Legendary horror icon Devon Sawa brings the right kind of screams to this year's San Diego Comic-Con, with FANGORIA announcing him as the host of the 2026 Chainsaw Awards at their First in Fright panel. The actor kicked off a new wave of horror classics when he starred in the first Final Destination before adding to his scream king repertoire with Idle Hands, Chucky, and most recently Heart Eyes.
While Sawa's on-stage induction takes place in Room 23ABC at the San Diego Convention Center, horror fans everywhere can check him out at the actual awards show when it streams on October 25, exclusively on Shudder.
In FANGORIA's official press release, the actor shared some heartfelt words about the longevity of his career in the genre. “I've spent a huge part of my career in horror, and it's the fans who've made that journey so rewarding.” It's a journey that continues to this day, as today's panel also revealed a first look at his upcoming Shudder project, Hell Motel: Murder at Red Mountain.
FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards writer and director, Michael Varrati, had his own words of praise:
When you consider the likes of Final Destination, Idle Hands, the Chucky TV series, and beyond, it’s undeniable that Devon’s resume in genre is unimpeachable. He’s part of modern horror’s DNA. For an awards ceremony that also feels like one big Halloween party, you need someone who can be the ultimate Halloween party host. Devon’s history and love for all things fright more than prove that he’s the right person for this scary soiree.
The Full List Of 2026 Chainsaw Awards Nominees
BEST WIDE RELEASE MOVIE
● 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Backrooms
● The Bride!
● Faces of Death
● Forbidden Fruits
● Hokum
● Leviticus
● Obsession
● Send Help
● Weapons
BEST LIMITED RELEASE MOVIE
● Dust Bunny
● Mārama
● Queens of the Dead
● The Serpent's Skin
● Touch Me
BEST STREAMING PREMIERE
● I Am Frankelda
● Influencers
● Mother of Flies
● Reflection in a Dead Diamond
● V/H/S/Halloween
BEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIE
● Alpha
● Exit 8
● Mārama
● Reflection in a Dead Diamond
● The Wailing
BEST FIRST FEATURE
● Backrooms
● Buffet Infinity
● Dust Bunny
● Iron Lung
● Queens of the Dead
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
● Zazie Beetz, They Will Kill You
● Jessie Buckley, The Bride!
● Peter Dinklage, The Toxic Avenger
● Chiwetel Ejiofor, Backrooms
● Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Rachel McAdams, Send Help
● Inde Navarette, Obsession
● Toby Poser, Mother of Flies
● Adam Scott, Hokum
● Sophie Sloan, Dust Bunny
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
● Stacy Clausen, Leviticus
● Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
● Elle Fanning, Predator: Badlands
● Regina Hall, Scary Movie
● David Jonsson, The Long Walk
● Amy Madigan, Weapons
● Mads Mikkelsen, Dust Bunny
● Dacre Montgomery, Faces of Death
● Jack O'Connell, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Sigourney Weaver, Dust Bunny
BEST DIRECTOR
● Curry Barker, Obsession
● Zach Cregger, Weapons
● Nia DaCosta, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Bryan Fuller, Dust Bunny
● Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Bride!
BEST SCREENPLAY
● Curry Barker, Obsession
● Zach Cregger, Weapons
● Alex Garland, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber, Faces of Death
● Damian McCarthy, Hokum
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
● Sean Bobbitt, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Jeremy Cox, Backrooms
● Andrew Droz Palermo & Rina Yang, Mother Mary
● Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, Dust Bunny
● Colm Hogan, Hokum
BEST SCORE
● Gavin Brivik, Faces of Death
● Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
● Hildur Guðnadóttir, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Daniel Hart, Mother Mary
● Kane Parsons & Edo Van Breeman, Backrooms
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
● Olivier Bériot & Catherine Leterrier, Dust Bunny
● Kate Hawley, Frankenstein
● Carson McColl & Gareth Pugh, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Sandy Powell, The Bride!
● David Tabbert, Queens of the Dead
BEST MAKEUP FX
● Chris Gallaher, Nadia Stacey & Scott Stoddard, The Bride!
● Mike Hill, Frankenstein
● Millennium FX, The Toxic Avenger
● John Nolan, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
● Arjen Tuiten, Lee Cronin's The Mummy
BEST CREATURE FX
● Legacy Effects, Dust Bunny
● Studio Gillis and Wētā Workshop, Predator: Badlands
● Millennium FX, Primate
● Werner Pretorius and Amazing Ape Productions, Backrooms
● Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Five Nights at Freddy's 2
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
● 1000 Women in Horror
● Chain Reactions
● In Search of Darkness:1995-1999
● The Last Sacrifice
● Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
BEST NON-FICTION TV SERIES OR MINISERIES
● The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans
● Grave Conversations
● The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs
● Monstrum
● Svengoolie
BEST SERIES
● Alien: Earth
● The Creep Tapes
● Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
● The Vampire Lestat
● Widow’s Bay
BEST VIDEO GAME
● Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
● Little Nightmares III
● No, I’m Not A Human
● Resident Evil: Requiem
● Silent Hill f
FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards will stream October 25, exclusively on Shudder.
English (US) ·