The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards (aka Oscars) ceremony were announced Monday morning live from London by singer Nick Jonas and his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra. After the cries of discrimination over many years, people of color, and especially women, seem to be finally getting more attention for their work in film by the Academy. This year’s nominations list set several diversity records, but also includes snubs, as always. Nominations of women were up in many categories usually dominated by men; a total of 70 women received 76 nominations this year, which is a new record.
With the way 2020 shook down in part due to the pandemic, it is no wonder movies on streaming services and those about social justice issues continue to dominate the awards season. There are eleven first-timer nominees and nine African American noms (vs. last year’s dismal one) plus several other actors of color. Judas and the Black Messiah, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and several other films put the focus on people of color. And a black-and-white Netflix original centered on Herman J. Mankiewicz writing the screenplay for Citizen Kane, called Mank, holds the most Oscar noms this year with 10.
The coveted Best Director category has been graced by only five women in the past 92 years. That changed this year with the nomination of two women in one year for the first time ever. Chloé Zhao, the first woman of color to be nominated in the directing category for her work on Nomadland, goes against Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, as well as the work of three men: Thomas Vinterberg, Lee Isaac Chung, and the only veteran director in this year’s category, David Fincher.
Regina King, who directed One Night In Miami, could have been a worthy third female entrant and would have been the first Black woman nominated for the category, but the Academy did not make that choice.
Also snubbed this year is Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, a film about African American Vietnam Veterans released at the beginning of 2020 on Netflix. Despite decent reviews and a great American story, it was passed over for everything besides Best Score. Some may have seen this coming, as the film was completely skipped over by the Golden Globes, but it is still fairly surprising.
However, Black men dominate the supporting actor category this year: Leslie Odom Jr. for One Night in Miami, and both Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield for Judas and the Black Messiah. One Night in Miami’s “Speak Now” is also nominated for best song. In addition to those men, African American actors Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, as well as Viola Davis and posthumously Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, were also nominated this year.
On top of those powerhouses several other actors of color grabbed noms including Steven Yeun, the first Asian American to be nominated for best actor for his role in Minari, and Riz Ahmed, the first Pakistani person to be nominated in any acting category, for his role in Sound of Metal.
A lot of first-timers were nominated this year: Sound of Metal also brought a first-time nom for supporting actor Paul Raci, while Amanda Seyfried grabbed her first supporting actress nom for her role in Mank. Andra Day grabbed her first nom for best actress for The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
As happens every so often, an actor is nominated for both an Oscar and a Razzie in a single year for a single performance. This year that designation goes to Glenn Close for the role of Mamaw in Hillbilly Elegy, directed by Ron Howard. Close has been nominated for an Oscar eight times but has yet to win even once.
While the ceremony, colloquially known as the Oscars, usually takes place at the beginning of February, this year’s ceremony was delayed due to the pandemic and will air on ABC on Sunday, April 25. As the Golden Globes were done in Zoom-fashion, it is hard to imagine the Academy Awards done just as they normally are, but we will see exactly how that all plays out in a month’s time.
Who do you think will, or should, win in each category? Let us know in the comments below, and then tune in next month for the full list of winners!
FULL NOMINATIONS LIST
BEST PICTURE
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Youn Yuh-jung, “Minari”
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
Lakeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
“Another Round” – Denmark
“Better Days” – Hong Kong
“Collective” – Romania
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” – Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? – Bosnia and Herzegovina
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
“Colette”
“A Concerto Is a Conversation”
“Do Not Split”
“Hunger Ward”
“A Love Song For Latasha”
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“The Mole Agent”
“My Octopus Teacher”
“Time”
ORIGINAL SONG
“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
“lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Borat Subsequent MovieFilm”
“The Father”
“Nomadland”
“One Night in Miami”
“The White Tiger”
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Minari”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
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”
DIRECTOR
Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
David Fincher, “Mank”
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Father”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Tenet”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Erik Messerschmidt, “Mank”
Dariusz Wolski, “News of the World”
Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland”
Phedon Papamichael, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
COSTUME DESIGN
“Emma”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“Mulan”
“Pinocchio”
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
“Greyhound”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
“Sound of Metal”
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
“Burrow”
“Genius Loci”
“If Anything Happens I Love You”
“Opera”
“Yes-People”
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
“Feeling Through”
“The Letter Room”
“The Present”
“Two Distant Strangers”
“White Eye”
ORIGINAL SCORE
“Da 5 Bloods”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
VISUAL EFFECTS
“Love and Monsters”
“The Midnight Sky”
“Mulan”
“The One and Only Ivan”
“Tenet”
FILM EDITING
“The Father”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Emma”
“Hillbilly Elegy”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“Pinocchio”
