2016 San Diego Film Critics Awards Winners: ‘Hell or High Water’ Takes Top Awards

Hell or High Water Ben Foster and Chris Pine
Ben Foster and Chris Pine star in ‘Hell or High Water.’ (Photo Credit: CBS Films)

The San Diego Film Critics Society, a group known for marching to the beat of a different drummer, announced their 2016 winners for the best in feature films on December 12th. Going into the vote, La La Land topped the list with 11 nominations with Nocturnal Animals and Hell or High Water close behind with 10. Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea each earned six nominations, followed by Arrival with five. When the votes were tallied, it was Hell or High Water that emerged the year’s big winner, earning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Ben Foster), Best Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography awards from the So. California group.


2016 San Diego Film Critics Society Winners:

Best Picture:
Winner: HELL OR HIGH WATER
Runner Up: LA LA LAND

Best Director:
Winner: David Mackenzie, HELL OR HIGH WATER
Runner Up: Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND

Best Actor, Male:
Winner: Casey Affleck, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runner Up: Viggo Mortensen, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Best Actor, Female:
Winner: Sonia Braga, AQUARIUS
Runner Up: Emma Stone, LA LA LAND

Best Supporting Actor, Male – Tied:
Ben Foster, HELL OR HIGH WATER & Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT

Best Supporting Actor, Female:
Winner: Michelle Williams, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runner Up: Judy Davis, THE DRESSMAKER

Best Comedic Performance:
Winner: Ryan Gosling, THE NICE GUYS
Runner up: Alden Ehrenreich, HAIL, CAESAR!

Best Ensemble:
Winner: HELL OR HIGH WATER
Runner Up: HIDDEN FIGURES

Breakthrough Artist:
Winner: Lily Gladstone, CERTAIN WOMEN
Runner Up: Lucas Hedges, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Best Original Screenplay:
Winner: Taylor Sheridan, HELL OR HIGH WATER
Runner Up: Efthimis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos, THE LOBSTER

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Winner: Whit Stillman, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
Runner Up: Taika Waititi, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

Best Documentary:
Winner: WEINER
Runner Up: GLEASON

Best Animated Film:
Winner: KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Runner Up: APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD

Best Foreign Language Film:
Winner: MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART
Runners Up – Tied: MOTHER (EMA), NERUDA

Best Editing:
Winner: Blu Murray, SULLY
Runner Up: Joan Sobel, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

Best Cinematography:
Winner: Giles Nuttgens, HELL OR HIGH WATER
Runners Up – Tied: James Laxton, MOONLIGHT, Linus Sandgren, LA LA LAND

Best Production Design:
Winner: Jess Gonchor, HAIL, CAESER!
Runner Up: David Wasco, LA LA LAND

Best Visual Effects:
Winner: THE JUNGLE BOOK
Runner Up: ARRIVAL

Best Costume Design:
Winner: Mary Zophres, LA LA LAND
Runner Up: Madeline Fontaine, JACKIE

Best Use of Music in a Film:
Winner: SING STREET
Runners Up – Tied: JACKIE, LA LA LAND

2016 Body of Work: Michael Shannon – NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, LOVING, ELVIS & NIXON