Despite their popularity and profitability, sci-fi, horror, and fantasy media can go unrecognized by more traditional award shows. However, the Saturn Awards celebrates these genres, along with the creativity and painstaking work that goes into crafting the spectacle, scares, or both, that entertain us year round.

Celebrating achievements in film, television, and the oft-overlooked home entertainment, The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films announced the nominees for the 51st Annual Saturn Awards last month. Disney and Lightstorm’s Avatar: The Way of Water received the most nominations, with a total of 12.  Universal’s Oppenheimer was a close second with 11 nods, and on the TV side, Paramount+’s Star Trek: Picard racked up the most nominations with 7.

Though major motion pictures and network TV programs are on the Saturn Awards’ ballot, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films also recognized independent productions such as A24’s horror darlings Talk to Me and Pearl, along with AZA Films’ thriller The Tutor. 

“Community” Star Joel McHale will host the award ceremony, which will be held at the L.A. Marriott Burbank on February 4th, 2024, beginning at 4 P.M. PST / 7 P.M. EST. The show will be streamed exclusively on ElectricNOW. 

A full list of nominees can be found below:

Film:

Best Science Fiction Film:
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Creator
M3GAN
Prey
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Best Fantasy Film:
Barbie
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Haunted Mansion
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
The Little Mermaid

Best Horror Film:
Barbarian
Evil Dead Rise
Insidious: The Red Door
Renfield
Scream VI
Smile
Talk to Me

Best Superhero Film:
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Blue Beetle
The Flash
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

Best Action / Adventure Film:
Bullet Train
The Equalizer 3
Fast X
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
The Woman King

Best Thriller Film:
Don’t Worry Darling
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
The Lesson
The Menu
Knock at the Cabin
Oppenheimer

Best Actor in a Film:
Ralph Fiennes   (The Menu)
Harrison Ford  (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
Ben Kingsley  (Jules)
Cillian Murphy  (Oppenheimer)
Chris Pratt (Guards of the Galaxy – Vol. 3)
Keanu Reeves   (John Wick: Chapter 4)
Sam Worthington  (Avatar: The Way of Water)

Best Actress in a Film:
Viola Davis   (The Woman King)
Mia Goth  (Pearl)
Anya Taylor-Joy   (The Menu)
Amber Midthunder  (Prey)
Margot Robbie  (Barbie)
Zoe Saldana  (Avatar: The Way of Water)

Best Supporting Actor in a Film:
Nicolas Cage   (Renfield)
Robert Downey Jr.  (Oppenheimer)
Ryan Gosling   (Barbie)
Michael Keaton   (The Flash)
Stephen Lang  (Avatar: The Way of Water)
Mads Mikkelsen  (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

Best Supporting Actress in a Film:
Angela Bassett  (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Emily Blunt  (Oppenheimer)
Jane Curtain   (Jules)
Melissa McCarthy   (The Little Mermaid)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge  (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
Sophie Wilde   (Talk to Me)

Best Younger Actor in a Film:
Halle Bailey  (The Little Mermaid)
Vivien Lyra Blair   (The Boogeyman)
Jack Champion  (Avatar: The Way of Water)
Xolo Mariduena   (Blue Beetle)
Violet McGraw  (M3GAN)
Noan Schnapp  (The Tutor)

Best Film Direction:
James Cameron   (Avatar: The Way of Water)
Greta Gerwig   (Barbie)
James Gunn   (The Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol 3)
James Mangold  (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
Mark Mylod (The Menu)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Danny Philippou & Michael Philippour (Talk to Me)

Best Film Writing:
Avatar: The Way of Water  (James Cameron and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver)
Barbie  (Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig)
The Menu   (Seth Reiss & Will Tracy)
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Erik Jendresen & Christopher McQuarrie)
Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
Pearl (Ti West & Mia Goth)

Best Film Production Designer:
Avatar: The Way of Water   (Dylan Cole, Ben Proctor)
Barbie (Sarah Greenwood)
Guardians of the Galaxy  Vol. 3  (Beth Mickle)
John Wick: Chapter 4   (Kevin Kavanaugh)
Oppenheimer  (Ruth De Jong)
Renfield  (Alec Hammond)

Best Film Editing:
Avatar: The Way of Water   (Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refousa, James Cameron)
Fast X (Dyland Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Corbin Mehl, Laura Yanovich)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  (Andrew Buckland, Micahel McCusker, Dirk Westervelt)
John Wick: Chapter 4  (Nathan Orloff)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Eddie Hamilton)
Oppenheimer  (Jennifer Lame)

Best Music in a Film:
Avatar: The Way of Water   (Simon Franglen)
Barbie  (Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (John Williams)
The Little Mermaid  (Alan Menken)
Renfield (Marco Beltrami)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse  (Daniel Pemberton)

Best Film Costume:
Avatar: The Way of Water (Bob Buck, Deborah Scott)
Barbie   (Jacqueline Durran)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)
Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Judianna Makovsky)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Joanna Johnston)
Oppenheimer   (Ellen Mirojnick)

Best Film Make-Up:
The Covenant  (Donald Mowat)
Evil Dead Rise (Luke Polti)
Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Alexei Dmitriew, Lindsay Macgowen and Shane Mahan)
Oppenheimer (Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer)
Prey  (Alec Gillis & Tom Woodruff Jr.)
Renfield (Christien Tinsley)

Best Film Visual / Special Effects:
Avatar: The Way of Water  (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham,  Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett)
The Creator  (Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, Neil Corbould)
Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3  (Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  ( Andrew Whitehurst, Kathy Siegel, Robert Weaver, Alistair Williams)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco,  Jeff Sutherland, Neil Corbould)
Oppenheimer  (Andrew Jackson, Giacomo Mineo, Scott Fisher, Dave Drzewiecki )

Best International Film:
Madeleine Collins
Missing
The Origin of Evil
Ransomed
Speak No Evil
Sisu

Best Independent Film:
Aporia
Brooklyn 45
Fall
Jules
Pearl
The Tutor

Best Animated Film:
Elemental
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Suzume
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Television:

Best Science Fiction Television Series:
Andor
Foundation
The Mandalorian
The Peripheral
Silo
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Best Fantasy Television Series:
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches
Ghosts
Good Omens
House of the Dragon
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
Schmigadoon!
Wednesday

Best Horror Film Television Series:
American Horror Story
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
Chucky
Fear the Walking Dead
From
What We Do in the Shadows

Best Superhero Television Series:
Doom Patrol
The Flash
The Sandman
Secret Invasion
She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law
DC’s Stargirl
Superman & Lois

Best Action/Thriller Television Series:
La Brea
Manifest
Outlander
Quantum Leap
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
The Witcher
Yellowjackets

Best Television Presentation:
Black Mirror
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Hocus Pocus 2
Marvel’s Werewolf by Night
The Midnight Club
Mrs. Davis
The Munsters

Best Actor in a Television Series:
Tyler Hoechlin  (Superman & Lois)
Sam Heughan  (Outlander)
Diego Luna  (Andor)
Anson Mount   (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Pedro Pascal   (The Last of Us)
Harold Perrineau  (From)
Patrick Stewart Picard  (Star Trek: Picard)

Best Actress in a Television Series:
Caitriona Balfe  (Outlander)
Lauren Cohan  (The Walking Dead: Dead City)
Emma D’Arcy  (House of the Dragon)
Rebecca Ferguson (Silo)
Tatiana Maslany  (She-Hulk: Attorney-a-Law)
Rose McIver  (Ghosts)
Elizabeth Tulloch  (Superman & Lois)

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series:
Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Picard)
Harvey Guillen  (What We Do in the Shadows)
Ernie Hudson (Quantum Leap)
Ethan Peck  (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Ed Speleers   (Star Trek: Picard)
Matt Smith (House of the Dragon)
Todd Stashwick (Star Trek: Picard)

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series:
Jess Bush  (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Celia Rose Gooding (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Genevieve O’Reily  (Andor)
Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Picard)
Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian)
Sophie Skelton (Outlander)
Rebecca Wisocky (Ghost)

Best Younger Performer in a Television Series:
Milly Alcock (House of Dragon)
Freya Alan (The Witcher)
Zackary Arthur (Chucky)
Brec Bassinger (Stargirl)
Jenna Ortega (Wednesday)
Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)
Igby Rigney (The Midnight Club)

Best Guest Star in a Television Series:
Gael Garcia Bernal (Marvel’s Werewolf by Night)
Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
Nick Offerman (The Last of Us)
Amanda Plummer (Star Trek: Picard)
Andy Serkis (Andor)
Paul Wesley (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wednesday)

Home Entertainment:

Best Classic Film Home Media Release:
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Warner Archives)
Invaders from Mars 4K (Ignite)
It Came From Outer Space 4K (Universal)
It, The Terror from Beyond Space 4K (Kino Lorber)
The Manchurian Candidate 4K (Kino Lorber)
The Night of the Hunter 4K (Kino Lorber)
Secret of the Incas (Kino Lorber)

Best Television Homer Media Release:
Better Call Saul (The Complete Collection) (AMC)
Creepshow (Season 3)  (RLJ Entertainment)
Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowman (BBC)
Interview with the Vampire (Season 1) (AMC)
Loki (Season 1) – 4K Steelbook (Disney Home Video)
Night Gallery (Season Three) (Kino Lorber)
Quantum Leap (Season 1) (Universal)

Best Film Home Media Collection Release:
Arsene Lupin Collection (Kino Lorber)
Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection (Shout Factory)
Mr. Wong Collection (Kino Lorber)
Shawscope: Volume Two (Arow)
Superman 1978-1987 4K Collection (Warner)
Universal Classic Monsters – Icons of Horror Vol.2 4K (Universal)
Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary 25 Film Collection: Vol. 4 (Thrillers, Sci-fi, Horror (Warner)

Best 4K Home Media Release Release:

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 4K (Criterion)
The Exorcist 50th Anniversary Edition 4K (Warner)
Cujo 4K  (Kino Lorber)
John Wick, Chapter 4 – 4K (Lionsgate)
Needful Things 4K   (Kino Lorber)
To Live and Die in L.A. 4K (Kino Lorber)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition 4K (Paramount)

More about the Saturn Awards and The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films

The Saturn Awards organization is the official awards group of The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The Academy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Donald A. Reed. The Academy is now headed by an equally-devoted group of enthusiasts including identical twins Bradley Marcus and Kevin Marcus (professional feature film writers and WGAw members, who have written and produced the past 26 Saturns Awards), Mark Altman (film and television producer), and Robert Holguin who currently serves as President of the Academy.

With several hundred members in Los Angeles, the Academy holds official screenings of films for the purposes of award consideration, as well as shows films for promotional purposes, totaling close to 100 films a year.  The Academy has a large group of members who live outside of Southern California who join expressly to support the Academy and vote in the annual awards show.

The 51st Annual Saturn Awards will take place on Saturday, February 4th, 2024 beginning at 4 P.M. PST / 7 P.M. EST, and will be available to stream on ElectricNOW.