On Friday, Fangoria and Fangoria Studios released their 2023 Chainsaw Award nominations, which recognize outstanding achievements in horror film and television. First established in 1992, the Chainsaw Awards honor works and artists in a genre frequently overlooked by traditional organizations and critics groups. Past recipients include Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Hopkins and Elisabeth Moss.
“Nope,” Jordan Peele’s follow-up to “Us,” received the most nominations of any film in Chainsaw Award contention, with 10 nominations including best wide release movie and best director. Other nominees include “Barbarian,” “Pearl,” “Hellraiser,” “Chucky” and “Yellowjackets.” Fangoria also introduced two new categories this year: Best Short and Best Cinematography.
Founded in 1979, Fangoria has become one of the most influential horror brands in the genre, living up to its moniker as “First in Fright.” At one time the only place on newsstands where fans could read about the world of contemporary horror, Fangoria has transitioned under publishers Tara Ansley and Abhi Goel into a multimedia platform company creating print, digital, studio (film and television), podcasts and merchandise content.
In a statement, Fangoria Editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr. said, “We shouldn’t be surprised at the lack of love horror received from mainstream awards this year, but 2022 was an embarrassment of riches for the horror fan, and to see none of it nominated by the bigger institutions was a bit of a shock. As ever, Fangoria is happy to pick up the slack.
“The genre excellence on display in 2022 encompasses veterans and new voices, productions of all sizes, and every color of the dark. The competition this year is going to be a bloodbath.”
Fans can vote for their favorite nominees on the Fangoria website through Feb. 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Details on the award ceremony, and where to watch it, will be announced at a later date.
Full list of nominees:
BEST WIDE RELEASE MOVIE:
“Barbarian”
“The Black Phone”
“Nope”
“Pearl”
“X”
BEST LIMITED-RELEASE MOVIE:“Orphan: First Kill”
“Resurrection”
“Something in the Dirt”
“Terrifier 2”
“Mad God”
BEST STREAMING PREMIERE MOVIE:“Fresh”
“Hellbender”
“Hellraiser”
“Prey”
“A Wounded Fawn”
BEST INTERNATIonAL MOVIE:
“Hatching”
“The Innocents”
“Piggy”
“Saloum”
“Speak No Evil”
BEST FIRST FEATURE:“Blood Relatives”
“Deadstream”
“The Sadness”
“Watcher”
“We’re All Going to the World’s Fair”
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE:
Anna Diop, “Nanny”
Isabelle Fuhrman, “Orphan: First Kill”
Mia Goth, “Pearl”
Rebecca Hall, “Resurrection”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Nope”
Amber Midthunder, “Prey”
Maika Monroe, “Watcher”
Keke Palmer, “Nope”
Josh Ruben, “A Wounded Fawn”
Taylor Russell, “Bones and All”
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE:
Jamie Clayton, “Hellraiser”
Ethan Hawke, “The Black Phone”
Justin Long, “Barbarian”
Madeleine McGraw, “The Black Phone”
Jenna Ortega, “Scream”
Mark Rylance, “Bones and All”
Rachel Sennott, “Bodies Bodies Bodies”
Brittany Snow, “X”
Kristen Stewart, “Crimes of the Future”
Steven Yeun, “Nope”
BEST DIRECTOR:
Zach Cregger, “Barbarian”
David Cronenberg, “Crimes of the Future”
Chloe Okuno, “Watcher”
Jordan Peele, “Nope”
Ti West, “X”
BEST SCREENPLAY:
C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson, “The Black Phone”
Zach Cregger, “Barbarian”
Mia Goth and Ti West, “Pearl”
Jordan Peele, “Nope”
Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, “The Menu”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Ksusha Genenfeld, “A Wounded Fawn”
Rob Hardy, “Men”
Eliot Rockett, “Pearl”
Eliot Rockett, “X”
Hoyte Van Hoytema, “Nope”
BEST SCORE:
Michael Abels, “Nope”
Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, “Men”
Tyler Bates and Tim Williams, “Pearl”
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, “Halloween Ends”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Bones and All”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Alex Bovaird, “Nope”
Stephanie Portnoy Porter, “Prey”
András Dániel Tóth and Godena-Juhász Attila, “The Munsters”
Mayou Trikerioti, “Crimes of the Future”
Malgosia Turzanska, “Pearl”
BEST MAKEUP FX:
Alexandra Anger and Monica Pavez/Black Spot FX, “Crimes of the Future”
Lyudmil Ivanov, “Barbarian”
Damien Leone, “Terrifier 2”
Josh & Sierra Russell/RussellFX, “Hellraiser”
Sarah Rubano & Kevin Wasner / WETA, “X”
BEST CREATURE FX:
Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., “Prey”
Gustav Hoegen, “Hatching”
Troy Larson, Patrick Magee, Mark Villalobos, “V/H/S/99”
John Nolan, “Jurassic World Dominion”
Guillaume Rocheron/MPC, “Nope”
BEST documentARY FEATURE:
“The Found Footage Phenomenon”
“In Search of Darknesss: Part III”
“Living with Chucky”
“Pennywise: The Story of IT”
“This is Gwar”
BEST NON-FICTION SERIES OR MINISERIES:
“101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time”
“Cursed Films II”
“Dragula: Titans”
“Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together”
“Queer for Fear”
BEST SERIES:
“Cabinet of Curiosities”
“Chucky”
“Stranger Things”
“What We Do in the Shadows”
“Yellowjackets”
BEST SHORT:
“Blink”
“Close Your Eyes”
“Guts”
“Meat Friend”
“O, Glory!”
