The Goya Awards 2025 nominations are in, and Marcel Barrena’s El 47 has emerged as the front-runner with 14 nods, as announced by the Spanish Film Academy. However, in a surprising twist, Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door (La habitación de al lado), a winner at the Venice Film Festival, failed to secure a nomination for Best Picture, despite earning a spot in the Best Director category.
El 47 will compete for Best Picture against La infiltrada (13 nominations), Segundo premio (11 nominations), La estrella azul (8 nominations), and Casa en flames (8 nominations). The first three films have benefited from the backing of RTVE. Yet, the 2025 Goya nominations reveal inconsistencies, with Barrena absent from the Best Director lineup despite El 47 topping the overall nominations.
The Best Director contenders include Arantxa Echevarría (La infiltrada), Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez (Segundo premio), Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño (Marco), Paula Ortiz (La virgen roja), and Almodóvar (The Room Next Door). Only Segundo premio and La infiltrada managed to secure nominations in both Best Picture and Best Director categories.
Acknowledgment of Spain as a multilingual country
Set in Barcelona, El 47 tells the true story of Manuel Vital, a migrant from Extremadura who fought for improved public transport in his neighbourhood of Torre Baró during Franco’s regime. Speaking about the prominence of Catalan-language films like El 47 and Casa en flames, Barrena said, “This country is multilingual, and acknowledging that enriches our identity. The box office success of these films shows language is no barrier to connection.”
Barrena expressed mixed feelings over Eduard Fernández’s omission from the Best Actor category for El 47, as the Academy’s rules allow only one nomination per actor, leading to Fernández being recognised for Marco instead.
Star-studded acting categories
The acting categories include a blend of established names and fresh talent. Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, stars of Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, will compete for Best Actress alongside Emma Vilarasau (Casa en flames), Carolina Yuste (La infiltrada), and Patricia López Arnaiz (Los destellos).
On the Best Actor side, nominees include Alberto San Juan (Casa en flames), Eduard Fernández (Marco), Alfredo Castro (Polvo serán), Urko Olazabal (Soy Nevenka), and Vito Sanz (Volveréis).
Granada hosts the ceremony
The 2025 Goya Awards will take place on February 8 at the Palacio de Congresos in Granada, marking the eighth time the event is held outside Madrid. Two women—actresses Maribel Verdú and Leonor Watling—will co-host the ceremony for the first time.
The honorary Goya will go to Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, former president of the Academy, in recognition of her career, which Fernando Méndez-Leite praised for its “truth, sincerity, and depth.”
Last year’s winner
Last year, La Sociedad de las Nieves, directed by J.A. Bayona, took home the prestigious Best Picture award. The film recounts the harrowing true story of the 1972 Andes flight disaster and the extraordinary survival of its passengers, blending emotional depth with masterful storytelling.
The Spanish Film Academy initiated The Goya Awards, often referred to as the Spanish Oscars, to honour the best in Spanish filmmaking. Named after the iconic Spanish painter Francisco de Goya, the awards celebrate creativity, talent, and storytelling in cinema. Over the years, the initiative has become Spain’s most significant film event, drawing national and international attention. The awards aim to highlight the depth and diversity of Spanish culture through the lens of its filmmakers and actors.