maps Carlos 1999 Evan Adams Smoke Signals Thomas Builds-the-Fire Anthony Roth Costanzo A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries Francis Fortescue Andrea Hart Miss Monday Gloria Sonja Sohn Slam Lauren Bell Saul Williams Ray Joshua
2000s Year Winner and nominees Film Role 2000 Kimberly J. Brown Tumbleweeds Mary Jo Walker Jessica Campbell Election Tammy Metzler Jade Gordon Sugar Town Gwen Toby Smith Drylongso Pica Sullivan Chris Stafford Edge of Seventeen Eric Hunter 2001 Michelle Rodriguez Girlfight Diana Guzman Curtis Cotton III, Candace Evanofski, Rachael Handy, Donald Holden and Damian Jewan Lee George Washington Buddy, Nasia, Sonya, George Richardson and Vernon Rory Culkin You Can Count on Me Rudy Emmy Rossum Songcatcher Deladis Slocumb Mike White Chuck & Buck Buck O'Brien 2002 Paul Dano L.I.E. Howie Blitzer Hilary Howard, Anthony Leslie and Mitchell Riggs Kaaterskill Falls Ren, Lyle and Mitchell Clint Jordan Virgil Bliss Virgil Bliss Ana Reeder Acts of Worship Alix Yolonda Ross Stranger Inside Treasure 2003 Nia Vardalos My Big Fat Greek Wedding Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos Bob Burrus Tully Tully Russell Coates Sr. America Ferrera Real Women Have Curves Ana García Raven Goodwin Lovely & Amazing Annie Marks Artel Kayàru Dahmer Rodney 2004 Nikki Reed Thirteen Evie Zamora Anna Kendrick Camp Fritzi Wagner Judy Marte Raising Victor Vargas Judy Victor Rasuk Victor Janice Richardson Anne B. Real Cynthia Gimenez 2005 Rodrigo de la Serna The Motorcycle Diaries Alberto Granado Anthony Mackie Brother to Brother Perry Louie Olivos Jr. Robbing Peter Pedro Hannah Pilkes The Woodsman Robin David Sullivan Primer Abe
2020s Year Winner and nominees Film Role 2022 Stephanie Hsu Everything Everywhere All at Once Joy Wang / Jobu Tupaki Frankie Corio Aftersun Sophie Gracija Filipović Murina Julija Lily McInerny Palm Trees and Power Lines Lea Daniel Zolghadri Funny Pages Robert2023 Dominic Sessa The Holdovers Angus Tully Marshawn Lynch Bottoms Mr. G Atibon Nazaire Mountains Xavier Tia Nomore Earth Mama Gia Anaita Wali Zada Fremont Donya2024 Maisy Stella My Old Ass ElliottIsaac KrasnerBig BoysJamieKaty O'BrianLove Lies BleedingJacqueline "Jackie" CleaverMason Alexander ParkNational AnthemCarrieRené Pérez JoglarIn the SummersVicente2025 Kayo Martin The Plague JakeLiz LarsenThe BaltimoronsDidiMisha OsherovichShe’s the HeEthanSZAOne of Them DaysAlyssaTabatha ZimigaEast of WallTabatha
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
2020s YearWinner and nomineesSeriesRole2023Keivonn Montreal WoodardThe Last of UsSamClark BackoThe ChangelingEmma "Emmy" ValentineAria Mia LobertiAll the Light We Cannot SeeMarie-Laure LeBlancAdjani SalmonDreaming Whilst BlackKwabenaKara YoungI'm a VirgoJones2024Jessica GunningBaby ReindeerMartha ScottDiarra KilpatrickDiarra from DetroitDiarra BricklandJoe LockeAgatha All AlongBilly Maximoff and Tommy MaximoffMegan StottPenelopePenelopeHoa XuandeThe SympathizerThe Captain2025Owen CooperAdolescenceJamie MillerAsif AliDeli BoysMir DarWally BaramOvercompensatingCarmen NeilMichael Cooper Jr.ForeverJustin EdwardsErnest Kingsley JuniorWashington BlackGeorge Washington 'Wash' Black
References