At the 27th Annual Rotten Tomatoes Awards, Sinners and Andor Lead a Year Defined by Critical Consensus—and Fan Devotion

 

At the 27th Annual Rotten Tomatoes Awards, Sinners and Andor Lead a Year Defined by Critical Consensus—and Fan Devotion

In a year when the distance between critics and audiences continued to narrow, the 27th Annual Rotten Tomatoes Awards offered a clear verdict: the most talked-about films and series of 2025 were also the most loved.

Leading the night was Sinners, which claimed the Golden Tomato for Best Movie while also sweeping the Fan Favorite Movie category—a rare crossover achievement that underscored its cultural reach. On the television side, Andor: Season 2 emerged as the defining series of the year, earning Golden Tomatoes for Best Series, Best Returning Series, and Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series.

The annual awards, which celebrate the top-reviewed films and television series as measured by the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, reflected a year in which audiences and critics aligned more than ever—particularly as Rotten Tomatoes expanded its fan-voted categories to recognize beloved titles across genre lines.

A Broader Definition of “The Best”

Among this year’s Golden Tomato movie winners, One Battle After Another took Best Action & Adventure Movie, while Disney’s Zootopia 2 secured Best Animated Movie, continuing the studio’s long-standing dominance in the category. Comedy honors went to The Naked Gun, while The Perfect Neighbor was named Best Documentary Movie.

Drama emerged as one of the year’s most competitive fields. Sentimental Value earned both Best Drama Movie and Best International Movie, while Companion took Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie. Horror once again belonged to Sinners, which doubled its wins with Best Horror Movie, reinforcing its status as the year’s most versatile breakout.

Television’s Prestige Moment

Television categories reflected a similarly expansive year. Apple TV+’s Pluribus was named Best New Series, while Netflix’s Adolescence dominated the drama conversation, winning both Best Drama Series and Best Anthology or Limited Series.

Genre standouts rounded out the list: Reacher: Season 3 took Best Action & Adventure Series, Alien: Earth earned Best Horror Series, and Wolf Hall: Season 2 claimed Best Historical Series, reaffirming the enduring appetite for prestige period storytelling.

Fans Take Center Stage

This year marked a significant expansion of the Popcornmeter awards, with new categories spotlighting the films audiences returned to—and rallied behind—most passionately. Alongside Sinners’ fan-favorite victory, winners included Superman for Fan Favorite Action Movie, How to Train Your Dragon for Fan Favorite Family Movie, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle for Fan Favorite Animated Movie.

Concert films also found their moment, with ATEEZ World Tour: Towards the Light named Fan Favorite Concert Movie, reflecting the growing theatrical footprint of global music fandoms.

A New Sponsor—and a New Kind of Freshness

For the first time in the awards’ history, Rotten Tomatoes introduced a presenting sponsor: Avocados from Mexico, which debuted the Fresh Avocado Award, a new fan-voted honor recognizing the year’s freshest fan-favorite films. Voting is now open, with winners—including playful categories like Rotten Movies We Love and Best Popcorn Bucket—set to be announced January 27.

Looking Ahead

The celebration continues into the new year. The Golden Year Award, expanded in 2025 to honor the actors, filmmakers, and creatives who defined the cultural conversation, will be announced on February 3. Together, these honors paint a portrait of a year when critical acclaim, audience enthusiasm, and pop-cultural impact converged.

As Rotten Tomatoes enters its 27th year, the message from 2025 is unmistakable: the stories that resonate most are no longer divided by taste-makers and ticket-buyers—they are shared, celebrated, and sustained by both.