With the Oscars this weekend, I wanted to make sure that we focused on some of the great performances of 2021. While I’ve voted for critic’s prizes (shoutout to my critic’s group, the Critics Association of Central Florida), there were still films and performances I had missed when I sent in my ballot. After all, it is impossible to get to everything. Rewatches and first watches changed my opinions of some films, while I could not share my favorite work for other performances. I’ll try to keep things focused, but let’s be honest, brevity has never been my strong suit.
One last note, I’ll be considering the entire year of 2021, not just those that were Oscar eligible. That means you will see some different nominees who were not eligible this Oscar season but were eligible the season before. I’m not going to bend over backward to justify which year certain films were eligible. I’m simply going to call it like I see it.
And the Nominees are…
Best Editing
The French Dispatch
Judas and the Black Messiah
Shiva Baby
Summer of Soul (Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)* WINNER
Titane *RUNNER UP
Best Production/Art/Set Design
Annette
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
The French Dispatch* RUNNER-UP
Tamara Deverell, Brandt Gordon & Shane Vieau – Nightmare Alley
The Tragedy of Macbeth* WINNER
Best Costume Design
Jenny Beavan – Cruella* WINNER
Milena Canonero – The French Dispatch
Luis Sequeira – Nightmare Alley
Mary Zophres – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Paul Tazewell – West Side Story * RUNNER UP
Best Cinematography
Andrew Droz Palermo – The Green Knight
Eduard Grau – Passing* RUNNER-UP
Ari Wegner – The Power of the Dog
Bruno Delbonnel – The Tragedy of Macbeth* WINNER
Kasper Andersen – The Worst Person in the World
Best Makeup & Hair
Dune* RUNNER UP
The Green Knight
Malignant
Titane* WINNER
Zola
Best Choreography
Annette
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Cyrano
In the Heights* RUNNER UP
West Side Story* WINNER
Best Stunts
Bad Trip
Black Widow
No Time to Die* WINNER
Nobody
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* RUNNER UP
Best Visual Effects
Dune* WINNER
Godzilla vs. Kong* RUNNER UP
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best Sound Design
Dune* WINNER
Last Night in Soho
Memoria
The Tragedy of Macbeth *RUNNER UP
West Side Story
Best Original Score
Hans Zimmer – Dune
Daniel Hart – The Green Knight
Dan Romer – Luca* RUNNER-UP
Johnny Greenwood – Spencer* WINNER
Johnny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog
Best In-Movie Original Song
Cast of Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar – “Palm Vista Hotel” – Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
The cast of Encanto – “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” – Encanto
Jamie Dornan & Amy Keys – “Edgar’s Prayer” – Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar* WINNER
Stephanie Beatriz & Diane Guerrero – “What Else Can I Do?” – Encanto* RUNNER UP
Sparks – “So May We Start” – Annette
Best Credits Original Song
Anderson.Paak – “Fire in the Sky” – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Beyoncé – “Be Alive” – King Richard* RUNNER UP
Billie Eilish – “No Time to Die” – No Time to Die* WINNER
Emilia Jones – “Beyond the Shore” – CODA
Jay-Z & Kid Cudi – “Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall
Best Adapted Song
Hayley Bennett – “Someone To Say” – Cyrano
The cast of Tick, Tick…Boom! – “30/90″ – Tick, Tick…Boom!* WINNER
Emilia Jones – “Both Sides Now” – CODA* RUNNER UP
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Leslie Grace, Dascha Polanco & Melissa Barrera – “No Me Diga” – In the Heights
Olga Merediz – “Paciencia y Fe” – In The Heights
Best “Needledrop”
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar – “My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion
Bergman Island – “The Winner Takes It All” – ABBA
Licorice Pizza – “Let Me Roll It” – Paul McCartney
Spencer – “All I Need is a Miracle” – Mike + the Mechanics* WINNER
Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – “It’s Your Thing” – Stevie Wonder* RUNNER UP
Best Playlist/Soundtrack
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Last Night in Soho
Licorice Pizza* RUNNER UP
Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)* WINNER
The Suicide Squad
Best Adapted Screenplay
Drive My Car – Screenplay Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe – Based on “Men Without Women” by Haruki Murakami* WINNER
Dune – Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Dennis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth – Based on the Novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert
The Green Knight – Screenplay by David Lowery – Based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous
The Power of the Dog – Screenplay by Jane Campion – Based on the Novel “The Power of the Dog” by Thomas Savage
Zola – Screenplay by Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris – Based on a Tweet thread by Aziah “Zola” King and “Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted” by David Kushner* RUNNER UP
Best Original Screenplay
Parallel Mothers – Screenplay by Pedro Almodóvar * RUNNER UP
Petite Maman – Screenplay by Céline Sciamma
Pig – Screenplay by Michael Sarnoski
Red Rocket – Screenplay by Chris Bergoch and Sean Baker
The Worst Person in the World – Screenplay by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier* WINNER
Best Ensemble
CODA
Drive My Car* WINNER
Licorice Pizza* RUNNER UP
Mass
The Power of the Dog
Hybrid Performance (Vocal or CGI Character)
Stephanie Beatriz – Encanto* WINNER
Emma Berman – Luca
Ray Chase – Malignant
Abbi Jacobson – The Mitchells vs. The Machines* RUNNER UP
Devyn McDowell – Annette
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Gaby Hoffman – C’Mon C’Mon
Kathryn Hunter – The Tragedy of Macbeth* WINNER
Ruth Negga – Passing* RUNNER UP
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Anders Danielsen Lie – The Worst Person in the World* RUNNER UP
Colman Domingo – Zola
Alex Hassell – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Vincent London – Titane* WINNER
Jeffrey Wright – The French Dispatch
Best Actress In a Leading Role
Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers* WINNER
Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
Renate Reinsve – The Worst Person in the World
Agathe Rousselle – Titane
Tessa Thompson – Passing* RUNNER UP
Best Actor In a Leading Role
Nicholas Cage – Pig* RUNNER UP
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
Peter Dinklage – Cyrano* WINNER
Hidetoshi Nishijima – Drive My Car
Simon Rex – Red Rocket
Best Director Documentary
Jimmy Chin & Chai Elizabeth Vassarhelyi – The Rescue
Traci A. Curry & Stanley Nelson – Attica
Todd Haynes – The Velvet Underground
Jonas Poher Rasmussen – Flee* RUNNER UP
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Count Not Be Televised)* WINNER
Best First Time Director
Janicza Bravo – Zola* WINNER
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter
Rebecca Hall – Passing
Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah* RUNNER UP
Emma Seligman – Shiva Baby
Best Director
Pedro Almodóvar – Parallel Mothers *RUNNER UP
Julia Ducournau – Titane* WINNER
Ryusuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
David Lowery – The Green Knight
Michael Sarnoski – Pig
GENRE Awards
*NOTE – Each film is only eligible in one category. Placement in a category determined by highest rank. Ties are broken by Alan’s preference.
Best Action/Adventure Film
Godzilla vs. Kong* RUNNER UP
The Harder They Fall* WINNER
The King’s Man
No Time to Die
Nobody
Best Animated Film
Belle
Encanto
Luca* WINNER
The Mitchells Vs. the Machines* RUNNER UP
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best Comedy
Bad Trip* RUNNER UP
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar* WINNER
The French Dispatch
Licorice Pizza
Red Rocket
Best Drama
Drive My Car* RUNNER UP
Pig* WINNER
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Zola
Best Documentary (Archival)
Attica* RUNNER UP
The Rescue
The Sparks Brothers
Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)* WINNER
The Velvet Underground
Best Documentary (Contemporary)
Beba
Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry
Flee* WINNER
President* RUNNER UP
Procession
Best International Feature
Benedetta
A Hero
Parallel Mothers* WINNER
Petite Maman
The Worst Person in the World* RUNNER UP
Best Horror/Thriller
Censor
Malignant* RUNNER UP
Nightmare Alley
Titane* WINNER
Werewolves Within
Best Musical
Annette
Cyrano* WINNER
In the Heights
Tick, Tick…Boom!
West Side Story* RUNNER UP.
Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Dune
The Green Knight* WINNER
I’m Your Man
The Matrix Resurrections* RUNNER UP
Prisoners of the Ghostland
Best Superhero Film
Eternals
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* WINNER
Spider-Man: No Way Home* RUNNER UP
The Suicide Squad
Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage
Best Picture
*Honorable Mentions – Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Cyrano, A Hero, Judas and the Black Messiah, Malignant, Petite Maman, Licorice Pizza, The Souvenir Part II, Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Zola
10. Luca
9. The Tragedy of Macbeth
8. The Power of the Dog
7. Flee
6. The Worst Person in the World
5. Titane
4. The Green Knight
3. Parallel Mothers
2. Drive My Car* RUNNER-UP
1.. Pig* WINNER
