March 7, 2021
by Carla Hay
With four prizes, including Best Picture, the Searchlight Pictures drama “Nomadland” was the top movie winner at the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards, which took place as a virtual ceremony on March 7, 2021. The main ceremony was held at Barker Hangar in Sana Monica, California, but the nominees were in various locations (because of social distancing) and televised through video links. Taye Diggs was the host of the show, which was televised in the U.S. on The CW Network. For TV shows, the Netflix drama series “The Crown” was the top winner, with four prizes, including Best Drama Series. The Critics Choice Association votes for the nominees and winners. The complete list of winners is at the end of this article.
There were no musical performances at the award show, as there have been in previous years. Instead, host Diggs interviewed some of the nominees, including Gillian Anderson and Riz Ahmed, by video. In addition, several of the nominees in the same category shared their thoughts on various topics. For example, the nominees for Best Comedy Special listed their favorite comedy movies.
Zendaya received the fifth annual SeeHer Award, which is a non-competitive prize. The recipient of the SeeHer Award is announced before the ceremony takes place. According to a press release from The CW: “The SeeHer Award recognizes a woman who embodies the values set forth by the SeeHer movement, to push boundaries, defy stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape. SeeHer is the leading global movement for accurate portrayals of women and girls in media. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer is a collective of leading marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and media content that portrays women and girls as they truly are. Previous award recipients are Kristen Bell, Viola Davis, Claire Foy, and Gal Gadot.”
Other big winners, with three awards each, were the Netflix dramatic movie “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and the Apple TV+ comedy series “Ted Lasso.” The Netflix dramatic film “Da 5 Bloods,” although it received six nominations, ultimately didn’t win any Critics Choice Awards. The Netflix dramatic movie “Mank” went into the award show with the most nominations (12), and ended up winning one prize: Best Production Design.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2021 Critics’ Choice Awards:
FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
“Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)*
“One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
BEST ACTOR
Ben Affleck – “The Way Back” (Warner Bros.)
Riz Ahmed – “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
Chadwick Boseman – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)*
Tom Hanks – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Anthony Hopkins – “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Delroy Lindo – “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
Gary Oldman – “Mank” (Netflix)
Steven Yeun – “Minari” (A24)
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
Andra Day – “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
Sidney Flanigan – “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features)
Vanessa Kirby – “Pieces of a Woman” (Netflix)
Frances McDormand – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
Carey Mulligan – “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)*
Zendaya – “Malcolm & Marie” (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman – “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
Sacha Baron Cohen – “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Daniel Kaluuya – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)*
Bill Murray – “On the Rocks” (A24/Apple TV+)
Leslie Odom, Jr. – “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Paul Raci – “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Maria Bakalova – “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)*
Ellen Burstyn – “Pieces of a Woman” (Netflix)
Glenn Close – “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix)
Olivia Colman – “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Amanda Seyfried – “Mank” (Netflix)
Yuh-Jung Youn – “Minari” (A24)
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Ryder Allen – “Palmer” (Apple TV+)
Ibrahima Gueye – “The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
Alan Kim – “Minari” (A24)*
Talia Ryder – “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features)
Caoilinn Springall – “The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
Helena Zengel – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
“Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)*
BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Isaac Chung – “Minari” (A24)
Emerald Fennell – “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
David Fincher – “Mank” (Netflix)
Spike Lee – “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
Regina King – “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Aaron Sorkin – “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Chloé Zhao – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)*
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Lee Isaac Chung – “Minari” (A24)
Emerald Fennell – “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)*
Jack Fincher – “Mank” (Netflix)
Eliza Hittman – “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features)
Darius Marder and Abraham Marder – “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
Aaron Sorkin – “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller – “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Kemp Powers – “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Jon Raymond & Kelly Reichardt – “First Cow” (A24)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
Chloé Zhao – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)*
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Christopher Blauvelt – “First Cow” (A24)
Erik Messerschmidt – “Mank” (Netflix)
Lachlan Milne – “Minari” (A24)
Joshua James Richards – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)*
Newton Thomas Sigel – “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
Hoyte Van Hoytema – “Tenet” (Warner Bros.)
Dariusz Wolski – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Cristina Casali, Charlotte Dirickx – “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (Searchlight Pictures)
David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas – “Tenet” (Warner Bros.)
Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale – “Mank” (Netflix)*
Kave Quinn, Stella Fox – “Emma” (Focus Features)
Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
BEST EDITING
Alan Baumgarten – “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)* (tie)
Kirk Baxter – “Mank” (Netflix)
Jennifer Lame – “Tenet” (Warner Bros.)
Yorgos Lamprinos – “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Mikkel E. G. Nielsen – “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)* (tie)
Chloé Zhao – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alexandra Byrne – “Emma” (Focus Features)
Bina Daigeler – “Mulan” (Disney)
Suzie Harman and Robert Worley – “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (Searchlight Pictures)
Ann Roth – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)*
Nancy Steiner – “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
Trish Summerville – “Mank” (Netflix)
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
“Emma” (Focus Features)
“Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix)
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)*
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Greyhound” (Apple TV+)
“The Invisible Man” (Universal Pictures)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
“Mulan” (Disney)
“Tenet” (Warner Bros. Pictures)*
“Wonder Woman 1984” (Warner Bros.)
BEST COMEDY
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
“The Forty-Year-Old Version” (Netflix)
“The King of Staten Island” (Universal Pictures)
“On the Rocks” (A24/Apple TV+)
“Palm Springs” (Hulu and NEON)*
“The Prom” (Netflix)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Another Round” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
“Collective” (Magnolia Pictures)
“La Llorona” (Shudder)
“The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)*
“Two of Us” (Magnolia Pictures)
BEST SONG
“Everybody Cries” – “The Outpost” (Screen Media Films)
“Fight for You” – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
“Husavik (My Home Town)” – “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (Netflix)
“Io sì” (Seen) – “The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
“Speak Now” – “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)*
“Tigress & Tweed” – “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
BEST SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – “The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
Ludwig Göransson – “Tenet” (Warner Bros.)
James Newton Howard – “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Emile Mosseri – “Minari” (A24)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – “Mank” (Netflix)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste – “Soul” (Disney)*
SERIES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST DRAMA SERIES
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)*
“The Good Fight” (CBS All Access)
“Lovecraft Country” (HBO)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney+)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Perry Mason” (HBO)
“This Is Us” (NBC)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman – “Ozark” (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown – “This Is Us” (NBC)
Jonathan Majors – “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)
Josh O’Connor – “The Crown” (Netflix)*
Bob Odenkirk – “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Matthew Rhys – “Perry Mason” (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski – “The Good Fight” (CBS All Access)
Olivia Colman – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Emma Corrin – “The Crown” (Netflix)*
Claire Danes – “Homeland” (Showtime)
Laura Linney – “Ozark” (Netflix)
Jurnee Smollett – “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks – “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Justin Hartley – “This Is Us” (NBC)
John Lithgow – “Perry Mason” (HBO)
Tobias Menzies – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Tom Pelphrey – “Ozark” (Netflix)
Michael K. Williams – “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)*
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gillian Anderson – “The Crown” (Netflix)*
Cynthia Erivo – “The Outsider” (HBO)
Julia Garner – “Ozark” (Netflix)
Janet McTeer – “Ozark” (Netflix)
Wunmi Mosaku – “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)
Rhea Seehorn – “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Better Things” (FX)
“The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max)
“Mom” (CBS)
“PEN15” (Hulu)
“Ramy” (Hulu)
“Schitt’s Creek” (Pop)
“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)*
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hank Azaria – “Brockmire” (IFC)
Matt Berry – “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Nicholas Hoult – “The Great” (Hulu)
Eugene Levy – “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop)
Jason Sudeikis – “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)*
Ramy Youssef – “Ramy” (Hulu)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Pamela Adlon – “Better Things” (FX)
Christina Applegate – “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
Kaley Cuoco – “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max)
Natasia Demetriou – “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Catherine O’Hara – “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop)*
Issa Rae – “Insecure” (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
William Fichtner – “Mom” (CBS)
Harvey Guillén – “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Daniel Levy – “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop)*
Alex Newell – “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (NBC)
Mark Proksch – “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Andrew Rannells – “Black Monday” (Showtime)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Lecy Goranson – “The Conners” (ABC)
Rita Moreno – “One Day at a Time” (Pop)
Annie Murphy – “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop)
Ashley Park – “Emily in Paris” (Netflix)
Jaime Pressly – “Mom” (CBS)
Hannah Waddingham – “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)*
BEST LIMITED SERIES
“I May Destroy You” (HBO)
“Mrs. America” (FX)
“Normal People” (Hulu)
“The Plot Against America” (HBO)
“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)*
“Small Axe” (Amazon Studios)
“The Undoing” (HBO)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
“Bad Education” (HBO)
“Between the World and Me” (HBO)
“The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel” (Lifetime)
“Hamilton” (Disney+)*
“Sylvie’s Love” (Amazon Studios)
“What the Constitution Means to Me” (Amazon Studios)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
John Boyega – “Small Axe” (Amazon Studios)*
Hugh Grant – “The Undoing” (HBO)
Paul Mescal – “Normal People” (Hulu)
Chris Rock – “Fargo” (FX)
Mark Ruffalo – “I Know This Much is True” (HBO)*
Morgan Spector – “The Plot Against America” (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Cate Blanchett – “Mrs. America” (FX)
Michaela Coel – “I May Destroy You” (HBO)
Daisy Edgar-Jones – “Normal People” (Hulu)
Shira Haas – “Unorthodox” (Netflix)
Anya Taylor-Joy – “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)*
Tessa Thompson – “Sylvie’s Love” (Amazon Studios)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Daveed Diggs – “The Good Lord Bird” (Showtime)
Joshua Caleb Johnson – “The Good Lord Bird” (Showtime)
Dylan McDermott – “Hollywood” (Netflix)
Donald Sutherland – “The Undoing” (HBO)*
Glynn Turman – “Fargo” (FX)
John Turturro – “The Plot Against America” (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Uzo Aduba – “Mrs. America” (FX)*
Betsy Brandt – “Soulmates” (AMC)
Marielle Heller – “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)
Margo Martindale – “Mrs. America” (FX)
Winona Ryder – “The Plot Against America” (HBO)
Tracey Ullman – “Mrs. America” (FX)
BEST TALK SHOW
“Desus & Mero” (Showtime)
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” (NBC/Syndicated)
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)*
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
“Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty” (Netflix)
“Hannah Gadsby: Douglas” (Netflix)
“Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill” (Netflix)*
“Marc Maron: End Times Fun” (Netflix)
“Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia” (Netflix)
“Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything” (Netflix)
BEST SHORT FORM SERIES
“The Andy Cohen Diaries” (Quibi)
“Better Call Saul: Ethics Training with Kim Wexler” (AMC/YouTube)*
“Mapleworth Murders” (Quibi)
“Nikki Fre$h” (Quibi)
“Reno 911!” (Quibi)
“Tooning Out the News” (CBS All Access)