The 9th Annual Astra Film Awards saw an unexpected four-legged winner — a canine took home top acting honour for his performance in a horror film.
Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever who stars in the horror film Good Boy, won Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller, beating the likes of Ethan Hawke (The Black Phone 2), Alison Brie (Together), Alfie Williams (28 Years Later), Sally Hawkins (Bring Her Back), and Sophie Thatcher (Companion).
In a pre-recorded acceptance message, Indy appeared wearing a black bow tie while his owner and Good Boy director Ben Leonberg accepted the award on his behalf.
“Hi, I’m Ben Leonberg, the director of Good Boy here with my dog, the goodest boy himself,” Leonberg said. “On behalf of Indy, we are so thrilled to be recognised for his work in a movie he does not totally understand he was in.”
Leonberg said the nomination slate in the category “reflects the freedom that horror gives performers — and, in our case, trainers — to play, experiment, and push the boundaries.”
Leonberg also described horror as a genre “fueled by originality and reinvention, and by audiences who are the most eager to see something new” amid a shifting film industry.
“To be recognised alongside such amazing actors as Alison Brie, Ethan Hawke, Sophie Thatcher, Sally Hawkins, and Alfie Williams is incredible,” Leonberg said. “Indy is honored to accept this award — especially knowing that he’s standing in alongside performers who didn’t even need to be bribed in order to hit their marks.”
He also thanked the cast and crew behind Good Boy, calling them “the humans who made his performance possible”.
Leonberg added, “To Good Boy’s amazing cast and crew, your patience, generosity, and belief made every moment work onscreen. Indy, quite literally, could not have done this without you.”
He closed by saying, “Thank you again, we are so, so delighted.”
In Good Boy, Indy plays a protective dog attempting to save his chronically ill owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), from a supernatural presence threatening their home. The film also stars Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, and a Golden Retriever named Max.
Indy is the latest canine to win an acting award. Every year the Cannes Film Festival honours the best canine performance with the Palm Dong award. Panda from The Love That Remains won the prize in 2025.