HOLLYWOOD—What a year 2020 has been for movies, hell what a year 2021 has kicked off when it comes to movies. With that said the Academy Awards or as we like to call it, Oscar nominations were announced early Monday, March 15 and there were some surprises. Just to let you know, in a normal year, the nominations would have been announced 2 months ago and the actual ceremony itself would have transpired, but not in 2021 where a pandemic has stifled Hollywood, movies, release dates and awards shows people.
Leading all contenders was the movie “Mank” with a total of 10 nominations including Best Picture. Followed close behind “Nomadland,” “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Sound of Metal” and “Minari” with 6 nominations each, while “Promising Young Woman” earned 5 nominations. I like that things look very competitive for 2021.
Surprises? Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from the pinnacle of award shows people. Helping announce the nominees were Nick Jonas and his wife, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas. I was stunned to see LaKeith Stanfield who has been ignored all season long to earn a nomination in the Supporting Actor race alongside his co-star Daniel Kaluuya. His entry could divide some voters, even though I think Daniel’s performance is a bit meatier and stronger.
Missing from the Best Picture race, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Da 5 Bloods” and “One Night in Miami…” However, there was a surprise in the Best Director race in Thomas Vittenburg for “Another Round” taking a spot that many suspected would go to Aaron Sorkin for the “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” A list of this year’s nominees can be seen below:
Best Picture
-“Nomadland”
-“The Trail of the Chicago 7”
-“Promising Young Woman”
-“Mank”
-“Minari”
-“The Father”
-“Judas and the Black Messiah”
-“Sound of Metal”
Best Director
-Chloe Zhao “Nomadland”
-Emerald Fennell “Promising Young Woman”
-David Fincher “Mank”
-Thomas Vinterberg “Another Round”
-Lee Issac Chang “Minari”
Best Actor
-Chadwick Boseman “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
-Riz Ahmed “Sound of Metal”
-Anthony Hopkins “The Father”
-Gary Oldman “Mank”
-Steven Yeun “Minari”
Best Actress
-Frances McDormand “Nomadland”
-Viola Davis “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
-Carey Mulligan “Promising Young Woman”
-Andra Day “The United States vs. Billie Holliday”
-Vanessa Kirby “Pieces of a Woman”
Best Supporting Actress
-Glenn Close “Hillbilly Elegy”
-Olivia Colman “The Father”
-Maria Bakalova “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
-Amanda Seyfried “Mank”
-Yuh-Jung Youn “Minari”
Best Supporting Actor
-Daniel Kaluuya “Judas and the Black Messiah”
-Leslie Odom Jr. “One Night in Miami…”
-Sacha Baron Cohen “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
-Paul Raci “Sound of Metal”
-LaKeith Stanfield “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Animated Feature Film
-“Soul”
-“Onward”
-“Over the Moon”
-“A Shaun The Sheep Movie Farmegeddon”
-“Wolfwalkers”
Best Original Screenplay
-Aaron Sorkin “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
-Emerald Fennell “Promising Young Woman”
-Lee Issac Chung “Minari”
-Derek Cianfrance, Abraham Marder and Darius Marder “Sound of Metal”
-Chaka King and Will Benson “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Adapted Screenplay
-Chloe Zhao “Nomadland”
-Ramin Bahrani “The White Tiger”
-Ruben Santiago-Hudson “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
-Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller “The Father”
-Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Best Editing
-“The Father”
-“Nomadland”
-“Promising Young Woman”
-“Sound of Metal”
-“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Cinematography
-“Judas and the Black Messiah”
-“Mank”
-“News of the World”
-“Nomadland”
-“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Production Design
-“The Father”
-“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
-“Mank”
-“News of the World”
-“Tenet”
Best Sound
-“Greyhound”
-“Mank”
-“News of the World”
-“Soul”
-“Sound of Metal”
Best Documentary (Feature)
-“Collective”
-“Crip Camp”
-“The Mole Agent”
-“My Octopus Teacher”
-“Time”
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
-“Colette”
-“A Concerto is a Conversation”
-“Do Not Split”
-“Hunger Ward”
-“A Love Song For Natasha”
Best International Film
-“Another Round”
-“Better Days”
-“Collective”
-“The Man Who Sodl His Skin
-“Quo Vadis, Aida?”
Best Original Score
-“Da 5 Bloods”
-“Mank”
-“Minari”
-“News of the World”
-“Soul”
Best Original Song
-“Fight For You”
-“Hear My Voice”
-“Husavik”
-“IO Si (Seen)”
-“Speak Now”
Best Short Film (Animated)
-“Burrow”
-“Genius Loci”
-“If Anything Happens I Love You”
-“Opera”
-“Yes-People”
Best Short Film (Live-Action)
-“Feeling Through”
-“The Letter Room”
-“The Present”
-“Two Distant Strangers”
-“White Eye”
Best Visual Effects
-“Tenet”
-“Love and Monsters”
-“The Midnight Sky”
-“Mulan”
-“The One and Only Ivan”
Best Costume Design
-“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
-“Emma”
-“Mank”
-“Mulan”
-“Pinocchio”
The ceremony will take place from TWO places in 2021: the famed Dolby Theatre and Union Station in Los Angeles. Nominees are expected to be in attendance in a limited capacity, following COVID-19 safety protocols. A host for the ceremony has not yet been announced. The Oscars will be handed out on Sunday, April 25 live on ABC at 8 p.m. EST.
Written By LaDale Anderson
