HOLLYWOOD—Well, the awards season is slowly, but surely getting ready to come to an end America. The 2021 British Academy of Film and Television Arts handed out its awards during a two-day virtual ceremony on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11. The big winner at the virtual ceremony was the drama “Nomadland” which walked away with four trophies including Best Picture.
Chloe Zhao won the award for Best Director becoming the second woman to take the prize and the first woman of color to win the award at the BAFTA. “Nomadland” walked away with the award for Best Actress for its star Frances McDormand. It was the first big win for McDormand this awards season. This means we have an unpredictable outcomes when it comes to Best Actress; any of the women who have walked away with prizes this awards season could walk away with Oscar in 2 weeks. Andra Day, McDormand, Viola Davis and Carey Mulligan have all earned some accolades this awards season.
With that said my gut says this is a race between McDormand and Mulligan, but Davis winning the Screen Actors Guild Award last week does say a lot people. Sir Anthony Hopkins took the prize for Best Actor for “The Father” besting Chadwick Boseman who had been unstoppable up to this point for his final performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The film did pick up two prizes, but they were technical awards.
I would say at this point in the awards race we can argue that Daniel Kaluuya and Yuh-Jung Youn for Best Supporting Actor for “Judas and the Black Messiah” and Best Supporting Actress for “Minari.” I was on the fence about Youn at first, but after she won the SAG Award and now the BAFTA she seems like the front-runner people, so if there is an upset, I truly have no idea where it is coming from people.
For Best Original and Adapted Screenplay, Emerald Fennell took home the award for “Promising Young Woman,” while Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller took home the BAFTA for “The Father.” “Promising Young Woman” also won the award for Outstanding British Film, while Bukky Bakray won the Rising Star award. The animated film “Soul” picked up two awards for Best Score and Best Animated Film. “Sound of Metal” was victorious in the Best Editing race, while “Nomadland” picked up the prize for Best Cinematography.
So another awards show has come and gone, and the final one of the season, which has been much longer than usual, the Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, April 25. I will argue for the first time in a few years I’m eager for the ceremony because I have no idea who will win the awards in the Best Actress race. I’m also leaning to a bit of a potential surprise in the Best Supporting Actress race. I mean Oscar loves to deliver surprises people so I would expect nothing less even in a pandemic people.
Written By LaDale Anderson
