Indy isn’t just a good boy — he’s an award-winning one.

Indy, the real-life dog of director Ben Leonberg, stars as the canine protagonist in Good Boy, last year’s horror standout told entirely from a dog’s-eye view. It’s a bold, strange, and surprisingly emotional experiment in perspective horror… and now it’s officially an award-winning performance.

At the 9th Annual Astra Film Awards, held Friday night in Los Angeles, Indy took home the trophy for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller, making film history in the process.

Yes, a dog just beat out a stacked lineup of human horror heavyweights, including Ethan Hawke, Alison Brie, Sophie Thatcher, and Sally Hawkins.

Here’s the full breakdown of the 2026 Astra Film Awards category:

Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller

• Indy the Dog – Good Boy (as himself) — WINNER
• Alison Brie – Together as Millie Wilson
• Ethan Hawke – The Black Phone 2 as The Grabber
• Sally Hawkins – Bring Her Back as Laura
• Sophie Thatcher – Companion as Iris
• Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later as Spike

According to Wikipedia, Indy’s nomination alone was historic, marking the first time a canine had been recognized in a major film acting category previously reserved for humans. His win pushed things even further, making Indy the first animal ever to win a major film acting award.

Though Indy didn’t attend the ceremony (no red carpet paw prints this time), director Ben Leonberg accepted the award via video — with Indy right by his side. In the clip, Leonberg jokes that Indy is “being recognized for his work in a movie that he doesn’t understand he was in.”

As Leonberg previously told Bloody Disgusting, Indy’s performance wasn’t achieved through traditional animal training. “It surprises a lot of people to learn that Indy only knows a handful of tricks and commands,” Leonberg explained. “His ‘performance’ isn’t created through conventional training. Instead, it was about being ready with the camera in the right place at the right time.”

Using a mix of everyday commands, strange noises, gestures, and food (lots of food), Leonberg captured moments that — through editing and cinematic sleight of hand — became a fully realized performance.

“The ‘scary’ scenes were always the most fun for Indy and the most creatively fulfilling for me,” Leonberg added. “What looks like frightened barking or paralyzing fear onscreen is really Indy staring down a treat or a tennis ball just off camera that he desperately wants — and immediately gets once we cut.”

That’s the magic of filmmaking — and the reason Good Boy works so disturbingly well. The audience fills in the terror, projecting fear and dread onto those unmistakable puppy-dog eyes.

Good Boy is currently available on VOD and streaming now on Shudder.