The longlist for the 2025 FIDO Awards, affectionately known as the Doggy ‘Oscars’, was revealed at a special ceremony held on 20th October at London’s NFT South Bank.
Hosted by Toby Rose, founder of the Palm Dog and FIDO Awards, the event featured appearances by Peggy, the canine star known for her role as Dogpool in Deadpool & Wolverine, alongside her owner Luke Middleton, and FIDOS judge Anna Smith, host of the Girls On Film podcast.
The FIDO Awards, which celebrate outstanding on-screen performances by dogs, will take place on Sunday, 23rd February 2025 at the British Film Institute (BFI) on Stephen Street, London. Established as the sister ceremony to the Palm Dog Awards held annually at the Cannes Film Festival, the FIDO Awards have become a staple in recognising the finest canine performances in film. As The Guardian remarked, “Forget the Oscars, the FIDOS are best in show.”
Celebrating Canine Performances in Film
Firmly positioned between the BAFTAs and the Oscars, the FIDO Awards are hosted each year by Toby Rose. Reflecting on this year’s longlist, Rose commented, “This year has been especially blessed with stand-out dog performances in films, as varied as Jean Claude in The Fall Guy, Pimpau the Jack Russell in I’m Still Here, and the Alsatian in Babygirl.”
He continued, “The 2025 FIDO Awards will be selected from the longest ever longlist of contenders. What we know already is that ‘dogrisma’ will triumph in the battle for a FIDO, with the ultimate winner claiming the grand prize: BFI Best in World.”
The FIDO Awards honour dog performances across five categories: Blockbuster Bowser, Comedy Canine, Rom Com Rover, Historical Hound, and Mutt Moment. From these winners, one outstanding performance will be selected for the prestigious BFI Best in World award. In addition, the FiDogManitarian Award recognises individuals or works that celebrate the unique bond between dogs and humans.
A jury of renowned film journalists will select the winners. The panel includes Anna Smith from the Girls On Film podcast, Wendy Mitchell, author of Citizen Canine, Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph, Rita Di Santo from FIPRESCI, Damon Wise of Deadline, and Kaleem Aftab, an author and film programmer.
