The Film Independent Spirit Awards, a cornerstone celebration of independent filmmaking, will move from its longtime Santa Monica home to the Hollywood Palladium for its 2026 ceremony, organizers announced Friday.
The awards show, which has traditionally been held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, will take place on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the historic Hollywood venue. The relocation ends a decades-long association with Santa Monica as the city undergoes significant infrastructure renovations.
"Following the celebration of 40 years of the Spirit Awards earlier this year, we are excited to have the opportunity to reimagine the Spirit Awards experience during a moment of tremendous growth and transformation for our organization," said Brenda Robinson, Film Independent Acting President, in a statement released Friday.
Organizers cited ongoing renovations in Santa Monica as a factor in the venue change. The Hollywood Palladium, which opened in 1940 on the original Paramount lot, will serve as the new host site for the 41st annual ceremony.
"We're thrilled to bring the Spirit Awards to the historic Hollywood Palladium," said Shawn Davis, Executive Producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. "This move represents our continued evolution while staying true to our roots of celebrating fearless independent voices of film and television."
The Spirit Awards have been a fixture in Santa Monica for decades, traditionally held the day before the Academy Awards. The ceremony serves as the primary fundraiser for Film Independent's year-round initiatives supporting independent filmmakers.
Renovations mentioned by Film Independent refer to the city's Pier Bridge Replacement Project. The project aims to replace the 84-year-old bridge that serves as the sole vehicular route to the Santa Monica Pier, one of the city's most prominent tourist destinations.
According to city documents, the reinforced concrete structure was built in 1939 and carries millions of visitors annually from Palisades Park to the Santa Monica Pier and Beach. The primary purpose of the project is to provide "a seismically sound and functional bridge for the residents, pier businesses, and visitors ahead of the 2028 Olympics."
The Santa Monica City Council certified the Pier Bridge Replacement Project Environmental Impact Report in June 2023 and approved the preferred bridge design, which includes a wider 15-foot sidewalk on the south side. Construction is expected to begin in Fall 2025 and take between 18-24 months, with completion targeted before the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
The Spirit Awards' departure represents the second major film event to leave Santa Monica in recent months. The American Film Market (AFM), a premier entertainment industry event that had been held in Santa Monica since 1991, announced its relocation to Las Vegas for its 2024 program. The Independent Film and Television Alliance, which operates the festival, cited easier travel options and adjacent entertainment opportunities as factors in their decision.
Santa Monica officials have previously acknowledged the precarious nature of the city's event business, with several councilmembers calling for an analysis of ways to make the city more attractive to events.
While Santa Monica has attracted other events like the Frieze art festival and the return of Cirque du Soleil, it also lost the Los Angeles Marathon, which moved its finish line from downtown Santa Monica to Century City in 2021 and more recently failed to secure an agreement with the Olympics to host Beach Volleyball.
