# List of accolades received by Spotlight

Spotlight is a 2015 American drama film directed by Tom McCarthy. The film, written by Josh Singer and McCarthy, follows The Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team and its investigation of sexual abuse in Boston. It stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James and Liev Schreiber. The film was premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2015, where McCarthy won the Brian Award. It was also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was the second runner-up for the People's Choice Award. Open Road Films released it theatrically in the United States on November 6, 2015. The film was a commercial success, grossing $98.7 million worldwide on a budget of $20 million.
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Spotlight holds a rating of 97%, based on 335 reviews. The film has been nominated for 138 awards, winning 71; its direction, screenplay and the performances of Ruffalo and McAdams have received the most attention from award groups. Spotlight received six nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Director (McCarthy), Best Supporting Actor (Ruffalo) and Best Supporting Actress (McAdams). It won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay (McCarthy and Singer), making it the first film since The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) to win in the Best Picture category with only one other award. The film garnered three Golden Globe Award nominations—Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Spotlight also won the Best Original Screenplay award at the 69th British Academy Film Awards, where it received two additional nominations.
At the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards, McAdams was nominated for her supporting role and the film's cast received the Outstanding Performance award. It received an award in the same category at the 21st Critics' Choice Awards, in addition to winning Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Keaton won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor at its 2015 ceremony. In addition, Spotlight was named the best film of the year by several critics associations, including the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Detroit Film Critics Society, and National Board of Review.

## Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| AACTA Awards | January 29, 2016 | Best International Film | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| AACTA Awards | January 29, 2016 | Best International Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Picture | Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, and Michael Sugar | Won | [7] [8] |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | [7] [8] |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [7] [8] |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | [7] [8] |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [7] [8] |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Film Editing | Tom McArdle | Nominated | [7] [8] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | [9] [10] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Won | [9] [10] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [9] [10] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Ensemble Cast | Spotlight | Won | [9] [10] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Editing | Tom McArdle | Nominated | [9] [10] |
| American Film Institute | December 16, 2015 | Top 10 Films | Spotlight | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | December 6, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | December 6, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | December 6, 2015 | Best Ensemble | Spotlight | Won | |
| BAFTA Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Film | Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Michael Sugar | Nominated | [15] [16] |
| BAFTA Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [15] [16] |
| BAFTA Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [15] [16] |
| Casting Society of America | January 4, 2016 | Big Budget – Drama | Kerry Barden, John Buchan, Jason Knight, Carolyn Pickman, Joey Montenarello, Adam Richards and Paul Schnee | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2015 | Best Editing | Tom McArdle | Nominated | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | October 24, 2015 | Best Narrative English-Language Feature | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Acting Ensemble | Spotlight | Won | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Editing | Tom McArdle | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Score | Howard Shore | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Liev Schreiber | Won | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Ensemble | Spotlight | Won | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | February 6, 2016 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2015 | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Dorian Awards | January 19, 2016 | Film of the Year | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| Dorian Awards | January 19, 2016 | Director of the Year | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Dorian Awards | January 19, 2016 | Screenplay of the Year | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | |
| Empire Awards | March 20, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Runner-up | [27] [28] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | [27] [28] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [27] [28] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Screenplay – Original | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [27] [28] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Ensemble | Spotlight | Won | [27] [28] |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 6, 2016 | Best of Show | Spotlight | Won | [30] [31] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 6, 2016 | Best Independent | Spotlight | Won | [30] [31] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 6, 2016 | Best Drama | Spotlight | Nominated | [30] [31] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 6, 2016 | Best Music | Spotlight | Nominated | [30] [31] |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | October 22, 2015 | Best Feature | Spotlight | Won | |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | October 22, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | October 22, 2015 | Audience Award | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | October 22, 2015 | Special Jury Award for Ensemble Performance | Spotlight | Won | |
| Hollywood Film Awards | November 1, 2015 | Screenwriter of the Year | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 9, 2016 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | [35] [36] |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 9, 2016 | Best Direction of a Motion Picture | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | [35] [36] |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 9, 2016 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [35] [36] |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 9, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [35] [36] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 27, 2016 | Best Feature | Spotlight | Won | [37] [38] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 27, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Won | [37] [38] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 27, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [37] [38] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 27, 2016 | Best Editing | Tom McArdle | Won | [37] [38] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 27, 2016 | Robert Altman Award | Tom McCarthy, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee, Michael Cyril Creighton, Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian d'Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci | Won | [37] [38] |
| London Film Critics' Circle | January 17, 2016 | Film of the Year | Spotlight | Nominated | [39] [40] |
| London Film Critics' Circle | January 17, 2016 | Supporting Actor of the Year | Michael Keaton | Nominated | [39] [40] |
| London Film Critics' Circle | January 17, 2016 | Screenwriter of the Year | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [39] [40] |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | December 6, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | December 6, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 8–18, 2015 | Best U.S. Feature Film | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| National Board of Review | December 1, 2015 | Top Ten Films | Spotlight | Won | |
| National Society of Film Critics | January 3, 2016 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | |
| National Society of Film Critics | January 3, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| National Society of Film Critics | January 3, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Runner-up | |
| New York Film Critics Circle | December 2, 2015 | Best Actor | Michael Keaton | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 6, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 6, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 6, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 6, 2015 | Best Ensemble Cast | Spotlight | Won | |
| Online Film Critics Society | December 13, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| Online Film Critics Society | December 13, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Online Film Critics Society | December 13, 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | |
| Online Film Critics Society | December 13, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 1–10, 2016 | Sonny Bono Visionary Award | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | January 23, 2016 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, and Michael Sugar | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Ensemble | Spotlight | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 13, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Won | |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 13, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 13, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Runner-up | |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Won | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Michael Keaton | Nominated | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Original Score | Howard Shore | Nominated | [52] [53] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Cast in a Motion Picture | Spotlight | Won | [52] [53] |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 30, 2016 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 30, 2016 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Spotlight | Won | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 21, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 21, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 21, 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Mark Ruffalo | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 21, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 21, 2015 | Best Editing | Tom McArdle | Nominated | |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Picture | Spotlight | Runner-up | |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Director | Tom McCarthy | Runner-up | |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Runner-up | |
| Toronto International Film Festival | September 10–20, 2015 | People's Choice Award | Spotlight | 3rd Place | |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | December 21, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | [58] [59] |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | December 21, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | [58] [59] |
| Venice Film Festival | September 2–12, 2015 | Brian Award | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| Venice Film Festival | September 2–12, 2015 | Silver Mouse | Tom McCarthy | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 7, 2015 | Best Film | Spotlight | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 7, 2015 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 7, 2015 | Best Ensemble | Spotlight | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | February 13, 2016 | Best Original Screenplay | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer | Won | |