Photo Credit: Getty Images
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet has emerged as the toast of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), clinching the prestigious People’s Choice Award. The honor, one of the most influential in the global film circuit, significantly boosts the film’s prospects in the upcoming awards season, particularly the Oscars.
The TIFF People’s Choice Award has long been considered a bellwether for Academy Awards success. Since the Academy expanded the best picture category in 2009, many winners of this Toronto prize have gone on to become major contenders at the Oscars. Past honorees include Green Book (2018) and Zhao’s own Nomadland (2020), both of which ultimately captured the Academy’s best picture prize. Even when the Toronto victor doesn’t secure the Oscar’s top honor, it almost always leaves with a statuette in another category. The only exception in recent history is Nadine Labaki’s Where Do We Go Now? (2011), which failed to secure a best picture nomination.
Last year’s TIFF audience favorite, Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck, has yet to hit theaters after distributor Neon delayed its release to June 2025. The timing may dampen its momentum for awards season, though it could still be in play for categories like adapted screenplay. Nevertheless, TIFF’s track record ensures Hamnet will be closely watched as the Oscar race heats up.
The People’s Choice Award, first introduced in 1978, has produced seven eventual best picture winners at the Oscars, with five of those victories coming in the past two decades. This year’s results underscore the continued importance of audience enthusiasm in shaping the awards trajectory of festival favorites.
In addition to Hamnet’s win, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was named first runner-up, while Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery placed third. The festival also recognized standout films across other categories: Barry Avrich’s The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue earned the audience prize for documentary, while Park Chan-wook’s South Korean drama No Other Choice won the International People’s Choice Award. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value secured the runner-up position in that category.
The 50th edition of TIFF was among the festival’s most star-studded in years, despite lacking the high-profile sales that once defined the event. Several buzzy titles, however, could still secure distribution deals, including Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee, and Daniel Roher’s Tuner, all of which drew critical acclaim.
With its TIFF triumph, Hamnet now joins an elite list of films whose audience appeal may translate into Oscar hardware. As history suggests, Zhao’s latest project could very well continue its winning streak on Hollywood’s biggest stage.
