Awards season finally kicks off this coming Sunday with the 2021 Golden Globes! It’s obviously going to be a very different event from previous years, but I fully welcome the opportunity to celebrate some of my favorite films from the year that shall not be named.
One of the films that I’m hoping has a big night is Promising Young Woman, which was at the top of my list of favorites last year. From Carey Mulligan’s commanding performance to the vision of writer-director Emerald Fennell, I would love to see Promising Young Woman sweep its categories. It’s a tall ask considering the film’s fellow nominees, but that’s the energy I’m leaning into.
As there are every year, there were a few glaring omissions among this year’s nominations, including the lack of Best Picture nods for Judas and the Black Messiah and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Delroy Lindo was overlooked for his performance in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods as well as Steven Yeun for his performance in Minari. Additionally, I was a little shocked that Meryl Streep didn’t pick up a nod for The Prom or Steven Soderbergh’s Let Them All Talk.
Personally, I would have loved to have seen Nicole Beharie pick up a nod for her performance in Miss Juneteenth as well as Tracee Ellis Ross, who I really enjoyed in The High Note. I’m genuinely surprised that “Love Myself” from the film’s soundtrack didn’t garner a nomination.
We won’t find out who wins until Sunday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about the potential winners in the meantime! Below you will find my picks and predictions (best guesses, really) for this year’s nominated films and performances. Please note: Nominated films that I have not seen are denoted with an asterisk (*).
Best Picture – Drama
The Father
Mank
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7
KC pick: Promising Young Woman
Will win: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Picture – Musical/Comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
Music*
Palm Springs
The Prom
KC pick: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Will win: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday*
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
KC pick: Carey Mulligan
Will win: Carey Mulligan
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Gary Oldman, Mank
Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian
KC pick: Chadwick Boseman
Will win: Chadwick Boseman
Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical/Comedy
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Kate Hudson, Music*
Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot
Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma.
KC pick: Maria Bakalova
Will win: Maria Bakalova
Best Actor – Motion Picture Comedy/Musical
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
James Corden, The Prom
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield
Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
KC pick: Sacha Baron Cohen
Will win: Sacha Baron Cohen
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy*
Olivia Colman, The Father
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Helena Zengel, News of the World
KC pick: Amanda Seyfried
Will win: Olivia Colman
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Jared Leto, The Little Things
Bill Murray, On The Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami…
KC pick: Daniel Kaluuya
Will win: Daniel Kaluuya
Best Director – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
Regina King, One Night in Miami…
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
KC pick: Emerald Fennell
Will win: Chloé Zhao
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Jack Fincher, Mank
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller, The Father
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
KC pick: Emerald Fennell
Will win: Aaron Sorkin
Best Picture – Animated
The Croods: A New Age*
Onward
Over the Moon*
Soul
Wolfwalkers
KC pick: Wolfwalkers
Will win: Soul
Best Picture – Foreign Language
Another Round
La Llorona
The Life Ahead*
Minari
Two of Us*
KC pick: Minari
Will win: Another Round
Best Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat, The Midnight Sky*
Ludwig Göransson, Tenet
James Newton Howard, News of the World
Atticuss Ross & Trent Reznor, Mank
Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor, Soul
KC pick: Ludwig Göransson
Will win: Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor
Best Song – Motion Picture
“Fight For You,” Judas and the Black Messiah
“Hear My Voice,” The Trial of the Chicago 7
“lo Sì (Seen),” The Life Ahead*
“Speak Now,” One Night in Miami…
“Tigress & Tweed,” The United States vs. Billie Holiday*
KC pick: “Fight For You”
Will win: “Speak Now”
Probably at the Movies 