Lead
At UCLA’s Royce Hall on Friday night, the 2026 ACE Eddie Awards honored excellence in film and television editing, with Warner Bros.’ Sinners and One Battle After Another and Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters taking top film prizes. Michael P. Shawver won Best Edited Feature Drama for Sinners; Andy Jurgensen claimed Best Edited Feature Comedy for One Battle After Another; and Nathan Schauf earned Best Edited Animated Feature for KPop Demon Hunters. The event also highlighted television winners, special career honors and a slate of documentary and short-form winners as the industry builds toward the Academy Awards on March 15.
Key Takeaways
- Best Edited Feature Drama: Sinners — Michael P. Shawver won the Eddie for theatrical drama editing.
- Best Edited Feature Comedy: One Battle After Another — Andy Jurgensen took the comedy honor; both Shawver and Jurgensen are Oscar nominees for Best Editing on March 15.
- Best Edited Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters — Nathan Schauf won; the Netflix film recently swept the Annie Awards and a VES win.
- Documentary winners: The Perfect Neighbor won film; Pee-wee as Himself (HBO) won documentary series.
- Television winners included The Pitt (Best Edited Drama Series) and The Penguin (Best Edited Limited Series); multi- and single-camera comedy categories went to Frasier and The Studio, respectively.
- Special honors: Ang Lee will receive the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award; career achievement awards went to Arthur Forney and Robert Leighton.
- Student prize: Luis Barragan of California State University, Fullerton received the Anne V. Coates Award for student editing.
Background
The American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards are an annual industry ceremony that spotlights editorial craft across feature film, television and short and documentary forms. Historically, the Eddies have been viewed as an editorial barometer for awards season: since 2000 the Eddie winner for theatrical drama has matched the Academy Award for Best Editing 14 of 26 times, though that correlation has weakened recently — only Oppenheimer matched the last five years. ACE’s awards are voted on by professional editors and are presented each year in Los Angeles; this year’s ceremony returned to UCLA’s Royce Hall.
The 2026 Eddies arrive as the film and TV landscape continues to shift toward streaming platforms and animation studios producing awards-caliber work. Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters’ run at the Annies and the VES underscores animation’s stronger foothold in general-industry awards. At the same time, traditional theatrical contenders — represented this year by Warner Bros. titles Sinners and One Battle After Another — remain prominent in the editing categories and among Oscar hopefuls.
Main Event
The evening opened with documentary awards and then proceeded through film and television categories, honoring editors whose work shaped the year’s standout projects. Michael P. Shawver’s Eddie for Sinners and Andy Jurgensen’s for One Battle After Another stood out as headline film winners; both editors are now contending for the Academy Award for Best Editing on March 15 against nominees including Stephen Mirrione (F1), Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Olivier Bugge Coutté (Sentimental Value).
Nathan Schauf won the animated feature prize for Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, which came off recent wins at the Annie Awards and a Visual Effects Society (VES) award. On television, Mark Strand took Best Edited Drama Series for HBO Max’s The Pitt, while Henk van Eeghen won Best Edited Limited Series for HBO’s The Penguin. Comedy categories reflected a range of formats: Eric Kissack won single-camera comedy for The Studio, and Russell Griffin captured multi-camera comedy for Frasier.
The ceremony also presented special recognitions: Ang Lee will receive the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, acknowledging his long career including Oscar wins for Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain. ACE honored Arthur Forney and Robert Leighton with Career Achievement Awards; both have extensive credits in television and film editing. YouTube received the ACE Visionary Award, accepted by Kim Larson of the platform’s creator and gaming team.
Analysis & Implications
The Eddie winners underscore two parallel trends: prestige theatrical films remain central to editing awards, while streaming platforms and animation continue to break into traditional recognition venues. KPop Demon Hunters’ victory in animation, coupled with its Annie and VES momentum, strengthens animation’s cross-category visibility and could influence voters who weigh technical and narrative editing in animated storytelling.
For Oscar prospects, ACE results are a mixed indicator. The historical 14-of-26 match rate since 2000 signals meaningful overlap, yet recent divergence means an Eddie win no longer guarantees an Academy Award. With Shawver and Jurgensen both Eddie winners and Oscar nominees, the March 15 outcome will test whether ACE preferences align with the Academy this year.
On the television side, the spread of winners across streaming and legacy networks reflects continued investment in editorial craft across formats. Shows recognized tonight — from prestige cable dramas to multi-camera network comedies and non-scripted series — point to editors’ central role in storytelling regardless of distribution model, and the awards may boost editor visibility during contract negotiations and future hiring.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| ACE Eddie (theatrical drama) → Oscar Best Editing match since 2000 | 14 of 26 |
| Recent five-year Eddie→Oscar direct matches | 1 (Oppenheimer) |
| Notable 2026 Oscar Best Editing nominees (includes Eddie winners) | Michael P. Shawver, Andy Jurgensen, Stephen Mirrione, Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, Olivier Bugge Coutté |
The table highlights the historic but imperfect correlation between ACE recognition and Academy outcomes. Editors and studios often cite Eddie wins in awards campaigns; nevertheless, academy voters weigh multiple criteria and craft communities beyond ACE. The statistics suggest that while an Eddie remains a credential of esteem, it is one of several signals influencing the Oscar race.
Reactions & Quotes
The industry framed the night as a celebration of the invisible art that shapes storytelling across formats.
Deadline (industry report)
Winners and presenters emphasized career-long contributions while noting the craft’s evolving tools and platforms.
American Cinema Editors / ceremony coverage
Online reaction highlighted KPop Demon Hunters’ animation wins and renewed attention on editors now headed into Oscar voting.
Social & industry responses (reported)
Unconfirmed
- Any direct correlation between KPop Demon Hunters’ Annie/VES wins and a potential Academy Award nomination for animated features remains speculative until Academy ballots are cast.
- Social-media claims about which film will win the March 15 Oscar are unverified and should be treated as speculation.
Bottom Line
The 2026 ACE Eddie Awards reinforced editors’ role in shaping both big theatrical storytelling and a diverse television landscape. Headline film winners Sinners, One Battle After Another and KPop Demon Hunters reflect sterling craft across drama, comedy and animation, and they enter the final awards stretch with fresh momentum.
Historically the Eddies have been a useful, though imperfect, predictor of Academy outcomes; this year’s results keep the Oscar race open. For editors and studios, the recognition matters practically and reputationally — it raises profiles, informs late-season campaign narratives and underscores the technical and narrative contributions editors provide across platforms.
Sources
- Deadline — Entertainment industry reporting
- American Cinema Editors (ACE) — Official organization
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) — Official awards body