Official Results

January 2026 Winners

Official results for the January 2026 New Jersey Film Awards competition.

Official Winners

The complete official January 2026 winners list.

Film Awards

16 awards

Best Feature Film Sixteen Years

Best Drama Short There is Always Tomorrow

Best Comedy Short Murphy

Best Horror Short Come the Nightfall

Best Animation Short Sugar Rush!

Best Inspirational Short Patient

Best International Short The Iron Scream

Best Microshort Serial

Best New Jersey Short Beyond Words

Best College Short What Could Have Been

Best High School Short All It Needs

Best Mobile Short We Talk Like Adults

Best Music Video A Letter to Mom

Best AI Short Grow

Best Trailer Sixteen Years

Best Movie Poster In Case…

Acting Awards

6 awards

Best Actor David Morton (Beyond Words)

Best Actress Alessandra Greco (There is Always Tomorrow)

Best Supporting Actor Joshua Matchin (All It Needs)

Best Supporting Actress Maddie Giardina (Murphy)

Best Ensemble Come the Nightfall

Best Young Actor Tanner Grigoli (What Could Have Been)

Technical Awards

10 awards

Best Director Tom Michaels (Come the Nightfall)

Best First-Time Director Mida Kagolkina (The Iron Scream)

Best Female Filmmaker Mya Forlenza (Serial)

Best Young Filmmaker Ryan Matteo (What Could Have Been)

Best Cinematography Colin Freire (There is Always Tomorrow)

Best Editing Ned Thorne (Come the Nightfall)

Best Visual Effects Cristian Urzua Lagos (Come the Nightfall)

Best Special Effects Makeup Vanessa Marone (Beyond Words)

Best Sound Design Maui Holcomb (Come the Nightfall)

Best Original Score Josh De Rosa (Beyond Words)

Screenplay Awards

2 awards

Best Feature Screenplay “The Suicide Pact” by Jane Boyd