Academy Awards 2021
After the most disruptive twelve months of cinema in living memory, the award season express made its final stop (literally) of the year on the last Sunday in April as the 93rd Academy Awards rolled into Tinseltown. Bucking this year’s award show trend of hybrid ceremonies and virtual acceptances the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences delivered a semi-traditional but socially-distanced show in multiple locations, including Union Station in Los Angeles.
An understandably undersubscribed and fairly open field—which was almost exclusively steaming in nature and more representative than ever thanks to the Academy’s revised rules for eligibility—saw David Fincher’s making-of-Kane biopic ‘Mank’ lead the nominations followed evenly by the likes of Chloé Zhao’s soulful road movie meditation on modern America ‘Nomadland’, Florian Zeller’s heartbreaking British portrait of dementia ‘The Father’, and Lee Isaac Chung’s touching working-class American family drama and Korean immigrant tale ‘Minari’, with Zhao making history and ultimately taking home some of the night’s biggest prizes.
Although all award shows are entirely subjective and we can endlessly debate over who should win what or even be nominated, this is a chance for films and their filmmakers to be globally recognised for another great year of work, so let’s see who the nominees, big winners, and our own personal picks were this year.
Best Picture
Image Source: Searchlight
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‘Nomadland’ (Winner)
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‘The Father’
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‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
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‘Mank’
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‘Minari’
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‘Promising Young Woman’
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‘Sound of Metal’
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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
Our Pick from the Nominees: Nomadland
Our Pick Overall: Supernova
Directing
Image Source: Searchlight
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Chloe Zhao for ‘Nomadland’ (Winner)
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Lee Isaac Chung for ‘Minari’
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Emerald Fennell for ‘Promising Young Woman’
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David Fincher for ‘Mank’
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Thomas Vinterberg for ‘Another Round’
Our pick from the nominees: David Fincher for ‘Mank’
Our pick overall: David Fincher for ‘Mank’
Actor in a Leading Role
Image Source: Lionsgate
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Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Father’ (Winner)
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Riz Ahmed in ‘Sound of Metal’
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Chadwick Boseman in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
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Gary Oldman in ‘Mank’
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Steven Yeun in ‘Minari’
Our pick from the nominees: Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Father’
Our pick overall: Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Father’
Actress in a Leading Role
Image Source: Searchlight
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Frances McDormand in ‘Nomadland’ (Winner)
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Viola Davis in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
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Andra Day in ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’
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Vanessa Kirby in ‘Pieces of a Woman’
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Carey Mulligan in ‘Promising Young Woman’
Our pick from the nominees: Frances McDormand in ‘Nomadland’
Our pick overall: Frances McDormand in ‘Nomadland’
Actor in a Supporting Role
Image Source: Warner
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Daniel Kaluuya in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ (Winner)
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Sacha Baron Cohen in ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
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Leslie Odom Jr. in ‘One Night in Miami’
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Paul Raci in ‘Sound of Metal’
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Lakeith Stanfield in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Our pick from the nominees: Daniel Kaluuya for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Our pick overall: Kingsley Ben-Adir for ‘One Night in Miami’
Actress in a Supporting Role
Image Source: A24
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Yuh-jung Youn in ‘Minari’ (Winner)
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Maria Bakalova in ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’
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Glenn Close in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
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Olivia Colman in ‘The Father’
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Amanda Seyfried in ‘Mank’
Our pick from the nominees: Olivia Colman in ‘The Father’
Our pick overall: Olivia Colman in ‘The Father’
Writing- Original Screenplay
Image Source: Universal
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‘Promising Young Woman’ by Emerald Fennell (Winner)
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‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ by Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas and Kenny Lucas
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‘Minari’ by Lee Isaac Chung
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‘Sound of Metal’ by Abraham Marder, Darius Marderand Derek Cianfrance
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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ by Aaron Sorkin
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Promising Young Woman’ by Emerald Fennell
Our Pick Overall: ‘Mank’ by Jack Fincher
Writing- Adapted Screenplay
Image Source: Lionsgate
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‘The Father’ by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller (Winner)
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‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ by Sacha Baron Cohen et Al
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‘Nomadland’ by Chloé Zhao
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‘One Night in Miami…’ by Kemp Powers
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‘The White Tiger’ by Ramin Bahrani
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Nomadland’ by Chloé Zhao
Our Pick Overall: ‘Nomadland’ by Chloé Zhao
Music- Original Score
Image Source: Disney
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‘Soul’ by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste (Winner)
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‘Da 5 Bloods’ by Terence Blanchard
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‘Mank’ by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
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‘Minari’ by Emile Mosseri
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‘News of the World’ by James Newton Howard
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Soul’ by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste
Our Pick Overall: ‘Soul’ by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste
Music- Original Song
Image Source: Warner
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“Fight for You” from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ by D’Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (Winner)
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“Hear My Voice” from ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste
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“Husavik” from ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ by Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus and Savan Kotecha
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“Io sì (Seen)” from ‘The Life Ahead’ by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
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“Speak Now” from ‘One Night in Miami…’ by Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom Jr.
Our pick from the nominees: “Husavik” from ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ by Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus and Savan Kotecha
Our pick overall: “Husavik” from ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ by Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus and Savan Kotecha
Animated Feature Film
Image Source: Disney
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‘Soul’ (Winner)
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‘Onward’
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‘Over The Moon’
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‘A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’
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‘Wolfwalkers’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Soul’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Soul’
International Feature Film
Image Source: StudioCanal
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‘Another Round’ (Denmark) (Winner)
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”Better Days’ (Hong Kong)
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‘Collective’ (Romania)
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‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ (Tunisia)
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‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Another Round’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Another Round’
Cinematography
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‘Mank’ by Erik Messerschmidt (Winner)
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‘Nomadland’ by Joshua James Richards
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‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ by Sean Bobbitt
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‘News of the World’ by Dariusz Wolski
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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ by Phedon Papamichael
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Nomadland’ by Joshua James Richards
Our Pick Overall: ‘Nomadland‘ by Joshua James Richards
Film Editing
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‘Sound of Metal’ (Winner)
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‘The Father’
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‘Nomadland’
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‘Promising Young Woman’
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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Sound of Metal’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Mank’
Visual Effects
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‘Tenet’ (Winner)
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‘Love and Monsters’
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‘The Midnight Sky’
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‘Mulan’
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‘The One and Only Ivan’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Tenet’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Tenet’
Production Design
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‘Mank’ (Winner)
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‘The Father’
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‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
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‘News of the World’
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‘Tenet’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Mank’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Mank’
Costume Design
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‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (Winner)
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‘Emma’
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‘Mank’
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‘Mulan’
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‘Pinocchio’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Mank’
Our Pick Overall: ‘One Night in Miami…’
Documentary – Feature
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‘My Octopus Teacher’ (Winner)
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‘Collective’
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‘Crip Camp’
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‘The Mole Agent’
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‘Time’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Collective’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Collective’
Documentary – Short Subject
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‘Colette’ (Winner)
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‘A Concerto Is a Conversation’
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‘Do Not Split’
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‘Hunger Ward’
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‘A Love Song for Latasha’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Colette’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Colette’
Live Action Short Film
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Two Distant Strangers’ (Winner)
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‘Feeling Through’
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‘The Letter Room’
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‘The Present’
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‘White Eye’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘The Letter Room’
Our Pick Overall: ‘The Letter Room’
Animated Short Film
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‘If Anything Happens I Love You’ (Winner)
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‘Burrow’
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‘Genius Loci’
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‘Opera’
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‘Yes-People’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
Our Pick Overall: ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
Sound
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‘Sound of Metal’ (Winner)
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‘Greyhound’
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‘Mank’
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‘News of the World’
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‘Soul’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Sound of Metal’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Tenet’
Makeup and Hairstyling
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‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (Winner)
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‘Emma’
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‘Hillbilly Elegy’
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‘Mank’
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‘Pinocchio’
Our Pick from the Nominees: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Our Pick Overall: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
So there it is, ‘Nomadland’ just about leads an open field with three big wins and makes history along the way. Arguably the most compromised and bizarre twelve months in film history comes to a close at the gold-plated spiritual home of the industry, an industry which is forever changed by the preceding year and set to be fundamentally transformed in the months and years to come. Let us know what you think of the Oscar nominations and our picks this year by commenting here and on FilmPhonic at Facebook and Twitter.
Watch the Oscars 2021 highlights, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:
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