Memorable Moments at 2026 Spirit Awards, From Jokes to Grammys Mistake

Highlights from the Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony honoring independent filmmaking

Feb. 16, 2026 at 8:07am

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The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards featured several memorable moments, including Robby Hoffman's ongoing jokes, Ego Nwodim poking fun at Cher's Grammys mistake, Kumail Nanjiani joking about the 'comeback' of white men, and Natasha Rothwell going off script to criticize ICE. The awards ceremony honored independent filmmaking and included powerful speeches, laughter, and cheers.

Why it matters

The Spirit Awards are an important annual event that celebrates independent films and filmmakers, providing recognition and support for the creative voices that often get overlooked by mainstream Hollywood. The memorable moments from this year's ceremony reflect the awards' reputation for irreverent humor, political commentary, and championing of diverse, boundary-pushing storytelling.

The details

Robby Hoffman, the frequent presenter at the 2026 Spirit Awards, delivered shining commentary but had to walk back a joke about grant recipients being able to spend the money however they wanted. Ego Nwodim, the first-time host, poked fun at Cher's Grammys mistake where she mistakenly named the late Luther Vandross as a winner. Kumail Nanjiani joked about the 'comeback' of white men being nominated in the supporting performance category, while Natasha Rothwell went off script to criticize ICE. Writer-director Alex Russell, accepting the best first screenplay award for Lurker, likened the risk of indie filmmaking to a scene in the Pixar film Ratatouille.

  • The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon.

The players

Robby Hoffman

An actress known for her role in the TV series Hacks, Hoffman was a frequent presenter at the 2026 Spirit Awards.

Ego Nwodim

A former Saturday Night Live cast member, Nwodim hosted the 2026 Spirit Awards for the first time.

Kumail Nanjiani

An actor and comedian who presented an award at the 2026 Spirit Awards.

Natasha Rothwell

An actress known for her role in the TV series White Lotus, Rothwell presented an award at the 2026 Spirit Awards and went off script to criticize ICE.

Alex Russell

The writer and director of the film Lurker, which won the best first screenplay award at the 2026 Spirit Awards.

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What they’re saying

“I'm joking, you guys came back. Wow, what a comeback you guys had.”

— Kumail Nanjiani

“I'm gonna go to the prompter, but I just want to say, 'Fuck ICE.'”

— Natasha Rothwell

“There's this part of Ratatouille near the end where we go into the food critics POV, and he's talking about how most of the time he's like, hating on everything, but where he feels the most valuable is when there's a new voice and he has to take a risk.”

— Alex Russell, Writer and director of Lurker

The takeaway

The memorable moments from the 2026 Spirit Awards showcase the awards' reputation for irreverent humor, political commentary, and championing of diverse, boundary-pushing independent filmmaking. The ceremony honored the creative risks and new voices that are vital to the indie film industry.