Winners of the 4th Annual Golden Scythe Horror Awards were announced this week via the ceremony’s official website and social media channels, with Companion and Weapons tying for the most wins at five awards each.
Directed by Drew Hancock, Companion earned recognition for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Sophie Thatcher, who was honored for her performance as Iris. The film also received awards for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Quaid), Best Original Score (Hrishikesh Hirway), Best Editing (Brett W. Bachman & Josh Ethier), and Best Title Sequence.
Zach Cregger’s Weapons secured awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Larkin Seiple), Best Poster, Best Horror Movie Moment (“Gladys in Control”), and Best Marketing Campaign.
Taking home the ceremony’s top honor, Best Picture, was Bring Her Back from directors Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou. The film also won Best Supporting Actress (Sora Wong), Best International Film (Australia), Best Use of Practical Effects, and Best Trailer.
Presenters for this year’s ceremony included Emily Bennett, Maggie Levin, Audrey Lynn-Marie, and Miriam Spumpkin.
The 4th Annual Golden Scythe Horror Awards winners were announced on February 22, 2026.
Best Picture:
● Bring Her Back – WINNER
● Black Phone 2
● Clown in a Cornfield
● Companion
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● The Long Walk
● Shelby Oaks
● Sinners
● Weapons
Best Director:
● Ryan Coogler, Sinners – WINNER
● Drew Hancock, Companion
● Danny & Michael Philippou, Bring Her Back
● Chris Stuckmann, Shelby Oaks
● Emma Tammi, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
● Michael B. Jordan, Sinners – WINNER
● Dave Franco, Together
● Cooper Hoffman, The Long Walk
● David Jonsson, The Long Walk
● Mason Thames, Black Phone 2 Best Actress in a Leading Role:
● Sophie Thatcher, Companion – WINNER
● Katie Douglas, Clown in a Cornfield
● Julia Garner, Weapons
● Sally Hawkins, Bring Her Back
● Madeleine McGraw, Black Phone 2
Best Supporting Actor:
● Jack Quaid, Companion – WINNER
● Ethan Hawke, Black Phone 2
● Carson MacCormac, Clown in a Cornfield
● Jonah Wren Philips, Bring Her Back
● Tony Todd, Final Destination Bloodlines
Best Supporting Actress:
● Sora Wong, Bring Her Back – WINNER
● Brec Bassinger, Final Destination Bloodlines
● Sarah Durn, Shelby Oaks
● Mckenna Grace, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Mia Tomlinson, The Conjuring: Last Rites
Best Original Screenplay:
● Weapons, Zach Cregger – WINNER
● Bring Her Back, Bill Hinzman & Danny Philippou
● Companion, Drew Hancock
● Dangerous Animals, Nick Lepard
● Together, Michael Shanks
Best Adapted Screenplay:
● The Long Walk, JT Mollner – WINNER
● Black Phone 2, C. Robert Cargill & Scott Derrickson
● Clown in a Cornfield, Carter Blanchard & Eli Craig
● Final Destination Bloodlines, Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Scott Cawthon
Best International Film:
● Bring Her Back, Australia – WINNER
● Dangerous Animals, Australia
● Exit 8, Japan
● Noise, South Korea
● The Ugly Stepsister, Denmark
Best Original Score:
● Companion, Hrishikesh Hirway – WINNER
● Black Phone 2, Atticus Derrickson
● Bring Her Back, Cornel Wilczek
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, The Newton Brothers
● Shelby Oaks, James Burkholder & The Newton Brothers
Best Sound Design:
● The Long Walk – WINNER
● Black Phone 2
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Wolf Man
Best Production Design:
● Black Phone 2 – WINNER
● Clown in a Cornfield
● Companion
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Night of the Reaper
Best Cinematography:
● Weapons, Larkin Seiple – WINNER
● Black Phone 2, Par M. Ekberg
● Bring Her Back, Aaron McLisky
● Good Boy, Wade Grebnoel & Ben Leonberg
● Shelby Oaks, Andrew Scott Baird
Best Makeup & Hairstyling:
● The Ugly Stepsister – WINNER
● Bring Her Back
● Companion
● Keeper
● Together
Best Costume Design:
● Black Phone 2 – WINNER
● Clown in a Cornfield
● Companion
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● V/H/S/ Halloween
Best Editing:
● Companion, Brett W. Bachman & Josh Ethier – WINNER
● Final Destination Bloodlines, Sabrina Pitre
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Timothy Alverson & Derek Larsen
● The Long Walk, Mark Yoshikawa
● Shelby Oaks, Brett W. Bachman & Patrick Lawrence
Best Use of Visual Effects:
● Together – WINNER
● The Conjuring: Last Rites
● Dangerous Animals
● V/H/S/ Halloween
● Wolf Man
Best Use of Practical Effects:
● Bring Her Back – WINNER
● Clown in a Cornfield
● Companion
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Best Poster:
● Weapons – WINNER
● Black Phone 2
● Bring Her Back
● The Conjuring: Last Rites
● Fear Street: Prom Queen
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Good Boy
● Shelby Oaks
● Until Dawn
Best Trailer:
● Bring Her Back – WINNER
● 28 Years Later
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● I Know What You Did Last Summer
● Keeper
● The Long Walk
● The Monkey
● Shelby Oaks
● Sinners
Best Horror Movie Moment:
● Weapons, Gladys in Control – WINNER
● Black Phone 2, Gwen in the Phone Booth
● Bring Her Back, Kitchen Scene
● Clown in a Cornfield, Frendos Attack
● Companion, Iris Takes Back Control
● Final Destination Bloodlines, Premonition
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Opening Scene
● The Long Walk, Ending
● Night of the Reaper, Twist Reveal
● Shelby Oaks, Prison Scene
Best Kill:
● Final Destination Bloodlines, Erik – WINNER
● Bring Her Back, Andy & Wendy
● Clown in a Cornfield, Matt
● Companion, Josh
● Weapons, Gladys
Best Slasher:
● Clown in a Cornfield – WINNER
● Fear Street: Prom Queen
● I Know What You Did Last Summer
● Night of the Reaper
● Silent Night, Deadly Night
Best Title Sequence:
● Companion – WINNER
● Black Phone 2
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Weapons
Best Remake or Sequel:
● Final Destination Bloodlines – WINNER
● Black Phone 2
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● Silent Night, Deadly Night
● Wolf Man
Best Marketing Campaign:
● Weapons – WINNER
● Bring Her Back
● Final Destination Bloodlines
● Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
● The Long Walk
