“Nomadland” producers Peter Spears, Frances McDormand, Chloé Zhao, Mollye Asher and Dan Janvey at the 93rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 25, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
With three prizes, including Best Picture, “Nomadland” was the top winner for the 93rd Annual Academy Awards, which took place place at Union Station and at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 25, 2021. There was no host for the ceremony, which was telecast in the U.S. on ABC. Searchlight Pictures’ “Nomadland” also won the awards for Best Director (for Chloé Zhao) and Best Actress (for Frances McDormand). In the movie, McDormand portrays a widow who lives out of her van and travels across different states in U.S. to find work.
With 10 nods, the Netflix drama “Mank” was the top nominee and ended up with two Academy Awards. Movies that won two Oscars each included:
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures): Best Supporting Actor (for Daniel Kaluuya), Best Original Song (“Fight for You”)
“Mank” (Netflix): Best Production Design, Best Cinematography
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix): Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design
“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios): Best Film Editing, Best Sound
“Soul” (Pixar Studios): Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score
The awards are voted for by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For the 2021 ceremony, eligible movies were those released in the U.S. in 2020 and (due to the coronavirus pandemic) the eligibility period was extended to movies released in January and February 2021. Because of the pandemic, movies that were planned for a theatrical release but were released directly to home video or on streaming services were also eligible. Beginning with the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, there will be a required 10 movies nominated for Best Picture. From 2009 to 2021, the rule was that there could be five to 10 movies per year nominated for Best Picture.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were less people invited to the Oscar ceremony in 2021. The presenters included Riz Ahmed, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Bong Joon Ho, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Steven Yeun, Renée Zellweger and Zendaya.
The 2021 Oscar ceremony also marked big changes to the show in other ways. Performances of the year’s Oscar-nominated songs usually take place during the ceremony. Instead, the performances of the five nominated songs were pre-recorded and televised during the 90-minute pre-show telecast “Oscars: Into the Spotlight,” which included live interviews from the Oscar red carpet. This pre-show telecast was hosted by actors Ariana DeBose and Lil Rel Howery.
Howery acted as an unofficial emcee during parts of the Oscar telecast, which included a segment where Howery played a trivia game where people in the audience had to guess if a song was an Oscar winner, an Oscar nominee or wasn’t nominated for an Oscar at all. The segment started out flat and awkward. Andra Day got her answer correct that Prince’s “Purple Rain” song wasn’t even nominated. (However, the “Purple Rain” soundtrack score did an Oscar.)Kaluuya incorrectly guessed that Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” didn’t win an Oscar. (It did.)
But the segment end up being saved by Glenn Close, who correctly guessed that E.U.’s “Da Butt” (from Spike Lee’s 1988 movie “School Daze”) wasn’t nominated for an Oscar, and she proceeded to show her knowledge of ’80s hip-hop by getting up and doing “Da Butt” dance. This moment got a lot of laughs and cheers and will be sure to be remembered as the most unexpected comedic moment at the 2021 Academy Awards. This moment with Close could have been pre-planned and rehearsed since she seemed a little too prepared with an answer, but it didn’t take away from it being one of the show’s highlights that didn’t involve an acceptance speech.
Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins were the producers of the Academy Awards show. They also made some changes to the show’s format. Instead of presenting the prizes for Best Picture last, the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress were presented last. The award for Best Picture was the third-to-last award presented. The prize for Best Director was handed out in the middle of the ceremony, instead of following the tradition of being the second-to-last award handed out during the ceremony.
Another big change was that winners were not limited to a 90-second acceptance speech. Some acceptance speeches lasted longer than three minutes. In addition, there was no live orchestra at the ceremony. Instead, musician Questlove was a DJ at the award show. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the nominees were shown via satellite in various parts of the world, such as London, Paris and Sydney.
The Oscar ceremony made history in some diversity issues, as Zhao (a Chinese-born filmmaker) became the first woman of color to win Best Director. She is also the second woman in Oscar history to win this Best Director prize. (Kathryn Bigelow, director of the 2009 war film “The Hurt Locker,” was the first woman to win the Best Director award in 2010.) Zhao’s victory had been widely predicted, since Zhao won all of the year’s major Best Director awards for “Nomadland” prior to winning the Oscar.
Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” made Oscar history by being the first black people to be nominated for and to win the prize for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. This breakthrough was acknowledged during their acceptance speech for the award, which they share with Sergio Lopez-Rivera. Neal said in her acceptance speech: “I want to say thank you to our ancestors who put the work in, who were denied, but never gave up. I also stand here—as Jamika and I break this glass ceiling—with so much excitement for the future.”
Meanwhile, South Korean actress Yuh-jung Youn of “Minari” became the first Asian-born woman to win in the Best Supporting Actress category. In 1958, Japanese American actress Miyoshi Umeki of the 1957 movie “Sayonara” became the first Asian woman overall to win in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Although the late Chadwick Boseman was widely predicted to win the Best Actor award for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which was his last film role, the prize went to Anthony Hopkins for “The Father.” (Hopkins did not attend the Oscar ceremony and was not available by video.) At 83 years old, Hopkins became the oldest person to win an Oscar in an actor/actress category, surpassing the record set by “Beginners” co-star Christopher Plummer, who won the Best Supporting Actor award in 2012, at the age of 82.
Boseman won several Best Actor prizes (including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award) for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” leading up to Oscar ceremony. However, there was a foreshadowing that Boseman might not win the Oscar when he was nominated for but didn’t win the prizes for Best Actor at the BAFTA Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were the two major award shows that took place closest to the Oscars. Boseman died of colon cancer in August 2020.
The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, with MPTF officials Bob Beitcher, Norma Carranza and Jennifer Jorge acceping the prize on stage. Tyler Perry received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a non-competitive prize. In his speech, he urged people to “stand up to hate” and to be more giving and compassionate with each other.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards:
*=winner
Best Picture
“The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)*
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)
David Fincher (“Mank”)
Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)*
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)*
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Steven Yeun (“Minari”)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)*
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)*
Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
LaKeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)
Olivia Colman (“The Father”)
Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)
Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”)*
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer and Nina Pedrad
“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller*
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers
“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani
Best Original Screenplay
“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas
“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung
“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell*
“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin
Best Cinematography
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt
“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt*
“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski
“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael
Best Film Editing
“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval
“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen*
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten
Best Sound
“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh*
Best Original Score
“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard
“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Minari,” Emile Mosseri
“News of the World,” James Newton Howard
“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste*
Best Original Song
“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas*
“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Best Animated Feature Film
“Onward” (Pixar)
“Over the Moon” (Netflix)
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)
“Soul” (Pixar)*
“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV+/GKIDS)
Best International Feature Film
“Another Round” (Denmark)*
“Better Days” (Hong Kong)
“Collective” (Romania)
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)
“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Best Documentary Feature
“Collective” (Magnolia Pictures and Participant)
“Crip Camp” (Netflix)
“The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures)
“My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix)*
“Time” (Amazon Studios)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze
“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson*
Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in “Mank” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
With 10 nods, the Netflix drama “Mank” is the top nominee for the 93rd Annual Academy Awards, which will take place at Union Station and at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 25, 2021. There will be no host for the ceremony, which will be telecast in the U.S. on ABC. The nominations were announced on March 15, 2021, by spouses Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
The nominations for “Mank” include Best Picture, Best Actor (for Gary Oldman), Best Director (for David Fincher) and Best Supporting Actress (for Amanda Seyfried). The movie is about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, nicknamed Mank, and his experiences while writing the Oscar-winning screenplay to the 1941 film “Citizen Kane, including his clashes with “Citizen Kane” director/co-writer Orson Welles.
The other contenders for Best Picture are Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Father,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Judas and the Black Messiah,” A24’s “Minari,” Searchlight Pictures’ “Nomadland,” Focus Features’ “Promising Young Woman,” Amazon Studios’ “Sound of Metal” and Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” All of these movies except for “Promising Young Woman” have six Oscar nominations each, which is the second-highest number of nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards ceremony. (Click here to read Culture Mix’s reviews of all these movies that are nominated for Best Picture.)
The awards are voted for by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For the 2021 ceremony, eligible movies were those released in the U.S. in 2020 and (due to the coronavirus pandemic) the eligibility period was extended to movies released in January and February 2021. Because of the pandemic, movies that were planned for a theatrical release but were released directly to home video or on streaming services were also eligible. Beginning with the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, there will be a required 10 movies nominated for Best Picture. From 2009 to 2021, the rule was that there could be five to 10 movies per year nominated for Best Picture.
Snubs and Surprises
“Da 5 Bloods” director Spike Lee (pictured at far left) with cast members Isiah Whitlock Jr., Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters and Norm Lewis on the set of “Da 5 Bloods.” (Photo by David Lee/Netflix)
The Netflix drama “Da 5 Bloods,” which has been getting nominations at other major award shows, only managed to garner one Oscar nod: Best Original Score (for Terence Blanchard). Some pundits had predicted that “Da 5 Bloods” would get Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (for Spike Lee) and Best Actor (for Delroy Lindo). Other highly acclaimed movies that were shut out of the Best Picture race include the Amazon Studios drama “One Night in Miami…” and the Netflix drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” although “One Night in Miami…” got three Oscar nods in other categories, while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” received five Oscar nominations.
Meanwhile, movies that have been getting awards and nominations elsewhere were completely snubbed by the Academy Awards. They include the Focus Features drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” the STX drama “The Mauritanian,” the Netflix comedy “The Forty-Year-Old Version” and the A24 drama “First Cow.”
Although “Mank” leads with the most Oscar nominations this year, the movie failed to get a nod for Best Original Screenplay. (The movie was written by David Fincher’s late father Jack Fincher.) This lack of a screenplay Oscar nomination doesn’t bode well for “Mank’s” chances to win Best Picture. It’s very rare for a movie not to win Best Picture without getting a screenplay nomination.
And shut out of the race for Best Director is Aaron Sorkin of “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” even though he has been getting Best Director nominations at almost every major award show where he’s eligible for this movie. However, as the screenwriter for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Sorkin did score an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay.
Some of the biggest surprise nominations came from international films. Thomas Vinterberg of the Samuel Goldwyn Films drama “Another Round” (a movie from Denmark) received a nomination for Best Director. Gravitas Ventures’ Chilean film “The Mole Agent” got a nomination for Best Documentary Feature, after being largely ignored for nominations at other movie award shows.
And “Judas and the Black Messiah” co-star LaKeith Stanfield got a surprise nod for Best Supporting Actor, a category that also includes “Judas and the Black Messiah” co-star Daniel Kaluuya. Stanfield was shut of of getting nominated for this movie at most other award shows, while Kaluuya has been winning Best Supporting Actor prizes for the movie, thereby making Kaluuya a frontrunner in the category this year.
Diversity and Inclusion
Steven Yeun, Alan S. Kim, Yuh-Jung Youn, Yeri Han and Noel Cho in “Minari” (Photo by Josh Ethan Johnson/A24)
For the first time in Academy Awards history, two women have been nominated in the same year for Best Director: Chloé Zhao of “Nomadland” and Emerald Fennell of “Promising Young Woman.” Zhao (who is the first women of color to get an Oscar nod for Best Director) is a quadruple Oscar nominee this year for “Nomadland,” since she’s also nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Fennell is a triple nominee, since her other Oscar nominations this year are for Best Picture and for Best Original Screenplay.
Racial diversity is in every actor/actress category at 2021 Academy Awards, since there is at least one person of color nominated in each category. Black people are represented the most with “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which made Oscar history for being the first movie from an all-black team of producers (Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler) to be nominated for Best Picture. The movie also earned nominations for the aforementioned co-stars Kaluuya and Stanfield; songwriter H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, whose song “Fight for You” is up for Best Original Song’; and “Judas and the Black Messiah” director Shaka King, who co-wrote the screenplay, is a double Oscar nominee this year, since he’s also up for Best Original Screenplay.
Leslie Odom Jr. is a double nominee for “One Night in Miami…,” since he received nods for Best Supporting Actor and for co-writing the song “Speak Now,” which is one of the contenders for Best Original Song. Kemp Powers received his first Oscar nomination (Best Adapted Screenplay), for “One Night in Miami…,” which is based on the play that he wrote of the same title. Powers is a co-director of the Oscar-nominated animated film “Soul,” but he was not nominated for this movie, since the nomination for Best Animated Feature goes to a film’s director(s) and producer(s). However, composer Jon Batiste of “Soul” is nominated for Best Original Score, along with lead composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” got expected nominations for the late Chadwick Boseman (Best Actor) and Viola Davis (Best Actress). With this nomination, Davis is the black actress with the most Oscar nods. She has four so far, including one win for Best Supporting Actress for the 2016 drama “Fences.” Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” made Oscar history by being the first black people nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Also nominated for Best Actress at the 2021 Academy Awards is Andra Day of Hulu’s “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Ironically, the only other time that two black actresses were nominated in the same year for Best Actress was in 1973, when Diana Ross was nominated for her role as Billie Holiday in 1972’s “Lady Sings the Blues” and Cicely Tyson was nominated for 1972’s “Sounder.” As of this writing, Halle Berry is the only black person who has won an Oscar for Best Actress. She did so for 2001’s “Monster’s Ball.”
Real-life singers Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday also represent the only LGBTQ characters in the actor/actress categories. In real life, Rainey was a lesbian and Holiday was bisexual. Their sexualities are each portrayed in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
Asians were represented in more Oscar categories than ever before, mostly because of “Minari,” a drama about a Korean American family that moves to rural Arkansas so that the family patriarch can become a farmer. “Minari” earned nods for producer Christina Oh (Best Picture); Lee Isaac Chung (Best Director and Best Original Screenplay); Steven Yeun (Best Actor); and Yuh-jung Youn (Best Supporting Actor). Yeun is the first Asian American to get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
As previously mentioned, Chinese filmmaker Zhao has four Oscar nominations for “Nomadland” this year. And the Hong Kong drama “Better Days” garnered a Best International Feature nomination for director Derek Tsang. And the Netflix drama “The White Tiger” earned a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for Indian filmmaker Ramin Bahrani.
Pakistani British actor Riz Ahmed of “Sound of Metal” received his first nomination for Best Actor. Ahmed plays a heavy-metal drummer who goes deaf in the film. Paul Raci, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Sound of Metal,” also portrays a deaf person in the film. The disability community is also represented in Anthony Hopkins’ role as a man with dementia in “The Father,” whose six nominations include Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. Meanwhile, “Crip Camp” co-director Jim LeBrecht, who is paraplegic, is nominated for Best Documentary Feature for this Netflix movie, which is about the civil rights movement for the disability community.
The Hispanic/Latino people nominated for Oscars this year were all people who work in behind-the-camera roles. Sergio Lopez-Rivera is one of three people nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” And as previously mentioned, the Chilean film “The Mole Agent” (directed by Maite Alberdi) is nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
Also in the Best International Feature category is director Kaouther Ben Hania, who is nominated for the Tunisian film “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” making it the first time that a movie from Tunisia has gotten an Oscar nomination in this category.
Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards:
Best Picture
“The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)
David Fincher (“Mank”)
Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Steven Yeun (“Minari”)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
LaKeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)
Olivia Colman (“The Father”)
Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)
Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”)
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer and Nina Pedrad
“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers
“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani
Best Original Screenplay
“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas
“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung
“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell
“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin
Best Cinematography
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt
“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt
“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski
“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael
Best Film Editing
“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval
“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten
Best Sound
“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
Best Original Score
“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard
“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Minari,” Emile Mosseri
“News of the World,” James Newton Howard
“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
Best Original Song
“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Best Animated Feature Film
“Onward” (Pixar)
“Over the Moon” (Netflix)
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)
“Soul” (Pixar)
“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV+/GKIDS)
Best International Feature Film
“Another Round” (Denmark)
“Better Days” (Hong Kong)
“Collective” (Romania)
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)
“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Best Documentary Feature
“Collective” (Magnolia Pictures and Participant)
“Crip Camp” (Netflix)
“The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures)
“My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix)
“Time” (Amazon Studios)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze
“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
Culture Representation: Taking place in the 1980s, in an unnamed part of rural Arkansas, the drama “Minari’ features a cast of Asians and white people portraying the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: A Korean American family moves from California to Alabama, so the patriarch can start a farm, but the family experiences culture shock and unexpected hardships.
Culture Audience: “Minari” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in well-acted dramas about family struggles and the American Dream.
Will Patton and Steven Yeun in “Minari” (Photo by Melissa Lukenbaugh/A24)
The standout drama “Minari” makes an emotional impact in moments of quiet desperation and anxiety during a family’s quest to achieve the American Dream. It’s not a movie packed with fast-paced action, nor does it fall into predictable clichés of how immigrant families in America are often portrayed on screen. It’s an intimate “slice of life” portrait of a pivotal time in a Korean American family’s history, with impressive performances from the movie’s cast.
Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari” won the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award in the U.S. dramatic category (the festival’s top prize) and the Audience Award in the same category. And it’s an arthouse film that’s also a crowd-pleaser. There isn’t a false note in the entire movie, although the deliberate pacing of “Minari” might not be to everyone’s taste, especially if a viewer is expecting more melodramatic antics in this story.
Set in the 1980s, “Minari” centers on the Yee family, who have recently moved from California to rural Arkansas. Jacob (played by Steven Yeun) and his wife Monica (played by Yeri Han) are in their 30s and have opposite feelings from each other about this relocation. Jacob is excited and optimistic about this new chapter in the family’s life, while Monica is skeptical and worried. When they drive up to their new home, which is a trailer, Monica expresses her disappointment to Jacob: “This isn’t what you promised.”
Jacob and Monica’s children are daughter Anne (played by Noel Cho) and son David (played by Alan S. Kim), who are aware that their mother isn’t thrilled about moving to rural Arkansas, where the family doesn’t know anyone. But the children have no choice but to go along and see what happens. Anne, who is about 11 or 12 years old, is an obedient and unfussy child. David is 7 years old, very precocious, and a little bit rebellious. David also has a heart murmur, so he’s often reminded by his parents that he can’t run or do any physical activity that could over-exert his heart.
It’s mentioned in the movie that Jacob and Monica are Korean immigrants who moved to the United States after they became a couple, while Anne and David were born in the U.S. It’s why Jacob and Monica usually speak to each other in Korean. Anne and David are also bilingual, but they prefer to speak English.
There are other signs that Anne and David are more open to assimilating with Americans than Jacob and Monica are. The children (especially David) want to make new friends in their new hometown, while Jacob and Monica prefer to keep to themselves and feel more comfortable around the few other Korean immigrants in the area. (“Minari” was actually filmed in Tulsa, Oklahoma.)
In California, Jacob was a very skilled farm worker whose specialty is being a chicken sexer: someone who identifies baby chickens by their sex, so that the males can be separated from the females. Female chickens are considered more valuable than male chickens because females can produce eggs. When the Yee family arrives in Arkansas, Jacob gets a chicken sexer job at a place called Wilkinson Hatcheries, which employs mostly Korean immigrants. Anne works there too, doing the same thing, but she’s new at learning this skill.
There’s been tension brewing between Jacob and Monica. When she first sees that they’ll be living in a trailer, instead of a house, she mutters to herself, “It just gets worse and worse.” And several times during the movie, Monica expresses regret about moving to Arkansas, and pines for what she says was the better life that the family had in California.
But Jacob has other ideas. The property they own in Arkansas comes with about one acre of land that’s ideal for farming. One of the first things that Jacob does is scoop up some of the grassy soil in his hands. He marvels, “This is the best dirt in America.”
Monica is dismayed that Jacob’s plans to have a backyard garden as a hobby quickly turns into plans to start a small farm. It’s a lot to handle for Jacob, who also needs to keep his day job at the hatchery company. Monica reluctantly goes along with Jacob’s decision for her and Jacob get a bank loan to start the farming business. Jacob’s plan is to sell his farm produce to places that carry Korean food. Jacob immediately begins teaching David some aspects of farm life, no doubt because Jacob thinks that David might want to inherit the farm someday.
Jacob determines that there’s enough water flow on the land to build a well and irrigation system. He then buys a tractor from a local, scruffy eccentric named Paul (played by Will Patton), who offers to work for Jacob on the farm. Paul is a Christian who’s a religious fanatic. One of the first things Paul does during the tractor sale is pray in tongues over the land. This behavior makes Jacob uncomfortable, so he declines Paul’s offer to work on the farm.
However, it soon becomes clear that Jacob has no one else to turn to in this sparsely populated area. Paul ends up working for Jacob, who learns to tolerate Paul’s religious quirks. For example, Jacob is a smoker, and the first time that he lights up a cigarette in front of Paul, the reaction from Paul is as if he’s near the fire of hell. In his free time, Paul has a habit of walking down the area’s dirt roads with a large, heavy wooden cross on his shoulder, to recreate the biblical story of Jesus doing the same thing.
Throughout the movie, it’s made every clear that the Yee family is very isolated. Monica suggests to Jacob that they move to a bigger city called Rogers in Arkansas, but he brushes off that suggestion and says they’ve invested too much in the property that they have now. Anne and David are homeschooled, but since Monica and Jacob have to spend their weekdays at the hatchery, they need someone to help take care of the kids during the day.
And that’s why Anne’s feisty mother Soonja (played by Yuh-jung Youn) comes to live with the family. She travels from Korea to Arkansas, but her immigration situation is never explained in the movie. Due to visa restrictions and how quickly that Soonja was able to get to Arkansas, it’s implied that her stay in Arkansas will be temporary. Jacob wants to make enough money through the farm so that eventually, he and Monica don’t have to work at the hatchery anymore and will be able to work from home while the kids are there.
However long Soonja plans to stay, “Minari” takes place over the course of about five or six months, with Soonja coming into the picture during the last couple of months that the story take place. In the movie, Anne mentions that she’s the only living relative for Soonja, who lost her husband in the Korean War. When Soonja arrives with food from Korea, such as chili powder and anchovies, Anne gets so emotional that she cries.
Soonja doesn’t get a very warm welcome from David though. It doesn’t help that David has to share his room with Soonja, even though she sleeps on the floor. David tells Soonja and his other family members why he doesn’t trust Soonja: David thinks she doesn’t act like a “real grandmother,” because she can’t read, she often curses, and she wears men’s underwear. Soonja tries to bond with David by cracking open a nut with her mouth and then telling him to eat it what she just spit out. Naturally, David refuses.
Soonja also tries to be friendly to David by giving him a pack of playing cards. Monica asks Soonja if that’s an appropriate gift for a 7-year-old. Soonja replies: “Start him young to beat these other bastards!”
David has a bed-wetting problem, and when Soonja finds out, she teases David by saying to him in Korean: “Penis is broken.” David replies, “It’s not called a penis! It’s called a ding-dong!” In an act of impish revenge, David plays a prank on Soonja that won’t be described in this review, but it’s enough to say that the prank can be considered amusing, nauseating or both.
Soonja and her minor clashes with David are the movie’s main comic relief, as the stress continues to build in the family because of problems with the farm. Starting the business has been a major financial drain on the family’s funds and there are some setbacks which make it questionable when or if the farm will be profitable. The more that it looks like the business will fail, the more that Monica wants to leave Arkansas.
Jacob refuses to quit, and he tells an increasingly frustrated Monica that it’s about more than the money. It’s about a sense of accomplishment and setting an example for their children: “They need to see me succeed at something,” Jacob says.
More than once, Jacob tells Monica that if the farm fails, she can do whatever she wants, including leaving him and taking the children with her. In other words, the stakes are pretty high for this family, which also has the added worries of some health problems that happen later in the story. Except for the bank loan and Paul’s assistance, Jacob doesn’t ask for much help. Part of it is because of his pride, but part of it could also be Korean culture, which teaches that families should try to keep their problems to themselves so that they won’t burden society.
Because the Yee family lives on a fairly isolated farm and the children are homeschooled, they don’t come in contact with a lot of the local people in their part of Arkansas. Therefore, “Minari” doesn’t have any scenarios where the Yees experience any blatant racial discrimination. Shortly after Soonja arrives, the Yee family attends a local church service, where the Yees are the only non-white parishioners. The white churchgoers are friendly and occasionally culturally ignorant, but they do not deliberately exclude the Yees.
The title of the movie comes from a noteworthy scene when Soonja and David are in the woods and she notices that a nearby creek would be ideal to grow minari. Soonja mentions that minari is the type of herb that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their ethnicity or socioeconomic status. The minari becomes a metaphor not just for following a dream but also for persistence when there’s an obstacle to that dream.
Chung’s writing and direction for “Minari” are uncluttered but rich with emotions that are relatable to people who have close-knit families. There are some arguments and hard decisions that have to be made in how this family will move forward, but these scenes of conflict never look gimmicky just for the sake of bringing more drama to the story. The movie’s production design, cinematography and production design are assets in bringing authenticity to this family tale.
Yeun, Kim and Han deliver the movie’s most memorable performances. There’s an underlying power dynamic between their three characters in the movie that are the catalysts for the biggest developments in the story. Soonja’s arrival puts added pressure on Jacob to be the family’s chief provider, because he doesn’t want to look like he’s incapable of taking care of his family.
David and Jacob also know that Soonja is a reminder of Korea, a country that Jacob and Monica left to seek a better life in America. At one point, David comments about Soonja in a disdainful tone of voice that she “smells like Korea.” Even at this young age, David is aware that his parents think that they’re better off in America than in Korea. However, Soonja’s vibrant presence, even in her unsophisticated glory, is a reminder of how people shouldn’t be dismissive of their family heritage and the value of wisdom that comes with age.
“Minari” takes its time to get to the most dramatic part of the story. But viewers who like to immerse themselves in the everyday lives of a very specific family will find a lot to admire about this film. The movie takes place in the 1980s, but there are lessons learned in the story that are timeless.
A24 released “Minari” in select U.S. cinemas on February 11, 2021, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on February 12, 2021. The movie’s VOD release date is February 26, 2021.
The following is a press release from the Critics’ Choice Association:
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the film nominees for the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed LIVE on The CW on Sunday, March 7, 2021 from 7:00-10:00pm ET/PT, with acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs returning to host for his third consecutive time. The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be an in-person/virtual hybrid, with Diggs and some of the evening’s presenters filming from a stage in Los Angeles, and nominees appearing remotely from various locations around the world.
This year’s film nominees are led by Netflix’s “Mank,” which earned an impressive 12 nominations include ng Best Picture, Best Actor for Gary Oldman, Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried, Best Director for David Fincher, Best Original Screenplay for Jack Fincher, Best Cinematography for Erik Messerschmidt, Best Production Design for Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale, Best Editing for Kirk Baxter, Best Costume Design for Trish Summerville, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, and Best Score for Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. “Minari” (A24) followed closely behind with 10 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Steven Yeun, Best Supporting Actress for Yuh-Jung Youn, Best Young Actor/Actress for Alan Kim, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director for Lee Isaac Chung, Best Original Screenplay for Lee Isaac Chung, Best Cinematography for Lachlan Milne, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Score for Emile Mosseri.
With her nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Father,” Olivia Colman becomes the only artist recognized for their work in both film and television this season, having previously been announced as a nominee for her leading role in “The Crown” (Netflix). Chadwick Boseman also received multiple nominations for his outstanding performances in both “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix) and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix), and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross have two chances to win in the Best Score category with their nominations for “Mank” (Netflix) and “Soul” (Disney).
In the studio/network tally, Netflix leads both film and television nominations with a total of 72 possible wins. HBO/HBO Max carries over their 24 series nominations, and Amazon Studios expands its total to 18 with today’s film additions.
“What a year it has been for film! We are honored to have the opportunity to recognize the tireless work of so many who overcame unprecedented obstacles to deliver these beautiful, challenging, nuanced pieces of art to our screens,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “The stories told by this year’s nominees will continue to resonate and we congratulate each and every one of them for their extraordinary accomplishments.”
As previously announced, two Netflix series lead the series nominations, with “Ozark” and “The Crown” each up for six awards including Best Drama Series. “Ozark” stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney will vie for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series respectively, while Tom Pelphrey, Julia Garner, and Janet McTeer are all nominated for their supporting roles. “The Crown” also saw many of its royal players recognized. Josh O’Connor is nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series, while Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin find themselves together in the Best Actress in a Drama Series category. Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson received recognition for their supporting roles.
Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig.
Follow the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoiceAwards.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About The CW
THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, launched in 2006. The CW is a multiplatform network that broadcasts a six-night 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday and streams its ad-supported content, free, without login or authentication on CWTV.com and The CW app which is available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers beloved limited-run series, as well as past seasons of recent fan-favorite television shows. For more information about the network and its programming,
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)
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)
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)
NOMINATIONS BY FILM FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
ANOTHER ROUND (Samuel Goldwyn Films) – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (Amazon Studios)– 2
Best Supporting Actress – Maria Bakalova
Best Comedy
COLLECTIVE (Magnolia Pictures) – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
DA 5 BLOODS (Netflix) – 6
Best Picture
Best Actor – Delroy Lindo
Best Supporting Actor – Chadwick Boseman
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Spike Lee
Best Cinematography – Newton Thomas Sigel
EMMA (Focus Features) – 3
Best Production Design – Kave Quinn, Stella Fox
Best Costume Design – Alexandra Byrne
Best Hair and Makeup
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA (Netflix) – 1
Best Song – “Husavik (My Home Town),” Music and Lyrics by Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson & Fat Max Gsus
FIRST COW (A24) – 2
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt
Best Cinematography – Christopher Blauvelt
GREYHOUND (Apple TV+) – 1
Best Visual Effects
HILLBILLY ELEGY (Netflix) – 2
Best Supporting Actress – Glenn Close
Best Hair and Makeup
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (Warner Bros.) – 3
Best Supporting Actor – Daniel Kaluuya
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Song – “Fight for You,” Produced by Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and H.E.R., Written by H.E.R., Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Tiara Thomas”
LA LLORONA (Shudder) – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (Netflix)– 8
Best Picture
Best Actor – Chadwick Boseman
Best Actress – Viola Davis
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Adapted Screenplay – Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Best Production Design – Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara & Diana Stoughton
Best Costume Design – Ann Roth
Best Hair and Makeup
MALCOLM & MARIE (Netflix) – 1
Best Actress – Zendaya
MANK (Netflix)– 12
Best Picture
Best Actor – Gary Oldman
Best Supporting Actress – Amanda Seyfried
Best Director – David Fincher
Best Original Screenplay – Jack Fincher
Best Cinematography – Erik Messerschmidt
Best Production Design – Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale
Best Editing – Kirk Baxter
Best Costume Design – Trish Summerville
Best Hair and Makeup
Best Visual Effects
Best Score – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
MINARI (A24)– 10
Best Picture
Best Actor – Steven Yeun
Best Supporting Actress – Yuh-Jung Youn
Best Young Actor/Actress – Alan Kim
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Lee Isaac Chung
Best Original Screenplay – Lee Isaac Chung
Best Cinematography – Lachlan Milne
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Score – Emile Mosseri
MULAN (Disney)– 2
Best Costume Design – Bina Daigeler
Best Visual Effects
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS (Focus Features)– 3
Best Actress – Sidney Flanigan
Best Original Screenplay – Eliza Hittman
Best Young Actor/Actress – Talia Ryder
NEWS OF THE WORLD (Universal Pictures)– 7
Best Picture
Best Actor – Tom Hanks
Best Young Actor/Actress – Helena Zengel
Best Adapted Screenplay – Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies
Best Production Design – David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan
Best Score – James Newton Howard
Best Cinematography – Dariusz Wolski
NOMADLAND (Searchlight Pictures)– 6
Best Picture
Best Actress – Frances McDormand
Best Director – Chloé Zhao
Best Adapted Screenplay – Chloé Zhao
Best Cinematography – Joshua James Richards
Best Editing – Chloé Zhao
ON THE ROCKS (A24 / Apple TV+)– 2
Best Supporting Actor – Bill Murray
Best Comedy
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (Amazon Studios)– 6
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Leslie Odom, Jr.
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Regina King
Best Adapted Screenplay – Kemp Powers
Best Song – “Speak Now,” Performed by Leslie Odom, Jr., Written by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth”
PALM SPRINGS (Hulu and NEON) – 1
Best Comedy
PALMER (Apple TV+)– 1
Best Young Actor/Actress – Ryder Allen
PIECES OF A WOMAN (Netflix)– 2
Best Actress – Vanessa Kirby
Best Supporting Actress – Ellen Burstyn
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (Focus Features)– 6
Best Picture
Best Actress – Carey Mulligan
Best Director – Emerald Fennell
Best Costume Design – Nancy Steiner
Best Hair and Makeup
Best Original Screenplay – Emerald Fennell
SOUL (Disney)– 1
Best Score – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste
SOUND OF METAL (Amazon Studios)– 5
Best Picture
Best Actor – Riz Ahmed
Best Supporting Actor – Paul Raci
Best Original Screenplay – Darius Marder and Abraham Marder
Best Editing – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
TENET (Warner Bros.)– 5
Best Cinematography – Hoyte Van Hoytema
Best Production Design – Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas
Best Editing – Jennifer Lame
Best Visual Effects
Best Score – Ludwig Göransson
THE FATHER (Sony Pictures Classics)– 4
Best Actor – Anthony Hopkins
Best Supporting Actress – Olivia Colman
Best Adapted Screenplay – Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Best Editing – Yorgos Lamprinos
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (Netflix)– 1
Best Comedy
THE INVISIBLE MAN (Universal Pictures)– 1
Best Visual Effects
THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND (Universal Pictures)– 1
Best Comedy
THE LIFE AHEAD (Netflix)– 3
Best Young Actor/Actress – Ibrahima Gueye
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Song – “Io sì (Seen),” Music by Diane Warren, Words by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi
THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Netflix)– 3
Best Young Actor/Actress – Caoilinn Springall
Best Visual Effects
Best Score – Alexandre Desplat
THE OUTPOST (Screen Media Films) – 1
Best Song – “Everybody Cries,” Performed by Rita Wilson, Music by Rod Lurie, Larry Groupé, Lyrics by Rod Lurie and Rita Wilson
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (Searchlight Pictures)– 2
Best Production Design – Cristina Casali, Charlotte Dirickx
Best Costume Design – Suzie Harman & Robert Worley
THE PROM (Netflix)– 1
Best Comedy
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (Netflix)– 6
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Sacha Baron Cohen
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Aaron Sorkin
Best Original Screenplay – Aaron Sorkin
Best Editing – Alan Baumgarten
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (Hulu) – 3
Best Actress – Andra Day
Best Hair and Makeup
Best Song – “Tigress & Tweed,” Performed by Andra Day, Written by Andra Day and Raphael Saadiq
THE WAY BACK (Warner Bros.)– 1
Best Actor – Ben Affleck
TWO OF US (Magnolia Pictures)– 1
Best Foreign Language Film
WONDER WOMAN 1984 (Warner Bros.)– 1
Best Visual Effects
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)
NOMINATIONS BY SERIES FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BAD EDUCATION (HBO) – 1
Best Movie Made for Television
BETTER CALL SAUL (AMC) – 4
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Bob Odenkirk
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Jonathan Banks
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Rhea Seehorn
BETTER CALL SAUL: ETHICS TRAINING WITH KIM WEXLER (AMC/Youtube) – 1
Best Short Form Series
BETTER THINGS (FX) – 2
Best Comedy Series
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Pamela Adlon
BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME (HBO) – 1
Best Movie Made for Television
BLACK MONDAY (Showtime) – 1
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Andrew Rannells
BROCKMIRE (IFC) – 1
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Hank Azaria
DEAD TO ME (Netflix) – 1
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Christina Applegate
DESUS & MERO (Showtime) – 1
Best Talk Show
EMILY IN PARIS (Netflix) – 1
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Ashley Park
FARGO (FX) – 2
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Chris Rock
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Glynn Turman
FORTUNE FEIMSTER: SWEET & SALTY (Netflix) – 1
Best Comedy Special
FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE (TBS) – 1
Best Talk Show
HAMILTON (Disney+) – 1
Best Movie Made for Television
HANNAH GADSBY: DOUGLAS (Netflix) – 1Best Comedy Special
HOLLYWOOD (Netflix) – 1
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Dylan McDermott
HOMELAND (Showtime) – 1
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Claire Danes
I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (HBO) – 1
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Mark Ruffalo
I MAY DESTROY YOU (HBO) – 2
Best Limited Series
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Michaela Coel
INSECURE (HBO) – 1
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Issa Rae
JERRY SEINFELD: 23 HOURS TO KILL (Netflix) – 1
Best Comedy Special
LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS (NBC) – 1
Best Talk Show
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY (HBO) – 5
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Jonathan Majors
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Jurnee Smollett
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Michael K. Williams
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Wunmi Mosaku
MAPLEWORTH MURDERS (Quibi) – 1
Best Short Form Series
MARC MARON: END TIMES FUN (Netflix) – 1
Best Comedy Special
MICHELLE BUTEAU: WELCOME TO BUTEAUPIA (Netflix) – 1
Best Comedy Special
MOM (CBS) – 3
Best Comedy Series
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – William Fichtner
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Jaime Pressly
MRS. AMERICA (FX) – 5
Best Limited Series
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Cate Blanchett
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Uzo Aduba
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Margo Martindale
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Tracey Ullman
NIKKI FRE$H (Quibi) – 1
Best Short Form Series
NORMAL PEOPLE (Hulu) – 3
Best Limited Series
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Paul Mescal
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Daisy Edgar-Jones
ONE DAY AT A TIME (Pop) – 1
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Rita Moreno
OZARK (Netflix) – 6
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Jason Bateman
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Laura Linney
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Tom Pelphrey
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Julia Garner
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Janet McTeer
PATTON OSWALT: I LOVE EVERYTHING (Netflix) – 1
Best Comedy Special
PEN15 (Hulu) – 1
Best Comedy Series
PERRY MASON (HBO) – 3
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Matthew Rhys
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – John Lithgow
RAMY (Hulu) – 2
Best Comedy Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Ramy Youssef
RED TABLE TALK (Facebook Watch) – 1
Best Talk Show
RENO 911! (Quibi) – 1
Best Short Form Series
SCHITT’S CREEK (Pop) – 5
Best Comedy Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Eugene Levy
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Catherine O’Hara
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Daniel Levy
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Annie Murphy
SMALL AXE (Amazon Studios) – 2
Best Limited Series
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – John Boyega
SOULMATES (AMC) – 1
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Betsy Brandt
SYLVIE’S LOVE (Amazon Studios) – 2
Best Movie Made for Television
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Tessa Thompson
TED LASSO (Apple TV+) – 3
Best Comedy Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Jason Sudeikis
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Hannah Waddingham
THE ANDY COHEN DIARIES (Quibi) – 1
Best Short Form Series
THE CLARK SISTERS: FIRST LADIES OF GOSPEL (Lifetime) – 1
Best Movie Made for Television
THE CONNERS (ABC) – 1
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Lecy Goranson
THE CROWN (Netflix) – 6
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Josh O’Connor
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Olivia Colman
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Emma Corrin
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Tobias Menzies
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Gillian Anderson
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT (HBO Max) – 2
Best Comedy Series
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Kaley Cuoco
THE GOOD FIGHT (CBS All Access) – 2
Best Drama Series
Best Actress in a Drama Series – Christine Baranski
THE GOOD LORD BIRD (Showtime) – 2
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Daveed Diggs
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Joshua Caleb Johnson
THE GREAT (Hulu) – 1
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Nicholas Hoult
THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW (NBC/Syndicated) – 1
Best Talk Show
THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT (CBS) – 1
Best Talk Show
THE MANDALORIAN (Disney+) – 1
Best Drama Series
THE OUTSIDER (HBO) – 1
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Cynthia Erivo
THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA (HBO) – 4
Best Limited Series
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Morgan Spector
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – John Turturro
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Winona Ryder
THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (Netflix) – 3
Best Limited Series
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Anya Taylor-Joy
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Marielle Heller
THE UNDOING (HBO) – 3
Best Limited Series
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Hugh Grant
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Donald Sutherland
THIS IS US (NBC) – 3
Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series – Sterling K. Brown
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Justin Hartley
TOONING OUT THE NEWS (CBS All Access) – 1
Best Short Form Series
UNORTHODOX (Netflix) – 2
Best Limited Series
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Shira Haas
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (Amazon Studios) – 1
Best Movie Made for Television
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX) – 5
Best Comedy Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Matt Berry
Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Natasia Demetriou
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Harvey Guillén
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Mark Proksch
ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (NBC) – 1
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Alex Newell
NOMINATIONS BY STUDIO/NETWORK FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
Netflix – 72
HBO/HBO Max – 24
Amazon Studios – 18
A24 – 14
FX – 14
Focus Features – 12
Hulu – 11
Warner Bros. – 10
Universal Pictures – 9
Searchlight Pictures – 8
Apple TV+ – 7
CBS/CBS All Access – 7
AMC/AMC YouTube – 6
NBC – 6
Pop – 6
Disney/Disney+ – 5
Showtime – 5
Quibi – 4
Sony Pictures Classics – 4
Magnolia Pictures – 2
ABC – 1
Facebook Watch – 1
IFC – 1
Lifetime – 1
NEON – 1
Samuel Goldwyn Films – 1
Screen Media Films – 1
Shudder – 1
TBS – 1
Pennie Downey, Marion Bailey, Josh O’Connor, Charles Dance, Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Erin Doherty, Michael Thomas and Pennie Downie in “The Crown” (Photo by Des Willie/Netflix)
With five nominations each, the Netflix drama series “The Crown” and Pop network’s Canadian comedy series “Schitt’s Creek” are the top contenders at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be televised on April 4, 2021. TNT and TBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony will not a large gathering but will instead be virtual.
“The Crown” is nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. “Schitt’s Creek,” which ended in 2020 after six seasons, is a contender for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Male and female cast members from both shows received individual nominations. The SAG Awards do not have supporting actor/actress categories for TV shows.
“The Crown” co-stars Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin are three of the five contenders for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. Meanwhile, Josh O’Connor of “The Crown” is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. For “Schitt’s Creek,” father and son co-stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy are each nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, while Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy are among the contenders for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
For movies, the top nominees scored three nominations each: the Netflix drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the Netflix drama “Da 5 Bloods,” the Netlix drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and the A24 drama “Minari.” All four films are nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
The other nominations for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” are Viola Davis (for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role) and Chadwick Boseman (for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role). The other nominations for “Da 5 Bloods” are for Boseman (Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role) and Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is also up for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, as well as Sacha Baron Cohen’s nod for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. “Minari” co-stars also scored individual nods: Steven Yuen (for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role) and Youn Yuh-Jung (for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role).
The late Boseman (who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020) is one of two actors who received three nominations each at the SAG Awards this year. Colman received the previously mentioned two nominations for “The Crown,” plus a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, for the Sony Pictures Classics drama “The Father.”
Eligible movies were those released in the U.S. in 2020 and in January and February 2021. The eligibility window, which usually ends at the end of a calendar year, was extended for movies because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible TV programs were those that premiered on U.S. networks and U.S. streaming services in 2020.
Snubs and Surprises
Shira Haas in “Unorthodox” (Photo by Anika Molnar/Netflix)
Although “Da 5 Bloods” scored a nod for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Delroy Lindo didn’t make the cut in the category for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. He’s still nominated as part of “Da 5 Bloods” cast. Focus Features’ “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and Vertical Entertainment’s “Miss Juneteenth” were completely shut out of the SAG Awards this year, even though they’ve been winning acting awards and nominations elsewhere.
In television, the biggest snubs were for the Netflix limited series “Unorthodox” and for the HBO drama series “Insecure,” which received several Emmy nominations each for the 2019-2020 TV season, but were completely shut of the SAG Awards this year. Also left out of the SAG Awards race was the Amazon Prime Video anthology series “Small Axe.” And all of the programs produced by Ryan Murphy for Netflix were completely snubbed: the limited series “Hollywood” and “Ratched” and the movies “The Boys in the Band” and “The Prom.”
One of the biggest surprises in the movie categories was that the Netflix drama “Hillbilly Elegy,” which got mostly negative reviews, but received two SAG Award nods: Amy Adams is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while Glenn Close is among the nominees for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. In the television categories, only two shows are represented in the category for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: “The Crown” and “Ozark.” Laura Linney and Julia Garner are the nominees from “Ozark.”
Diversity and Inclusion
Cast members of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Pictured in front, from left to right: Dusan Brown and Viola Davis. Pictured in back, from left to right: Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts and Glynn Turman (Photo by David Lee/Netflix)
The racial diversity for SAG Award nominees is a big improvement in 2021, compared to 2020. In 2020, people of color were only 14% of the 50 nominees in the SAG Award categories for individuals. In 2021, that percentage doubled to 28%. People of color are about 28% of the U.S. population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, and that number is expected to be much higher for the 2020 U.S. Census. Despite the overall increase in people of color who are SAG Award nominees in 2021, compared to 2020, there were some noticeable diversity problems. In the TV categories, no women of color were nominated in the categories for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. And absolutely no Latino/Hispanic people received nominations in any of the categories for individuals.
The black nominees in the movie categories for individuals are Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Da 5 Bloods”; Davis for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Leslie Odom Jr. for “One Night in Miami”; and Daniel Kaluuya for Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Judas and the Black Messiah.” The TV categories for individuals have Sterling K. Brown for NBC’s “This Is Us”; Regé-Jean Page for Netflix’s “Bridgerton”; Daveed Diggs for Disney+’s “Hamilton”; Michaela Coel for HBO’s “I May Destroy You”; and Kerry Washington for Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.”
In the SAG Award categories for groups this year, three of the five movies nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture have predominantly black casts: “Da 5 Bloods,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “One Night in Miami.” “Minari,” which is also nominated in this category, has a predominantly Asian cast of Korean heritage.
Asians are represented the most with “Minari,” while Pakistani British actor Riz Ahmed of Amazon Studios’ “Sound of Metal” got a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. Ahmed’s role in “Sound of Metal” represents the disabled community, since he portrays a heavy metal drummer who goes deaf. Another person of color who received a SAG nomination this year is Egyptian American actor Ramy Youssef of “Ramy,” who’s nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
Actors who are nominated for their portrayals of disabled people include the aforementioned Ahmed as a deaf musician in “Sound of Metal” and Anthony Hopkins as a man with dementia in Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Father,” who are each nominated in the same category. In television, Emmy-winning “I Know This Must Be True” star Mark Ruffalo portrays identical twins, one of whom has schizophrenia. For his role in this HBO limited drama series, Ruffalo is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.
The LGBTQ community has very little representation among the SAG Award nominees this year. The only LGBTQ acting performances to get recognition are from straight actresses portraying queer women: Davis as real-life lesbian blues singer Ma Rainey in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Washington as fictional queer artist Mia Warren in “Little Fires Everywhere.”
Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2021 SAG Awards:
MOVIES
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix) “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) “Minari” (A24) “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios) “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) Gary Oldman (“Mank”) Steven Yeun (“Minari”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Amy Adams (“Hillbilly Elegy”) Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”) Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Chadwick Boseman (“Da 5 Bloods”) Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) Jared Leto (“The Little Things”) Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”) Olivia Colman (“The Father”) Youn Yuh-Jung (“Minari”) Helena Zengel (“News of the World”)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture “Da 5 Bloods” “Mulan” “News of the World” “The Trial of the Chicago 7” “Wonder Woman 1984”
TELEVISION
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series “Better Call Saul” (AMC) “Bridgerton” (Netflix) “The Crown” (Netflix) “Lovecraft Country” (HBO) “Ozark” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series “Dead to Me” (Netflix) “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max) “The Great” (Hulu) “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Jason Bateman (“Ozark”) Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”) Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) Regé-Jean Page (“Bridgerton”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Gillian Anderson (“The Crown”) Olivia Colman (“The Crown”) Emma Corrin (“The Crown”) Julia Garner (“Ozark”) Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”) Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”) Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”) Linda Cardellini (“Dead to Me”) Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”) Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”) Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Bill Camp (“The Queen’s Gambit”) Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) Hugh Grant (“The Undoing”) Ethan Hawke (“The Good Lord Bird”) Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much Is True”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”) Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) Nicole Kidman (“The Undoing”) Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”) Kerry Washington (“Little Fires Everywhere”)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series “The Boys” “Cobra Kai” “Lovecraft Country” “The Mandalorian” “Westworld”
The winners of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival were announced in its annual award ceremony, held this year on February 1 in Park City, Utah. The annual festival, which is presented by the Sundance Institute in Park City, runs from January 23 to February 2 this year.
In addition, the Sundance Film Festival announced at the award ceremony that Tabitha Jackson is replacing John Cooper as Sundance Film Festival Director. Jackson was Director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program since 2014. Cooper, who was in the position since 2008, is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. He will continue to be a part of the Sundance Institute as director of special projects.
Here is the complete list of winners:
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Steven Yeun (pictured at right) in “Minari” (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute)
Grand Jury Prize: “Minari”
Audience Award: “Minari”
Directing: Radha Blank, “The 40-Year-Old Version”
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: Edson Oda, “Nine Days”
Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: “Charm City Kings”
Special Jury Auteur Award: Josephine Decker, “Shirley”
Special Jury Award for Neorealism: Eliza Hittman, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Steven Garza in “Boys State” (Photo by Thorsten Thielow).
Grand Jury Prize: “Boys State”
Audience Award: “Crip Camp”
Directing: Garrett Bradley, “Time”
Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker: Arthur Jones, “Feels Good Man”
Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres, “The Fight”
Special Jury Award for Editing: Tyler H. Walk, “Welcome to Chechnya”
Special Jury Award for Innovation in Nonfiction Storytelling: Kirsten Johnson, “Dick Johnson Is Dead”
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Sadaf Asgari in “Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness” (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute.)
Grand Jury Prize: “Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness”
Audience Award: “Identifying Features”
Directing Award: Maïmouna Doucouré, “Cuties”
Special Jury Award for Acting: Ben Whishaw, “Surge”
Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection”
Special Jury Award for Best Screenplay: Fernanda Valadez & Astrid Rondero. “Identifying Features”
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
“Epicentro” (Photo by Hubert Sauper)
Grand Jury Prize: “Epicentro”
Audience Award: “The Reason I Jump”
Directing Award: Iryna Tsilyk, “The Earth is Blue as an Orange”
Special Jury Award for Editing: Mila Aung Thwin, Sam Soko, Ryan Mullins, “Softie”
Special Jury Award for Cinematography: Micrea Topoleanu, Radu Ciorniciuc, “Acasa, My Home”
Special Jury Award for Creative Storytelling: Benjamin Ree, “The Painter and the Thief”
OTHER AWARDS
Christian Vásquez and Armando Espitia in “I Carry You With Me” (Photo by Alejandro López)
NEXT Audience Award: “I Carry You With Me”
NEXT Innovator Award: “I Carry You With Me”
Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize: “Tesla”
Sundance Institute NHK Award: Kirsten Tan, “Higher”
Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Narrative Features: Huriyyah Muhammad, “Farewell Amor”
Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Documentary Features: Diane Becker & Melanie Miller of Fishbowl Films, “Whirlybird”
Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Documentary: Carla Gutierrez
Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Narrative: Affonso Gonçalves
