‘Nomadland’ was the big winner at Sunday’s (25.04.21) Academy Awards, taking home three prizes.
The Great Recession drama scooped the night’s biggest award, Best Picture, ahead of ‘The Father’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, ‘Mank’, ‘Minari’, ‘Promising Young Woman’, ‘Sound of Metal’, and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, while there were also wins in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category for Frances McDormand – who plays a woman who leaves home to travel around the American West – and Best Director for Chloe Zhao.
Their wins broke records, with Frances’ third Best Actress win following previous successes in 2018 and 1997 putting her just one award behind only Katherine Hepburn, who has four acting Oscars, while Chloe became the first woman of colour and only the second female to take the prize for directing.
Accepting Best Picture, Chloe said: “On behalf of my fellow producers, we thank the Academy and we thank our brilliant fellow nominees, and all the hearts and hands that come together to make this movie.”
After offering up a string of thank yous, she then praised the nomads that were the real-life subjects featured in the film, as she added: “Thank you for teaching us the power of resilience and hope and for teaching us what real kindness looks like.”
Sir Anthony Hopkins was a surprise winner of Best Actor in a Leading Role for ‘The Father’, with the accolade having been widely expected to go to the late Chadwick Boseman for his work on his final film, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’.
Anthony wasn’t in attendance, at either the main ceremony at Los Angeles’ Union Station or the London hub for UK performers, so he was unable to give a speech to accept the night’s final award.
Elsewhere, Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role went to ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ star Daniel Kaluuya and Yuh-Jung Youn for ‘Minari’ respectively.
‘The Father’ was also named Best Adapted Screenplay, and Emerald Fennell’s ‘Promising Young Woman’ was named Best Original Screenplay.
Several other films scooped two wins, with Daniel’s success joined by H.E.R. taking home Best Original Song for ‘Fight For You’ from ‘‘Judas and the Black Messiah’.
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ won for both costume design and make-up and hair styling, while the Best Film Editing Oscar was awarded to ‘Sound of Metal’, which also won for Best Sound and ‘Mank’ triumphed in both the Best Production Design and Best Cinematography categories.
‘Soul’ was another double winner, scooping Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature Film.
Academy Awards 2021 Full list of winners:
Best Picture:
‘Nomadland’
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Anthony Hopkins, ‘The Father’
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Frances McDormand, ‘Nomadland’
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Yuh-Jung Youn, ‘Minari’
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Daniel Kaluuya, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Best Director:
Chloé Zhao, ‘Nomadland’
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller, ‘The Father’
Best Original Screenplay
Emerald Fennell, ‘Promising Young Woman’
Best Costume Design:
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Best Original Score:
‘Soul’
Best Animated Short Film:
‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
Best Live-Action Short Film:
‘Two Distant Strangers’
Best Documentary Feature:
‘My Octopus Teacher’
Best Documentary Short Subject:
‘Colette’
Best International Feature Film:
‘Another Round’ (Denmark)
Best Sound:
‘Sound of Metal’
Best Production Design:
‘Mank’
Best Film Editing:
‘Sound of Metal’
Best Cinematography:
‘Mank’
Best Visual Effects:
‘Tenet’
Best Animated Feature Film:
‘Soul’
Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Best Original Song:
‘Fight For You’ from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
