FIRST HALF TIMMYS UPDATE

We are now halfway through the year, which means it is time for my second Timmy Awards update. Just like the last one, I will not be sharing who I think is the front-runner to win, but rather who my nominees are at this current moment, and which of those I believe are strong candidates to finish the year as such. My insights could certainly give any readers an advantage when it comes to filling out their Timmys ballots come January. I'm also not exploring every category, since there are now a total of 60 across both film and television. I also will not be writing about any of the nominees I wrote about in my First Quarter Update, so read that first if you haven't already.

Table of Contents:

• Film Awards
• Best Motion Picture Drama
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
• Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Drama
• Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
• Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
• Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
• Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
• Best Director of a Motion Picture


• Television Awards
• Best Television Drama
• Best Actor in a Television Drama
• Best Actress in a Television Drama
• Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama
• Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama
• Best Television Comedy
• Best Actor in a Television Comedy
• Best Actress in a Television Comedy
• Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy
• Best Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy
• Best Limited or Anthology Series
• Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series
• Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series
• Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series
• Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series


• Looking Ahead

Best Motion Picture Drama

• The Florida Project (2017)
• Moonlight (2016)
• After Yang (2021)
• Sing Sing (2023)
• Nosferatu (2024)
• Conclave (2024)
• The Life of Chuck (2024)

The Florida Project and Nosferatu unforunately hit the chopping block, but cuts were expected. The two new films on here are Moonlight and The Life of Chuck. I finally was able to confirm my suspicions that La La Land is superior to Moonlight, but I don't want to downplay just how good the latter is. It's filled with great performances, great themes, great visuals, and a great score. All of those things can also be said about The Life of Chuck, which I had the privilege of watching in a theater. It's such a fabulous, emotional celebration of life told in a very unique way. Chuck is just a normal guy, but following his life in a non-linear fashion allowing us to realize what the first act was really about in hindsight made the whole thing so much more impactful. These two films made this category a lot more competitive.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama

• Adrien Brody (Detachment)
• Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
• Patrick Fabian (The Way We Speak)
• Colin Farrell (After Yang)
• Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
• Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
• Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)
• Sebastian Stan (A Different Man)

There were a lot of cuts made here (RIP Patrick Fabian), but it had to be done. Detachment was a film that had been on my watchlist for quiet awhile, and I can't understand why no one has ever mentioned how good Adrien Brody was in that film, as the range of emotions he goes through in during the runtime is nothing short of remarkable. Sinners has rightfully gotten its flowers from mainstream audiences, with Ryan Coogler getting much-deserved credit for an incredibly technically-sound film. He crafted some genuinely jaw-dropping sequences which I am so glad I got to see on an IMAX screen. However, Michael B. Jordan's performance in this movie is really fantastic, but I feel as though not as many people talk about him when they talk about Sinners, which they really should.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama

• Cate Blanchett (Carol)
• Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu)
• Sally Hawkins (Bring Her Back)
• Rooney Mara (Carol)
• Alicia Vikander (The Assessment)

I didn't know The Assessment even existed until I saw Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander on Happy Sad Confused hosted by our boy Josh Horowitz while they were trying to find distribution for the film. I need to give a big thanks to Josh here because otherwise, I wouldn't have seen Alicia Vikander's truly stellar work in the film, where she gives one of the most nuanced performances I've seen this decade. I really can't describe why or how without either spoiling the movie, or making it sound insanely weird, so just go see it for yourself. Carol had two really great, subtle performances from Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. I found out Rooney Mara was somehow nominated in the supporting category at the Oscars for this movie, which is insane given that she has more screen time than Cate Blanchett (who was nominated as a lead). That has been rectified here. Lastly, I can't believe Sally Hawkins played the mom in the Paddington films. I haven't this frustrated at a character since Brad in Spider-Man: Far From Home, so huge props to Sally Hawkins for what is surely one of the most overlooked performances of this year.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Drama

• Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)
• Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast)
• Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)
• Adam Pearson (A Different Man)
• Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu)
• Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)

The only change in this category is Adam Pearson sadly exiting, replaced by Sir Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. What Sir Ben does in this film is he simply created one of the most genuinely terrifying psychopaths in cinema history. He definitely had a great script to get him there, but every scene he's in is some real hold-your-breath, edge-of-your-seat type shit.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Drama

• Carrie Coon (His Three Daughters)
• Naomie Harris (Moonlight)
• Natasha Lyonne (His Three Daughters)
• Elizabeth Olsen (His Three Daughters)
• Hailee Steinfeld (Sinners)

It's not a great look that every name here is italicized, but alas. I would not be surprised if these are the five names you have to choose from on your Timmy Awards ballot come January. The trio in His Three Daughters were all truly fantastic, each sister having a very distinct personality and handling situations in ways that made sense given their established characters. Naomie Harris made herself very easy to hate in Moonlight, and then somehow empathize with her (even if just a little bit) towards the end. Hailee Steinfeld did some great work in Sinners, and definitely exceeded the expectations I had for her in the film. She wasn't featured too heavily in the trailers, and while she didn't have a whole lot of screen time, it was more than I expected, which was a nice surprise given how good she was.

Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

• Comet (2014)
• Sing Street (2016)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
• Friendship (2025)
• Materialists (2025)
• Saturday Night (2024)
• Y2K (2024)

This is a real sad day for Y2K fans out there, and yes, despite my decision, I am still one of them. This category is so much better than it was last year, with some really good films here. Sing Street was a very fun and charming film about a kid who forms a band to impress his crush, and it has a really good adapted score, as well as some great original songs. The Banshees of Inisherin was a very good dark comedy with breathtaking visuals and a tight script, as well as some genuinely emotional moments and serious themes. Friendship was simply hilarious, creating a perfect storm by combining some quirky A24 filmmaking with Tim Robinson. Celine Song's Materialists makes its way onto this list through some great performances (Dakota Johnson beating the bad actress allegations once again) as well as another great script written by Song.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

• Patrick Fabian (DriverX)
• Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Jon Favreau (Chef)
• Gabriel LaBelle (Saturday Night)
• Justin Long (Comet)
• Tim Robinson (Friendship)

This isn't a very good day for Patrick Fabian fans. However, Colin Farrell fans will be pleased to see him here for The Banshees of Inisherin after I crossed out his name in the drama category earlier. He gave a truly all-encompassing performance ranging from perfectly dry humor to real, raw emotion. Jon Favreau didn't step super far out of his comfort zone for Chef, but he did a real nice job playing a divorced dad rediscovering his passion for cooking with his son. Now, not only did Tim Robinson not step out of his comfort zone, but he set down a blanket and made himself at home there, and it was great. This is Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, and he was hysterical, which is all I can really ask for.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

• Dakota Johnson (Materialists)
• Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts*)
• Emmy Rossum (Comet)
• Sophie Thatcher (Companion)
• Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)

Nobody that was here last time has been taken off the list, but it has now been filled out with the addition of Dakota Johnson and Florence Pugh. I never thought I'd see the day where an MCU film gets an acting nomination at the Timmys, but Florence Pugh was the standout, and gave one of the best performances in any superhero movie ever in Thunderbolts*. As I mentioned earlier, Dakota Johnson once again beat the bad actress allegations in Materialists, which is crazy that those even exist since she's already a Timmy Award winning actress.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

• Chris Evans (Materialists)
• Mike Faist (West Side Story)
• Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Dylan O'Brien (Saturday Night)

This category still has an open fifth spot, but it did get more competitive with the additions of Chris Evans and Timmy Award winner Barry Keoghan. I'm not sure if Chris Evans got a new agent, or if landing Materialists was more of a "broken clock" scenario, but either way he was finally given a script good enough to show that he's actually a very good actor. Barry Keoghan gave a heartwarming and sad performance as a kind-hearted young man who is abused by his father. There's a scene he had with Kerry Condon's character that was truly heartbreaking to watch, and it could earn him his second Timmy Award.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

• Kerry Condon
• Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
• Sonoya Mizuno (Am I OK?)
• Tilda Swinton (Problemista)
• Mia Threapleton (The Phoenician Scheme)

Kerry Condon can be added to the seemingly never-ending pile of great performances in The Banshees of Inisherin, another perfect blend of comedy and drama. Sonoya Mizuno is probably the weakest performance here, but she wouldn't be here at all if I didn't think she deserved it. Tilda Swinton in Problemista was the backbone of the film as she played a hilariously chaotic character perfectly. Mia Threapleton is someone I had never heard of before watching Wes Anderson's newest film The Phoenician Scheme, but she perfected the mannerisms and overall acting style that makes a Wes Anderson film.

Best Director of a Motion Picture

• Sean Baker (The Florida Project)
• Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
• Edward Berger (Conclave)
• Robert Eggers (Nosferatu)
• Sam Esmail (Comet)
• Kogonada (After Yang)
• Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
• Danny & Michael Philippou (Bring Her Back)

I crossed out two names from last time and the list somehow stayed the same length. This category really does not get easier. I already touched on Ryan Coogler and his brilliant work on Sinners earlier. He made a truly special cinematic experience. Danny & Michael Philippou, the directors of Talk to Me, upped their game even more on Bring Her Back, adding some real style to aid in the horror movie experience. I watched RackaRacka on YouTube back in the day, and it's really awesome to see how far they've come.

Best Television Drama

• Daredevil: Born Again (2025-)
• Severance (Season 2)
• The Last of Us (Season 2)
• Andor (Season 2)
• The Bear (Season 4)

This category has definitely filled out by this point. Daredevil: Born Again was a good season of television, even if I wasn't a big fan of some of the decisions they made and the indisputable fact that it's vastly inferior to the original Daredevil series. Season 2 of The Last of Us is similar in that it's a good season of television, but I didn't like how some of it was adapted from the game into the series. Andor season 2, however, was on-par with the first season of the show. This was expected, mainly because I trusted Tony Gilroy and the cast, but it's truly remarkable how great this show is. It's not just a phenomenal Star Wars series, but a phenomenal television series. Lastly, The Bear season 4, which could be the final season of the show, did not disappoint. I technically think it's the weakest season, but that's just because its best episode(s) weren't quite as good as the best episodes of any of the previous three seasons. The journeys of the characters all go in organic directions, and there were several moments where I almost cried, a real testament to the brilliant writing and performances.

Best Actor in a Television Drama

• Charlie Cox (Daredevil: Born Again)
• Diego Luna (Andor, Season 2)
• Adam Scott (Severance, Season 2)
• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear, Season 4)

Despite the series itself being predictably unable to reach the levels of sauce of the original Daredevil series, Charlie Cox did not miss a beat returning as the title character in Daredevil: Born Again. Diego Luna did not win a Legacy Award for his work on season 1 of Andor, but he came very close. He was great in season 2, cementing Cassian Andor as one of the best characters in the entire Star Wars canon. This may or may not be his last year to win a Timmy Award for his work in The Bear, but either way, Jeremy Allen White is as deserving of the gold as any of his competition in this category, once again giving his all to the character of Carmy.

Best Actress in a Television Drama

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear, Season 4)
• Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Season 2)

Timmy Award winner Ayo Edebiri, similar to her co-star Jeremy Allen White, has 3 nominations and 0 wins for her role in The Bear, but this could be the year that changes. She was genuinely phenomenal and there are not enough good things I can say about her work this season. Bella Ramsey missed out on a nomination for The Last of Us last year, but they were simply competing against really great performances. They could easily find their way here in January based on how good they were this season, but they also could get pushed off again. Only time will tell.

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama

• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Season 4)
• Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, Season 2)
• Stellan Skarsgård (Andor, Season 2)
• Tramell Tillman (Severance, Season 2)
• John Turturro (Severance, Season 2)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach unfortunately lost out on my nomination in this category for season 3, but it was arguably the most competitive category across both film and TV last year. With that being said, he once again brought it as Cousin Richie in season 4 of The Bear. Pedro Pascal didn't have as much screen time in season 2 of The Last of Us, but that didn't stop him from topping his work in the first season. He didn't do quite enough in season 1 to earn him a nomination in the lead category, but he really showed a great range of emotions in his more diminished season 2 role. Last but certainly not least, Stellan Skarsgård, who won a Legacy Award for this category for the first season of Andor, once again gave one of the most compelling performances you can find in a Star Wars property.

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama

• Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear, Season 4)
• Elizabeth Dulau (Andor, Season 2)
• Britt Lower (Severance, Season 2)
• Isabela Merced (The Last of Us, Season 2)
• Genevieve O'Reilly (Andor, Season 2)

It's pretty incredible that Andor is Elizabeth Dulau's first on-screen role. She is so talented and was so good in a small role in season 1 that Tony Gilroy made sure to give her a much bigger role in season 2, and she did not disappoint. Liza Colón-Zayas won a Timmy Award in this category last year for Ali for her role in The Bear, and though she doesn't have as much to do this season, she still did great with what she was given. Isabela Merced was the biggest surprise for me. I believe Madame Web was the only thing I had seen her in before this, so I basically had no idea how good of an actress she is. However, I'm glad to report that she was probably the standout in The Last of Us season 2. Last but not least is another Andor Legacy Award winner Genevieve O'Reilly. Her performance in season 1 was pure brilliance, and she did it once again. This is a very competitive category.

Best Television Comedy

• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)
• Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024-2025)
• The White Lotus (Season 3)
• The Studio (2025-)

None of these are new, but I wasn't even halfway through The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel when I wrote the last update, and have sinced finished the show. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a witty, fun comedy with real heart and great characters.

Best Actor in a Television Comedy

• Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus, Season 3)
• Seth Rogen (The Studio)

This category is exactly the same as last time, so I don't have anything new to add.

Best Actress in a Television Comedy

• Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

This category is also the same as it was last time, but I can provide a bit more insight having now finished the show. Rachel Brosnahan one of the best performances from an actress in a comedy that you will probably ever see. She perfectly embodies the fun tone of the series, is very sharp and effortlessly funny, but can also make you forget you are watching a comedy when shit gets real.

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy

• Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)
• Walton Goggins (The White Lotus, Season 3)
• Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

You can tell I haven't watched any new comedies since the last update, as this is once again the same group from last time. All I have to say is Michael Zegen and Tony Shalhoub were great in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy

• Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Sarah Catherine Hook (The White Lotus, Season 3)
• Carrie Coon (The White Lotus, Season 3)
• Catherine O'Hara (The Studio)
• Parker Posey (The White Lotus, Season 3)
• Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio)
• Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus, Season 3)

This category is mostly the same, execept I decided to replace Catherine O'Hara with Chase Sui Wonders, both of whom were in The Studio. The show wasn't finished airing when I wrote the last update, but I had seen enough to give enough insight at the time. However, once the show was all said and done (and I rewatched it), I realized how good Chase Sui Wonders was, and how much Catherine O'Hara didn't really do much in the later episodes.

Best Limited or Anthology Series

• Devs (2020)

I didn't even include any Limited or Anthology Series categories in the last update since I hadn't watched a single such series, but now I have seen one. Devs was overall quite good, but the writing in the first half, specifically the dialogue, left a bad taste in my mouth that had to be washed away by the intriguing narrative and great atmosphere.

Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

I don't have anyone yet in this category, but at least I'm not sexist anymore.

Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series

• Sonoya Mizuno (Devs)

I wasn't sure if I was going to put Sonoya Mizuno on this list at first. This is the first time I've heard her do an American accent, and it wasn't perfect. I wasn't sure if her performance was affected by the accent, but then I realized it was some of the poor dialogue I had mentioned earlier. Her accent not being perfect can be explained by her character not being a native English speaker, seen speaking Mandarin in flashbacks (I'm aware this probably wasn't intended, but it works). Despite all of this, I definitely felt the pain the character was going through.

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

• Zach Grenier (Devs)
• Stephen McKinley Henderson (Devs)
• Nick Offerman (Devs)

Nick Offerman gave a very interesting performance in Devs. He's an uber-rich tech guy who does objectively awful things, but he seems personable when talking to his employees, and his backstory and motivations for creating Devs makes you understand and sympathize with him. Zach Grenier is a cold-blooded enforcer character, similar to that of a Mike Ehrmantraut, and plays the role quite well. Stephen McKinley Henderson also does a nice job in playing a guy who knows what is right and wrong and where to draw the line. He drops some insane bars of wisdom throughout the show.

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

• Alison Pill (Devs)
• Cailee Spaeny (Devs)

Alison Pill possibly gave the best performance out of anyone in the Devs cast. We don't know all that much about her character, but I believe that made her performance that much more interesting. She seems very calculated and level-headed, yet believes in the work that Amaya is doing and is also responsible for a lot of the awful things the company does. Cailee Spaeny was good in the series, but the biggest plot twist of the show came in episode 4 when they referred to her character, Lyndon, as "he". I just thought the character was a female with short hair, but it turns out he's a cisgender male?? I figured that maybe someone who didn't know who Cailee Spaeny was might believe the character is a male, and that my shock was just because I knew who the actress was. However, I did some research as to why Alex Garland made this decision, and came across a Reddit thread where pretty much everybody else thought the character was a female. In case you're curious, I found out Garland wanted the character to appear quite young (even though he's a young adult), but because of restrictions on labor for minors, he decided to consider female performers, where Cailee Spaeny was the first and last person to audition.

Looking Ahead

Thank you very much for reading this far. It's actually for your own benefit but I appreciate it nonetheless. Like I did last time, here are some films and series releasing this year that I have yet to watch that could make their way onto the next update:

• Gen V (Season 2)
• Superman (2025) dir. James Gunn
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) dir. Matt Shakman
• Poker Face (Season 2)
• Peacemaker (Season 2)
• The Rivals of Amziah King (2025) dir. Andrew Patterson
• After the Hunt (2025) dir. Luca Guadagnino
• Running Man (2025) dir. Edgar Wright
• Caught Stealing (2025) dir. Darren Aronofsky
• One Battle After Another (2025) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
• F1 (2025) dir. Joseph Kosinski
• Nobody 2 (2025) dir. Timo Tjahjanto
• The Smashing Machine (2025) dir. Benny Safdie
• Marty Supreme (2025) dir. Josh Safdie
• Sorry, Baby (2025) dir. Eva Victor
• The Chronology of Water (2025) dir. Kristen Stewart
• Weapons (2025) dir. Zach Cregger
• Eddington (2025) dir. Ari Aster
• A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) dir. Kogonada
• Urchin (2025) dir. Harris Dickinson
• Die My Love (2025) dir. Lynne Ramsay
• Blue Moon (2025) dir. Richard Linklater
• Eleanor the Great (2025) dir. Scarlett Johansson
• Splitsville (2025) dir. Michael Angelo Covino
• Twinless (2025) dir. James Sweeney
• Nuremberg (2025) dir. James Vanderbilt
• Together (2025) dir. Michael Shanks
• Untitled Vince Gilligan Apple TV+ Series

Make sure to come back for my third-quarter update in October.

The 2025 Timmy Awards will be held next January.