As Dr. Strange once told Iron Man–we’re in the endgame now. (Sorry–I couldn’t help myself.) The nominations for the 2021 Oscars have been finally announced, but before I share my reactions, let’s get to this year’s nominees!
Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Father David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers
Judas and the Black Messiah Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers
Mank Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
Minari Christina Oh, Producer
Nomadland Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers
Promising Young Woman Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers
Sound of Metal Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers
The Trial of the Chicago 7 Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand in Nomadland
Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins in The Father
Gary Oldman in Mank
Steven Yeun in Minari
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman in The Father
Amanda Seyfried in Mank
Yuh-Jung Youn in Minari
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen in “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Daniel Kaluuya in “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Leslie Odom, Jr. in “One Night in Miami…”
Paul Raci in “Sound of Metal”
Lakeith Stanfield in “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Achievement in Directing
Another Round Thomas Vinterberg
Mank David Fincher
Minari Lee Isaac Chung
Nomadland Chloé Zhao
Promising Young Woman Emerald Fennell
Original Screenplay
Judas and the Black Messiah Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
Minari Written by Lee Isaac Chung
Promising Young Woman Written by Emerald Fennell
Sound of Metal Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
The Trial of the Chicago 7 Written by Aaron Sorkin
Adapted Screenplay
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
The Father Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Nomadland Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
One Night in Miami… Screenplay by Kemp Powers
The White Tiger Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Onward Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
Over the Moon Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley
Soul Pete Docter and Dana Murray
Wolfwalkers Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants
Best Documentary Feature
Collective Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
Crip Camp Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
The Mole Agent Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
My Octopus Teacher Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
Time Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn
Best International Feature Film of the Year
Another Round Denmark
Better Days Hong Kong
Collective Romania
The Man Who Sold His Skin Tunisia
Quo Vadis, Aida? Bosnia and Herzegovina
Best Animated Short Film
Burrow Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
Genius Loci Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
If Anything Happens I Love You Will McCormack and Michael Govier
Opera Erick Oh
Yes-People Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson
Best Documentary Short Subject
Colette Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
A Concerto Is a Conversation Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
Do Not Split Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
Hunger Ward Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
A Love Song for Latasha Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan
Best Live Action Short Film
Feeling Through Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
The Letter Room Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
The Present Farah Nabulsi
Two Distant Strangers Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
White Eye Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman
Achievement in 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
Achievement in 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
Achievement in Production Design
The Father Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
Mank Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
News of the World Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
Tenet Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
Achievement in 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
Achievement in Visual Effects
Love and Monsters Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
The Midnight Sky Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
Mulan Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
The One and Only Ivan Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez
Tenet Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
Achievement in Costume Design
Emma Alexandra Byrne
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Ann Roth
Mank Trish Summerville
Mulan Bina Daigeler
Pinocchio Massimo Cantini Parrini
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Emma Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
Hillbilly Elegy Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
Mank Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
Pinocchio Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Da 5 Bloods Terence Blanchard
Mank Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Minari Emile Mosseri
News of the World James Newton Howard
Soul Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
“Fight For You” from 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” from The Trial of the Chicago 7
Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
“Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
“Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
“Speak Now” from One Night in Miami…
Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Here’s how things shook out overall for the Best Picture nominees: Mank is on top with 10 nominations, followed by The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, Nomadland, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 with six nomination each. Additionally, Promising Young Woman picked up five nominations.
This year’s nominations included some big firsts, including two women directors, Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell, nominated for Best Director. Minari’s Steven Yeun became the first Asian American actor to be nominated for Best Actor, and Yuh-Jung Youn became the first South Korean actor to be nominated Best Supporting Actress. Sound of Metal lead Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim actor to be nominated for Best Actor. And that’s not all–in Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom are the first two Black women to be nominated in the category.
All of these firsts are amazing, and I can only hope that it doesn’t take another 93 years to see even more diversity and inclusivity among the nominations.
Overall, I think this year’s nominations are pretty solid, although there were some disappointing oversights, including the lack of One Night in Miami… and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in Best Picture. In Best Director, Regina King deserved to be recognized for her work–I thought she did a stellar job with One Night in Miami…. Tenet should have received recognition in Best Sound, Best Score, and Best Cinematography. Ludwig Göransson’s score, especially, stuck with me after seeing the film last fall. It was a bit of a shock that he didn’t pick up a nomination.
But the biggest surprise of the morning–aside from Thomas Vinterberg picking up a Best Director nomination for Another Round–was LaKeith Stanfield being nominated alongside his co-star Daniel Kaluuya in Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah. I’m not surprised that Stanfield was recognized–I think his performance in the film is fantastic. Being that Warner Bros. had been pushing their FYC campaign for Stanfield in Best Actor, I was a little shocked that the Academy decided to place him in the same category as Kaluuya.
Or, as Stanfield shared on his Instgram:
The 93rd Annual Oscars will air live on Sunday, April 25, at 5 p.m. (PST) on ABC. So close, yet still a little over a month away!
Probably at the Movies 