National Society of Film Critics Awards 2026 Winners: One Battle After Another Dominates

Paul Thomas Anderson, born June 26, 1970, in Los Angeles, California, is an acclaimed American filmmaker renowned for his character-driven dramas featuring ambitious storytelling, sprawling ensembles, and psychological depth, often set in the San Fernando Valley.[1][3][4] Raised in a showbiz family by voiceover artist Ernie Anderson, he briefly attended New York University film school before dropping out to pursue independent projects, starting with shorts like the mockumentary *The Dirk Diggler Story* (1988) and *Cigarettes & Coffee* (1993).[1][3][5] His feature debut, *Hard Eight* (1996), expanded from his short and marked his entry into crime thrillers, followed by the breakout *Boogie Nights* (1997), a vivid portrait of the 1970s porn industry that revived careers for stars like Mark Wahlberg and Burt Reynolds while earning Anderson Oscar nominations.[1][2][3][5] He solidified his reputation with *Magnolia* (1999), an epic ensemble mosaic, and *Punch-Drunk Love* (2002), a romantic comedy-drama starring Adam Sandler that won him the Cannes Best Director Palme d'Or.[2][3][5] Anderson's later works include the oil tycoon epic *There Will Be Blood* (2007), starring Daniel Day-Lewis in an Oscar-winning role; *The Master* (2012) with Joaquin Phoenix; the noir adaptation *Inherent Vice* (2014), Oscar-nominated for its screenplay; *Phantom Thread* (2017), another Day-Lewis collaboration earning six Oscar nods; and *Licorice Pizza* (2021), a coming-of-age tale.[1][2][3][4] He holds unique distinctions as the only director to win Best Director at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, plus multiple FIPRESCI awards, with 11 total Oscar nominations across his films.[2][3][4] Frequently collaborating with actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and cinematographer Robert Elswit, Anderson remains a vital force in contemporary cinema, celebrated for original, studio-scale visions outside genre constraints.[2][4][9] No major recent events are noted as of late 2025.[1][2][3]

Ethan Hawke, born November 6, 1970, in Austin, Texas, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, novelist, and theater artist renowned for portraying introspective, emotionally complex characters over four decades.[1][4][5] Raised in New Jersey by his mother, a charity worker, and father, an insurance actuary, he began acting in high school, debuting in the 1985 sci-fi film *Explorers* before dropping out of Carnegie Mellon University for his breakthrough role as a student in *Dead Poets Society* (1989) opposite Robin Williams.[2][5][6][7] Hawke's film career blends indie and mainstream projects, including early roles in *White Fang* (1991), *Reality Bites* (1994), and *Gattaca* (1997).[3][5][6] He earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in *Training Day* (2001) alongside Denzel Washington.[2][3][4][5] Iconic collaborations with Richard Linklater feature in the *Before* trilogy (*Before Sunrise* [1995], *Before Sunset* [2004], *Before Midnight* [2013]), netting screenplay nods, and *Boyhood* (2014), which brought another supporting actor nomination plus Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG recognition.[1][2][3][4][6] Other notable films include *First Reformed* (2017), for which he won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, *The Magnificent Seven* (2016), and *Born to Be Blue* (2016).[1][2][3][6] A theater pioneer, Hawke co-founded the Malaparte Theater Company in 1991 and earned a Tony nomination for Tom Stoppard's *The Coast of Utopia* (2006) on Broadway, plus Drama Desk and Obie honors.[1][3][4][5] He has directed films like *Chelsea Walls* (2001) and *Blaze* (2018), and novels including *The Hottest State* (1996) and *Ash Wednesday* (2002).[1][4][6] With four Oscar nominations total, Hawke remains active in film, TV (e.g., *The Last Movie Stars* documentary series), and stage, embodying a versatile, multi-hyphenate career.[1][2][3] (298 words)