I don’t think it surprised anyone that late actor Chadwick Boseman would be nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as an ambitious jazz trumpeter in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (https://www.netflix.com/title/81100780) despite never being nominated before, for his astonishing performances as James Brown in 2014’s “Get on Up”, Jackie Robinson in 2013’s “42” and his most iconic role as the African superhero T’Challa in 2018’s “Black Panther.” Mr. Boseman, crossed-over in August, at the age of 43 from a long battle with colon cancer.
Although the nomination was expected one must admit that it’s a touching category: the posthumous acting nominee. It’s not uncommon. To date, there has been 79 in total before Mr. Boseman’s nomination and only seven actors had ever earned Academy Award nominations after their death. Win or lose, he’s already earned his place in Academy Awards history.
Now to the crazy year, thank you—not COVID-19—which forced most movie theaters to shut down and extended the Oscars voting window by two months.
The 93rd annual Academy Awards nominations held very few surprises with “Mank,” (Netflix ) leading with 10 nominations. The Oscar votes spread their vote, as six films received six nominations: “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Nine actors of color earned Academy Award nominations setting an Oscar record for diversity in key categories. This is important to note since there’s been a very directed effort by the Academy to diversify its membership after the wake-up call of all-White acting nominees for the 2015 and 2016 ceremonies.
“Minari” star Steven Yeun became the first Asian American ever nominated for best actor; in the same category, “Sound of Metal” star Riz Ahmed became the first person of Pakistani descent ever nominated for any acting Oscar.
Oscar history was made with two women directors — Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) and Chloe Zhao (“Nomadland”) — who were nominated together in the same category. Both films received best picture nods, the second time two female-helmed titles have been recognized in the top category.
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis is nominated for her astounding performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” A history maker already Davis is the African-American woman with the most acting nominations (with four) and the first to be nominated in best actress twice.
Sadly, this year also marks only the second time two African American women were nominated for best actress, with a nomination for Andra Day’s brilliant work in “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.”
Overlooked is director Regina King (“One Night in Miami”) she would have been if nominated, the first African-American woman to be nominated for best director but that didn’t happen. There was early buzz that actor Delroy Lindo (“Da 5 Bloods”) would earn a nomination but the category was just too competitive.
Now to Shaka King’s powerful film which landed in big categories like the best picture and original screenplay and a true surprise nomination for LaKeith Stanfield in supporting (alongside his co-star, Daniel Kaluuya). There is a powerful producing team behind King’s film, of which he is one, — which also includes director/producer Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”) and Macro’s Charles King.
Now to the scorecard. Netflix the streaming giant dominated the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards leading with 35 nominations.
Hulu scored a nomination for actress Andra Day (“The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”) and Disney Plus received its first Oscar nominations since they picked up best-animated feature nods for “Onward” and “Soul,” the latter of which also received nominations for best score and sound. “Mulan,” another Disney Plus release, received nominations for costumes and visual effects, as did the company’s “The One and Only Ivan.” “Nomadland,” which was produced by the Disney-owned Searchlight, is currently streaming on Hulu.
Apple earned its first nominations, picking up a best-animated feature nod for “Wolfwalkers” and best sound nod for “Greyhound.”
Here are the nominees:
Best picture
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Director
Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
David Fincher, “Mank”
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
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”
Actress in a supporting role
Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari”
Music (original score)
“Da 5 Bloods”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
Costume design
“Emma”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“Mulan”
“Pinocchio”
Writing (Adapted screenplay)
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
“The Father “
“Nomadland”
“One Night in Miami”
“The White Tiger”
Writing (Original screenplay)
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Minari”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
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”
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”
Documentary feature
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“The Mole Agent”
“My Octopus Teacher”
“Time”
Documentary short subject
“Colette”
“A Concerto Is a Conversation”
“Do Not Split”
“Hunger Ward”
“A Love Song for Latasha”
International feature
“Another Round” (Denmark)
“Better Days” (Hong Kong)
“Collective” (Romania)
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)
“Quo Vadis, Aida?” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Production design
“The Father”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Tenet”
Film editing
“The Father”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
Cinematography
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Nomadland”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
Sound
“Greyhound”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
“Sound of Metal”
Visual effects
“Love and Monsters”
“The Midnight Sky”
“Mulan”
“The One and Only Ivan”
“Tenet”
Makeup and hairstyling
“Emma”
“Hillbilly Elegy”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“Pinocchio”
Animated feature
“Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie”
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”
Music (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”
“Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”
TwoDistantStrangers (@TwoDistantFilm) | Twitter
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy
www.instagram.com/TheAcademy
#OSCAR2021 #OSCARS #HOLLYWOOD #MOVIES
