Last Thursday night, the Jupiter Awards once again lit up the German entertainment scene with a celebration that felt equal parts glamorous and genuinely heartfelt. And yes, before you ask, we at Drive In Magazine, were following everything closely, with a special sense of déjà vu (the good kind).

Let’s start with the headline everyone’s talking about: Maxton Hall – The World Between Us did it again. For the second year in a row, the Amazon Prime series took home the award for Best National Series, confirming what fans, and, modestly, we too, have known for a while now: this show isn’t just a hit, it’s a phenomenon.

Watching it win again brought us right back to last September, when we had the chance to attend the premiere in Berlin (here the full coverage). There was already a buzz in the air that night, the kind that tells you something special is about to happen. The cast, the energy, the early reactions, it all hinted at a success story in the making. Seeing it now firmly established as a back-to-back winner feels like watching a promise fully delivered.

But the evening wasn’t just about familiar victories, it also gave us one of the most exciting moments of the night thanks to Netflix’s Frankenstein, which won Best International TV & Streaming Film. Bold, visually striking, and unapologetically intense, the film stood out as one of the ceremony’s defining highlights. And at the heart of it all? A magnetic performance by Jacob Elordi that truly elevated the entire project, despite a season that inexplicably walked away empty-handed.

Elordi’s take is not just a reinterpretation, it’s a reinvention. There’s a rawness, a vulnerability, and at times an unsettling charisma that makes his performance linger long after the credits roll. It’s the kind of role that reminds you why actors fall in love with challenging material, and why audiences can’t look away.

Beyond these standout wins, the night offered a rich mix of crowd-pleasers and well-deserved recognitions. Among the other major winners:

• The School of Magical Animals 4 won Best National Film (Cinema)
• Sebastian Fitzek’s The Homecoming took Best National TV & Streaming Film
• Anna Maria Mühe (Totenfrau, Season 2) was awarded Best Actress (TV & Streaming, national)
• Phil Laude (Almania, Season 3) won Best Actor (TV & Streaming, national)
• Luna Wedler (22 Bahnen) took home Best Actress (Cinema, national)
• Michael “Bully” Herbig (The Canoe of Manitou) won Best Actor (Cinema, national)
• Zootopia 2 claimed Best International Film (Cinema)
• Stranger Things Season 5 won Best International Series
• Jennifer Lawrence (Die, My Love) and Jack Black (A Minecraft Movie) were awarded Best International Actress and Actor respectively
• And a well-deserved Honorary Jupiter went to Désirée Nosbusch

All in all, this year’s Jupiter Awards felt like a celebration of storytelling that dares to connect, surprise, and occasionally unsettle us, in the best possible ways. From the continued reign of Maxton Hall to the artistic punch of Frankenstein, it was a night that balanced crowd-pleasers with bold creative swings.

And if this is any indication of where European and international productions are heading, we’re more than happy to keep watching, from the front row, of course.