4th Golden Scythe Horror Awards Winners: Companion and Weapons Dominate While Bring Her Back Wins Best Picture

The winners of the 4th Annual Golden Scythe Horror Awards have been announced, and this year’s horror celebration delivered big wins, surprise shutouts, and well-deserved recognition across the genre.

As part of the official jury, Heaven of Horror is proud to help spotlight the very best in horror filmmaking from the past year. From bold original screenplays to jaw-dropping practical effects, the 2026 awards prove that horror continues to evolve, shock, and thrive.

Two films led the pack with five awards each: Companion and Weapons. Meanwhile, Bring Her Back claimed the top honor of Best Picture. However, the movie with the most nominations did not win a single award (which we’re personally happy about).

Below is a full breakdown of the biggest winners, major categories, and standout moments from the 4th Golden Scythe Horror Awards.

Companion Wins 5 Awards, Including Best Actress

Directed by Drew Hancock, Companion emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners with five awards out of 14 nominations.

Sophie Thatcher Wins Best Actress in a Leading Role

Sophie Thatcher won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Iris. Her portrayal anchored the sci-fi horror with emotional intensity and psychological depth, making her win one of the ceremony’s most talked-about victories.

Companion’s Full List of Wins

• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Sophie Thatcher
• Best Supporting Actor – Jack Quaid
• Best Original Score – Hrishikesh Hirway
• Best Editing – Brett W. Bachman & Josh Ethier
• Best Title Sequence

With wins spanning performance, music, editing, and design, Companion proved its strength both in front of and behind the camera.

Weapons Takes 5 Wins, Including Best Original Screenplay

Zach Cregger’s horror-thriller Weapons matched Companion with five total awards, showcasing its dominance in writing, visuals, and marketing.

Best Original Screenplay Goes to Zach Cregger

Cregger won Best Original Screenplay, solidifying Weapons as one of the year’s most sharply written horror films.

Weapons’ Major Wins

• Best Original Screenplay – Zach Cregger
• Best Cinematography – Larkin Seiple
• Best Poster
• Best Horror Movie Moment – “Gladys in Control”
• Best Marketing Campaign

With nine nominations and five wins, Weapons delivered both artistic and commercial impact, proving horror can be as strategic as it is shocking.

Bring Her Back Wins Best Picture

While Companion and Weapons led in total wins, the biggest award of the night went to Bring Her Back, directed by Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou.

Bring Her Back’s Awards

• Best Picture
• Best Supporting Actress – Sora Wong
• Best International Film (Australia)
• Best Use of Practical Effects
• Best Trailer

With 16 nominations and four wins, the Australian horror film made a powerful statement, particularly with its win for Best Use of Practical Effects, highlighting the continued importance of hands-on horror craftsmanship.

Major Acting Winners at the Golden Scythe Horror Awards

Performance categories were fiercely competitive this year.

• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Michael B. Jordan for Sinners
• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Sophie Thatcher for Companion
• Best Supporting Actor: Jack Quaid for Companion
• Best Supporting Actress: Sora Wong for Bring Her Back

These wins reflect a year where horror performances carried emotional weight alongside genre thrills.

Other Key Winners from the 4th Golden Scythe Horror Awards

The awards also recognized excellence across technical and genre categories.

Craft Category Winners

• Best Director: Ryan Coogler for Sinners
• Best Adapted Screenplay: The Long Walk (JT Mollner)
• Best Sound Design: The Long Walk
• Best Production Design: Black Phone 2
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling: The Ugly Stepsister
• Best Use of Visual Effects: Together

Genre-Specific Highlights

• Best Kill: Final Destination Bloodlines (Erik)
• Best Slasher: Clown in a Cornfield
• Best Remake or Sequel: Final Destination Bloodlines

Notably, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 received 16 nominations but did not secure a win, making it one of the night’s biggest snubs.

Full Awards Breakdown: Nominations and Wins

Several films demonstrated strong overall performance:

• Companion – 14 nominations, 5 wins
• Weapons – 9 nominations, 5 wins
• Bring Her Back – 16 nominations, 4 wins
• Black Phone 2 – 14 nominations, 2 wins
• Final Destination Bloodlines – 14 nominations, 2 wins
• The Long Walk – 9 nominations, 2 wins
• Sinners – 4 nominations, 2 wins

The diversity of winners highlights the strength of both original horror films and franchise installments in 2026.