Josephine, director Beth de Araujo’s stunning story of an 8-year-old girl who witnesses with a sexual assault, won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Nuisance Bear, and the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Shame and Money, from Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Belgium.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to To Hold a Mountain, from Serbia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Croatia.
The NEXT Innovator Award presented by Adobe was given to The Incomer, and the NEXT Special Jury Award presented by Adobe was given to TheyDream.
Josephine Also Wins Audience Award at Sundance
Josephine, which stars a remarkable Mason Reeves in the lead and Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as her parents, who struggle to help her cope with what she’s seen, also won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, also presented by Acura, was awarded to American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic, presented by United Airlines, was awarded to Hold Onto Me (Κράτα Με), from Cyprus, Denmark and Greece.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, presented by United Airlines, was awarded to One In A Million, form the U.K.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe, was awarded to Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] from the U.S.A. andDenmark.
The winning films will be the last to be celebrated at Park City, as Sundance prepares a move next year to Boulder, Colorado. This was also the first Sundance since the death of co-founder Robert Redford last year.
“As we conclude this memorable edition of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we’re thrilled to celebrate our award-winning films and all the artists who participated in this year’s wonderful Festival,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming.
“Thank you to all of the artists and audiences who made this Festival one we’ll remember for a long time, and we’re deeply grateful to our friends and partners in Park City, Salt Lake City, and all across Utah, home to so many cherished Festivals. We salute and thank Utah’s moviegoers who have embraced this Festival and our founder Robert Redford’s vision. As this 2026 edition draws to a close, we’re remembering all of these times spent together.”
Additional Sundance 2026 Awards
Additional awards are listed below, courtesy of Sundance.
- JURY AWARDS FOR DIRECTING, SCREENWRITING, and EDITING
- The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Josef Kubota Wladyka for Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! / U.S.A.
- The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to J.M. Harper for Soul Patrol / U.S.A.
- The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to Andrius Blaževičius for How to Divorce During the War / Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ireland, Czech Republic
- The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes for One In A Million / U.K.
- The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Liz Sargent for Take Me Home / U.S.A.
- The Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to Matt Hixon for Barbara Forever / U.S.A.
- SPECIAL JURY AWARDS
- A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature was presented to Bedford Park / U.S.A.
- A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast was presented to The Friend’s House is Here / U.S.A., Iran
- A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Journalistic Excellence was presented to Who Killed Alex Odeh? / U.S.A.
- A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Impact for Change was presented to The Lake / U.S.A.
- A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision was presented to Filipiñana / Singapore, U.K., Philippines, France, Netherlands
- A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble was presented to LADY / U.K., Nigeria
- A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact was presented to Birds of War / U.K., Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon
- A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance was presented to Everybody To Kenmure Street / U.K.
- The NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression was awarded to TheyDream / U.S.A.
Main image: Gemma Chan, Mason Reeves and Channing Tatum appear in Josephine by Beth de Araújo, winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Photo by Greta Zozula.
You can read more of our Sundance coverage here.