The UK and Ireland Horror Critics Group has announced the nominees for the 2024 Golden Claw awards.
The most nominations went to Evil Dead Rise and Talk To Me, who are tied on 12 nominations each. Just behind them are Godzilla Minus One (8 nominations), When Evil Lurks (6 nominations) and Infinity Pool (5 nominations).
The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group was founded in 2022. They host the Golden Claw Awards to celebrate the best of horror cinema from the last 12 months – from cinemas, VOD and festivals. The Golden Claws are presented in partnership with Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club, and are designed to boost the perspectives of UK & Irish horror critics.
The 2024 Golden Claw winners will be announced at a central London location on March 23.
All horror film critics based in the UK or Ireland are eligible to vote – ballots have been circulated, with additional ballots available from the Group upon request. The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group, and the Golden Claws, can be followed at twitter.com/UKIHorror and www.horrorcritics.group
The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group’s current standing committee is Tim Coleman, Andrew Pope, Zoë Rose Smith. Announcing the nominations, Andrew said “This is an exciting time for horror movies, and that shows in the list of nominees. I can’t wait to see which of them takes home a coveted Golden Claw. The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group is committed to celebrating the UK and Irish horror scene, so I’m particularly excited to see who wins out in the UK or Irish Horror Film category. It’s so important that we nurture our local talent!”
Tim agreed “It’s such an honour to be involved in the Golden Claw Awards. Right now we’re living through an incredible time for horror cinema, so it’s wonderful being able to celebrate the incredible films being made in a genre which means so much to us all,” while Zoe said “’I’m incredibly excited about the Golden Claw Awards because there is just so much phenomenal horror out there right now.”
Last year the big winners were Nope (Best Director – Jordan Peele, Best Visual Effects, Best Looking), Barbarian (Best Cinema Release, Best Supporting Performance – Justin Long), X (Lead Performance – Mia Goth), Hypochondriac (Best Horror on the Festival Circuit, Best Screenplay), The Harbinger (Most Atmospheric Film, Scariest Film), and Jenna Ortega (Breakthrough Award – Scream V, X, Wednesday, Studio 666). The award for Best UK or Irish Horror Film was a split decision, going to both Alex Garland’s Men and Kate Dolan’s You Are Not My Mother.
FULL LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE 2024 GOLDEN CLAW AWARDS
Best Film with a UK or Ireland Cinema Release
- Evil Dead Rise
- Godzilla Minus One
- Infinity Pool
- Pearl
- Talk To Me
Best Film to go Straight To VOD in the UK/Ireland*
*or with a very limited cinema release
- El Conde
- Huesera: The Bone Woman
- No One Will Save You
- Raging Grace
- When Evil Lurks
Best Film on the Festival Circuit*
*and not released in cinemas or on VOD by the end of January 2024
- Late Night With The Devil
- The Moor
- New Life
- Red Rooms
- The Coffee Table
Best UK or Irish Horror Film
- Attachment
- Hostile Dimensions
- How To Kill Monsters
- Raging Grace
- The Moor
Best Film Not In The English Language
- El Conde
- Godzilla Minus One
- Huesera: The Bone Woman
- The Coffee Table
- When Evil Lurks
Best TV Show
- Black Mirror (Season 6)
- Dead Ringers
- Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder
- The Fall Of The House Of Usher
- The Last Of Us
Best Lead Performance
- Tobin Bell – Saw X
- Russell Crowe – The Pope’s Exorcist
- Kaitlyn Dever – No One Will Save You
- Max Eigenmann – Raging Grace
- Mia Goth – Pearl
- Ryunosuke Kamiki – Godzilla Minus One
- Joaquin Phoenix – Beau Is Afraid
- Nick Stahl – What You Wish For
- Alyssa Sutherland – Evil Dead Rise
- Sophie Wilde – Talk To Me
Best Supporting Performance
- Joe Bird – Talk To Me
- Jaeden Paige Boadilla – Raging Grace
- Nicholas Cage – Renfield
- David Corenswet – Pearl
- Morgan Davies – Evil Dead Rise
- Patrick Dempsey – Thanksgiving
- Mia Goth – Infinity Pool
- Patti Lupone – Beau Is Afraid
- Lily Sullivan – Evil Dead Rise
- Zoe Terakes – Talk To Me
Best Director
- Ari Aster – Beau Is Afraid
- Lee Cronin – Evil Dead Rise
- Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou – Talk To Me
- Demián Rugna – When Evil Lurks
- Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One
Best Screenplay
- Michelle Garza Cervera and Abia Castillo – Huesera: The Bone Woman
- Lee Cronin – Evil Dead Rise
- Danny Philippou – Talk To Me
- Ti West and Mia Goth – Pearl
- Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One
Best Cinematography
- Dave Garbett – Evil Dead Rise
- Karim Hussain – Infinity Pool
- Aaron McLisky – Talk To Me
- Kōzō Shibasaki – Godzilla Minus One
- Mariano Suárez – When Evil Lurks
Best Visual and Special Effects
- Jon Campfens, Beau Parsons, Simon Han and Cailin Munroe – Saw X
- Liam Neville and Caoimhe Maguire – Evil Dead Rise
- Peter ‘Babylon’ Owens, Marty Pepper, Dylan Browne and Sharna Hackett – Talk To Me
- Andy Robinson, Ádám Szücs and Dan Martin – Infinity Pool
- Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya – Godzilla Minus One
Best Score
- Tim Hecker – Infinity Pool
- Bobby Krlic – Beau Is Afraid
- Stephen McKeon – Evil Dead Rise
- Naoki Sato – Godzilla Minus One
- Cornell Wilczek – Talk To Me
Scariest Horror Film
- Evil Dead Rise
- Huesera: The Bone Woman
- Red Rooms
- Talk To Me
- When Evil Lurks
Best Kill* (Warning – SPOILERS!)
- Evil Dead Rise – Marauder deadite vs wood chipper
- Saw X – Brain surgery trap
- Scream VI – Shaky ladder
- Thanksgiving – Turkey in the oven
- When Evil Lurks – Dog vs child
*One of these is arguably (?) not a kill, but the demand from Critics Group members to include it was overwhelming.
Breakout Star Award
- Judah Lewis – Suitable Flesh
- M3gan (yes, the character) – M3gan
- Michael Philippou and Danny Philippou (directors) – Talk To Me
- Alyssa Sutherland – Evil Dead Rise
- Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me
Best UK or Irish Horror Media Outlet
- Dead Meat (podcast)
- Evolution of Horror (podcast)
- Ghouls Magazine (site)
- Horror Queers (podcast)
- Moving Pictures Film Club (podcast)
Whitlock&Pope 