2020-2021 Awards Tracker Leaderboard – The Critics

This is the 2020-2021 Awards Tracker Leaderboard – The Critics, detailing the wins for dozens of critics’ groups, including National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, African American Critics Association, The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics and more in all categories throughout the season.

The Boston Society of Film Critics was the first to announce this year, for the first time ever. We’ll also see some variance as some groups (like LA and NY) are sticking with the traditional calendar year of eligibility while others have opted to follow the path of the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild with an extended period into 2021. Should make for a very interesting season.

Keep on top of what’s coming up with the 2020/2021 Film Awards Calendar right here. Bookmark ’em both.

BEST PICTURE/FILM

• Da 5 Bloods (CIC, NBR)
• Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains – (ICS)
• First Cow (FFCC, NYFCC)
• The Forty-Year Old Version (IPA)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (BFCC, CIC, PFCC)
• Mank (NMXFC)
• Minari (AFCA,NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, PCC, UFCA)
• Nomadland (AFCC, AWFJ, BFCA, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, DFCS-2, DFWFCA, GALECA, GFCA, Gotham, GWNYFCA, HFCS-2, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, MFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, OFCS, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC)
• Promising Young Woman (COFCA, HCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, SDFCS)
• Small Axe (LAFCA)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (DFCS-1, HFCS-1)

BEST DIRECTOR

• Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (AFCA)
• Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman (NFCS)
• Regina King – One Night in Miami (BFCC, UFCA)
• Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods (CIC, HFCS-1, NBR)
• Darius Marder – Sound of Metal (HCA)
• Steve McQueen – Small Axe (LFCC)
• Kelly Reichardt – First Cow (ICS)
• Chloé Zhao – Nomadland (AFCC, AWFJ, BFCA, BFCC, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS-1, DFCS-2 DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS-2, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NMXFC, NSFC, NTFCA, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC)

FIRST TIME FEATURE/DEBUT/BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR

• Radha Blank – The Forty-Year Old Version (LAFCA, NYFCC, SDFCS, TFCA)
• Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman (AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GFCA, HCA, LVFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS)
• Regina King – One Night in Miami (HFCS-1, PFCC)
• Darius Marder – Sound of Metal (GWNYFCA)
• Andrew Patterson – The Vast of Night (Gotham, OFCC)
• Channing Godfrey Peoples – Miss Juneteenth (NBR)
• Gu Xiaogang – Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (ICS)
• Florian Zeller – The Father (BSFC)

BEST ACTOR

• Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal (AFCA, AFCC, COFCA, GFCA, Gotham, GWNYFCA, HFCS-2, IPA, KCFCC, LVFCS, NBR, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, SFCS, SDFCS, TFCA, UFCA)
• Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (IPA)
• Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (AWFJ, BFCA, BFCC, CFCA, CIC, DFCS-1, DFWFCA, GALECA, IFCA, LAFCA, LFCC, MCFCA, MFCA, PCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, VFCC)
• Anthony Hopkins – The Father (BSFC, FFCC, NFCS)
• Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods (BOFCA, DFCS-2, HCA, HFCS-1, IFJA, MFCA, NCFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, PFCC)
• Mads Mikkelsen – Another Round (NMXFC)
• Aditya Modak – The Disciple (ICS)
• Steven Yeun – Minari (NTFCA)

BEST ACTRESS

• Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (IPA)
• Nicole Beharie – Miss Juneteenth (Gotham)
• Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (BFCC, CIC, PFCC)
• Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always (BSFC, NYFCC)
• Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman (NMXFC)
• Frances McDormand – Nomadland (AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, DFCS-2, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS-1, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, LFCC, LVFCS, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA, VFCC)
• Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman (AFCA, AFCC, BFCA, COFCA, DFCS-1, DFWFCA, GALECA, GFCA, HCA, HFCS-2, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, PCC, PFCS, SDFCS, StLFCA)
• Isabel Sandoval – Lingua Franca (ICS)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Francisco Barreiro – Fauna (ICS)
• Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods (CIC, IPA, NYFCC, PFCC)
• Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (DFCS-1, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS. NTFCA)
• Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah (AFCA, BFCA, DFCS-2, DFWFCA, GALECA, LVFCS, MFCA, NFCS, NMXFC, OAFFC, PCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, TFCA, VFCC)
• Leslie Odom, Jr. – One Night in Miami (AWFJ, BFCC, HFCS-2, IFJA, KCFCC, NYFCO, OFCS, UFCA)
• Shaun Parkes – Small Axe (LFCC)
• Paul Raci – Sound of Metal (AFCC, BSFC, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS-1, IFCA, NBR, NSFC, OFCC, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, StLFCA)
• Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (LAFCA)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (AFCC, BFCA, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS-2, IFJA, LFCC, MCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, TFCA, UFCA)
• Sônia Braga – Bacurau (ICS)
• Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman (DFCS-1, NYFCO)
• Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy (NFCS)
• Olivia Cooke – Sound of Metal (HFCS-1)
• Amanda Seyfried – Mank (DFWFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCC)
• Youn Yuh-jung – Minari (AFCA, AWFJ, BFCC, BSFC, COFCA, DFCS-2, GALECA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IFCA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NMXFC, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, PCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, VFCC)

ENSEMBLE

• Bacurau (ICS)
• Da 5 Bloods (HCA, NBR, SFCS)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (BOFCA, BSFC, CIC, COFCA, IFJA, MCFCA)
• Mangrove (FFCC)
• Minari (AFCA, DFCS-2, NMXFC)
• One Night in Miami (AWFJ, BFCC, GFCA, MCFCA, OAFFC, SDFCS)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (AFCC, AWFJ, BFCA, IPA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, PFCS, SEFCA)

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR/ACTRESS

• Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal (GWNYFCA)
• Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (DFCS-2, IFJA, NYFCO, PFCS)
• Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami (AFCC, NYFCO)
• Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always (AWFJ, CFCA, FFCC, HCA, NBR, NMXFC, OAFFC, PFCC)
• Linda May – Nomadland (NTFCA)

SCREENPLAY

• First Cow – Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (PFCC)
• The Forty-Year Old Version – Radha Blank (Gotham)
• Fourteen – Dan Sallitt (Gotham)
• I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Charlie Kaufman (BOFCA, BSFC)
• Minari – Lee Isaac Chung (TFCA)
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Eliza Hittman (NSFC, NYFCC)
• Nomadland – Chloé Zhao (LFCC)
• One Night in Miami – Kemp Powers (PCC)
• Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell (AFCC, DFWFCA, GALECA, LAFCA, HFCS-2, MFCA, NDFS, NYFCO, SFCS)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (MCFCA, VFCC)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• The Father – Florian Zeller (IPA, NFCS, SDFCS)
• First Cow – Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (DFCS-1, ICS, NMXFC, SFBAFCC)
• I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Charlie Kaufman (FFCC, StLFCA, UFCA)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ruben Santiago-Hudson (BFCC, CIC)
• News of the World – Paul Greengrass, Luke Davies (NBR)
• Nomadland – Chloé Zhao (AFCA, AWFJ, BFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS-2, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS-1, IFJA, KCFCC, NCFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA)
• One Night in Miami (HCA, LVFCS, PFCS)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Bacurau – Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles (ICS)
• Judas and the Black Messiah – Shaka King and Will Berson (LVFCS)
• Minari – Lee Isaac Chung (AFCA, BFCC, DFCS-2, FFCC, NBR, NCFCA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC)
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Eliza Hittman (CFCA, GWNYFCA, IFJA, OAFFC)
• Possessor (NMXFC)
• Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell (AWFJ, BFCA, CIC, COFCA, GFCA, HCA, IPA, KCFCC, NFCS, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, StLFCA)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin (CIC, DFCS-1, HFCS-1, PFCS, UFCA)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains – Deng Xu, Yu Ninghui (ICS)
• First Cow – Christopher Blauvelt (SFBAFCC)
• I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Łukasz Żal (PCC)
• Mank – Erik Messerschmidt (FFCC, IPA, NMXFC, OFCC)
• Nomadland – Joshua James Richards (AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BFCA, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS-2, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA, StLFCA, UFCA)
• Small Axe – Shabier Kirchner (LAFCA)
• Tenet – Hoyte Van Hoytema (BFCC, HFCS-1, NFCS, NTFCA)
• The Vast of Night – Miguel I. Littin-Menz (KCFCC)

BEST FILM EDITING 

• The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos (LAFCA)
• I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Robert Frazen (BSFC, CFCA)
• The Invisible Man – Andy Canny (MCFCA, SDFCS)
• Nomadland – Chloé Zhao (AFCA, AWFJ, BOFCA, GWNYFCA, NDFS, NMXFC, PFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA)
• Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (BFCA, LVFCS, MFCA)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten (BFCA, CIC, COFCA, HCA, HFCS-1, IPA, MCFCA, UFCA)
• The Wasteland – Sara Yavari (ICS)

BEST MUSIC/SCORE

• Hamilton (SDFCS)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (NYFCO)
• Mank – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (DFWFCA, HFCS-1, NDFS)
• The Midnight Sky – Alexandre Desplat (IPA)
• Minari – Emile Mosseri (BSFC)
• Nomadland – Ludovico Einaudi (IFCA)
• Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time – Gábor Keresztes (ICS)
• Soul – Jon Batiste (CFCA, SFBAFCC)
• Soul – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (AFCA, AFCC, BFCA, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS-1, DFCS-2, FFCC, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS-2, LAFCA, LVFCS, MFCA, NCFCA, NMXFC, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA)
• Tenet – Ludwig Göransson (MCFCA)

BEST SOUND (Mixing and/or Editing)

• Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Phillip Bladh, Michelle Couttolenc (DFCS-2, ICS, IPA, MFCA)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• “Wuhan Flu” – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (NDFS)
• “Húsavík (My Hometown)” – Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (HCA, NMXFC)
• “Fight For You” – Judas and the Black Messiah (LVFCS)
• “Io Sì (Seen)” – The Life Ahead (IPA)
• “Speak Now” – One Night in Miami (BFCA, CIC, DFCS, GFCA, HFCS-2, IFCA, MCFCA, PFCS)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Emma. – Alexandra Byrne (SDFCS)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth (BFCA, CIC, HFCS-1, LVFCS, PFCS, SFCS)
• The Personal History of David Copperfield (HCA, IPA)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

• Birds of Prey – K.K. Barrett (MFCA)
• Mank – Donald Graham Burt (BFCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, GFCA, HCA, HFCS-1, IPA, LAFCA, LVFCS, MCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NMXFC, PFCS, SFCS, SDFCS, StLFCA)
• A Portuguesa – Nuno Franco (ICS)

BEST MAKEUP

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Matiki Anoff (BFCA, CIC, HCA)
• Mank (HFCS-1)

VISUAL EFFECTS

• Birds of Prey (HCA, LVFCS)
• The Invisible Man (CFCA, CIC, MFCA)
• Possessor (FFCC)
• Tenet (BFCA, DFCS, HFCS-2, IPA, NCFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS)

ANIMATED FILM

• Josep (ICS)
• Lupin III: The First (HFCS-1)
• Soul (AFCC, AWFJ, BFCA, BFCC, CIC, DFCS-1, DFCS-2, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, HFCS-2, IFCA, IFJA, LVFCS, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA)
• Wolf House (BSFC)
• Wolfwalkers (AFCA, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MFCA, NMXFC, NYFCC, OAFFC, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA)

DOCUMENTARY

• All In: The Fight for Democracy (AWFJ, HCA, NDFS, NTFCA)
• Beastie Boys Story (HFCS-1)
• Boys State (AFCA, CIC, DFCS-1, LVFCS, OFCC, PCC, PFCS)
• Class Action Park (HCA)
• Collective (BSFC, IPA, LFCC, NMXFC, OAFFC, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC)
• The Dissident (KCFCC, NFCS)
• Dick Johnson is Dead (BFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS-2, IFCA, IFJA, NCFCA, OFCS, PFCC, UFCA)
• Disclosure (GALECA)
• The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition (SFCS)
• My Octopus Teacher (HFCS-2)
• The Painter and the Thief (AWFJ, BOFCA)
• Time (AFCC, BFCC, DFWFCA, GFCA, Gotham, GWNYFCA, LAFCA, NBR, NSFC, NYFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA)
• A Thousand Cuts (Gotham)
• The Way I See It (NYFCO)
• Welcome to Chechnya (GALECA)
• The Year of the Discovery – (ICS)
• You Don’t Nomi (FFCC)

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE/FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• And Then We Danced (NDFS)
• Another Round (AFCC, AWFJ, CFCA, GFCA, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, NCFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA)
• Beanpole (LAFCA)
• Bacurau (BOFCA, NYFCC, TFCA)
• Collective (NSFC)
• Los Fuertes (FFCC)
• His House (CIC)
• Identifying Features (Gotham)
• Jumbo (PFCC)
• The Life Ahead (HFC1, SDFCS)
• La Llorona (BSFC, HCA, IPA, NBR)
• Martin Eden (OFCC)
• Minari (AFCA, BFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GWNYFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCS, PCC, SFCS, VFCC)
• Night of the Kings (BFCC)
• Open Door (NMXFC)
• A Sun (HFCS-2)

ACRONYM LEGEND

• AFCA – Austin Film Critics Association
• AFCC – Atlanta Film Critics Circle
• AWFJ – Alliance of Women Film Journalists
• BFCA – Broadcast Film Critics Association (aka Critics Choice)
• BFCC – Black Film Critics Circle
• BOFCA – Boston Online Film Critics Association
• BSFC – Boston Society of Film Critics
• CFCA – Chicago Film Critics Association
• CIC – Chicago Indie Critics
• COFCA – Columbus Film Critics Association
• DFWFCA – Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association
• DFCS-1 – Denver Film Critics Society
• DFCS-2 – Detroit Film Critics Society
• FFCC – Florida Film Critics Circle
• GALECA – Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics
• GFCA – Georgia Film Critics Association
• Gotham – Independent Film Project Gotham Award
• GWNYCA – Greater Western New York Critics Association
• HCA – Hollywood Critics Association
• HFCS-1 – Hawaii Film Critics Society
• HFCS-2 – Houston Film Critics Society
• ICS – International Cinephile Society
• IFCA – Iowa Film Critics Association
• IFJA – Indiana Film Journalists Association
• IPA – International Press Academy Satellite Awards
• KCFCC – Kansas City Film Critics Circle
• LAFCA – Los Angeles Film Critics Association
• LFCC – London Film Critics Circle
• LVFCS – Las Vegas Film Critics Society
• MCFCA – Music City Film Critics Association
• MFCA – Minnesota Film Critics Alliance
• NBR – National Board of Review
• NCFCA – North Carolina Film Critics Association
• NDFS – North Dakota Film Society
• NFCS – Nevada Film Critics Society
• NMXFC – New Mexico Film Critics
• NSFC – National Society of Film Critics
• NTFCA – North Texas Film Critics Association
• NYFCC – New York Film Critics Circle
• NYFCO – New York Film Critics Online
• OAFFC – Online Association of Female Film Critics
• OFCC – Oklahoma Film Critics Circle
• OFCS – Online Film Critics Society
• PCC – Phoenix Critics Circle
• PFCC – Philadelphia Film Critics Circle
• PFCS – Phoenix Film Critics Society
• SDFCS – San Diego Film Critics Society
• SEFCA – Southern Eastern Film Critics Association
• SFBAFCC – San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
• SFCS – Seattle Film Critics Society
• StLFCA – St. Louis Film Critics Association
• TFCA – Toronto Film Critics Association
• UFCA – Utah Film Critics Association
• VFCC – Vancouver Film Critics Circle