IndieWire Honors 2023 Celebrated Creative Independence in Film and TV — See All the Photos

Christian Zilko
·3 min read
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After a four year hiatus, the IndieWire Honors returned with a bang on Wednesday night as some of the brightest stars and most brilliant minds in film and television convened in Hollywood to celebrate creative independence.

The event was hosted by comedian and “The Blackening” star, co-writer, and producer Dewayne Perkins, who lent his signature sense of humor to the evening as he handed out awards to IndieWire’s 10 curated honorees.

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Todd Haynes received the Visionary Award in celebration of his 35 year filmmaking journey that saw him go from self-distributing his short films in New York City to becoming a leading voice of New Queer Cinema to directing this year’s Cannes hit “May December.”

Greta Gerwig was honored with the Auteur Award after applying her indie film creativity to “Barbie” helped turn the Mattel adaptation into the year’s biggest blockbuster.

Lily Gladstone was given the Performance Award, and the “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout star used her time at the podium to shine light on her other major role from 2023, the Sundance hit “Fancy Dance.”

Cord Jefferson whose publishing industry satire “American Fiction” won the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival, was honored with the Breakthrough Award for his provocative debut feature.

The Maverick Award went to Chad Stahelski, whose stewardship of the “John Wick” franchise continues to raise the bar for what action filmmaking can be in the 21st century.

On the TV side, “The Curse” co-creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie were honored with the Wavelength Award for their continued commitment to making subversive art.

“Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin was given the Visionary Award for turning his darkest mental health struggles — and his own experiences with road rage — into one of the biggest television events of 2023.

The minds behind the genre-bending Apple TV+ series “The Changeling” were also honored, with showrunner Kelly Marcel and director Melina Matsoukas receiving the Auteur Award.

“I Am a Virgo” star Jharrel Jerome also received the Performance Award for carrying Boots Riley’s boundary-pushing Prime Video series with his performance as a 13-foot-tall Black man from Oakland.

“We’re very proud to present our lineup for IndieWire Honors, which represents some of our most compelling film and TV creators,” IndieWire senior VP and Editor In Chief Dana Harris-Bridson said in a statement announcing the event. “These are people we’ve supported from the earliest days of their careers and it’s our privilege to provide them with an unforgettable evening.”

“We’re thrilled to see the return of IndieWire Honors and to be able to shine a spotlight on some of this year’s most exciting film and TV creators,” said James Israel, Publisher and senior VP of IndieWire. “All of the honorees are a testament to IndieWire’s commitment in celebrating singular voices and bold new work that excites and challenges audiences.”

Keep reading to see photos from the event, which was held at NeueHouse Hollywood on Wednesday, December 6.

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