FINAL 2021 Oscar Nomination Predictions in all 23 categories

Published by
Share

Just cut to the good stuff.

Click on each category for the full breakdown, stats, history and why I’m predicting what and who I am or just cut to the chase and scroll down for only the predictions. Let’s gooooo.

BEST PICTURE

1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, PGA, SAG plus ACE, ADG, ASC, CAS, CSA, DGA, MPSE, WGA
Stuart M. Besser, Matt Jackson, Marc Platt, Tyler Thompson (producers)

2. Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – BAFTA, BFCAGG, PGA plus ACE, MPSE
Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao (producers)

3. Minari (A24) – BFCA, GG (foreign), SAG, PGA plus ACE
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh (producers)

4. Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – BFCA, GG plus ACE, ADG, CDG, CSA, DGA, MUAH, PGA, WGA
Tom Ackerley, Ben Browning, Emerald Fennell, Ashley Fox (producers)

5. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BFCA, PGA, SAG plus ADG, CSA, CDG, MPSE, MUAH, WGA
Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf (producers)

6. Mank (Netflix) – BFCA, GG plus ACE, ADG, ASC, CAS, MPSE, MUAH, VES
David Fincher, Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth, Douglas Urbanski (producers) 

7. Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – PGA plus ACE, CAS, CSA, MPSE, WGA
Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Bill Benz, Cathy Benz (producers) 

8. One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios) – BFCA, SAG, PGA plus CDG, WGA
Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Jody Klein (producers) 

9. Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – PGA plus CSA, CDG, WGA
Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King (producers)

If 10. The Father (Sony Pictures Classics) BAFTA, GG
Philippe Carcassonne, Simon Friend, Jean-Louis Livi, David Parfitt, Christophe Spadone (producers)

Watch out for: News of the World (Universal Pictures) – BFCA plus ADG, CAS, MPSE, WGA
Gary Goetzman, Gail Mutrux, Gregory Goodman (producers)

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Chloé Zhao – Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – GG, BAFTA, BFCA, DGA

2. Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (A24) – BAFTA, BFCA, DGA

3. Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – BFCA, DGA, GG

4. David Fincher – Mank (Netflix) – BFCA, DGA, GG

5. Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round (Samuel Goldwyn Mayer) – BAFTA

Watch out for: Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – BFCA, DGA, GG

BEST ACTOR

  • 1. Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BFCA, BAFTA, GG, SAG
  • 2. Riz Ahmed Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 3. Anthony Hopkins The Father(Sony Pictures Classics) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 4. Steven Yeun Minari (A24) – BFCA, SAG
  • 5. Gary Oldman Mank (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, SAG

Watch out for: Mads Mikkelsen – Another Round (Samuel Goldwyn Mayer) – BAFTA

BEST ACTRESS

  • 1. Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 2. Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday (Hulu) – BFCA, GG
  • 3. Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 4. Frances McDormand – Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 5. Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG

Watch out for: Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Ever (Focus Features) – BFCA

SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • 1. Daniel Kaluuya Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – BFCA, GG, SAG, BAFTA longlist, BFCA
  • 2. Leslie Odom, Jr. One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 3. Sacha Baron Cohen The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 4. Paul Raci Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – BAFTA, BFCA
  • 5. Alan S. Kim Minari (A24) – BAFTA, BFCA (young actor/actress)

Watch out for: Jared Leto – The Little Things (Warner Bros) – GG, SAG

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • 1. Youn Yuh-jungMinari (A24) – BAFTA, BFCA, SAG
  • 2. Maria BakalovaBorat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Studios) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 3. Olivia ColmanThe Father (Sony Pictures Classics) – BFCA, GG, SAG
  • 4. Jodie FosterThe Mauritanian (STX Films) – GG
  • 5. Glenn CloseHillbilly Elegy (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, SAG

Watch out for: Amanda Seyfried – Mank (Netflix) – BFCA, GG

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

  • 1. Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, USC (WGA ineligible)
    Chloé Zhao (based on the book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder)
  • 2. One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios) – BFCA , USC, WGA
    Kemp Powers (based on the play “One Night in Miami…” by Kemp Powers)
  • 3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BFCA , USC, WGA
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson (based on the play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” by August Wilson)
  • 4. The Father (Sony Pictures Classics) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG (WGA ineligible)
    Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller (based on the play “Le Père” by Florian Zeller)
  • 5. First Cow (A24) – BFCA, USC
    Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond (based on the novel “The Half Life” by Jonathan Raymond)

Watch out for: News of the World – BFCA , USC, WGA

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

  • 1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA , GG, WGA
    Aaron Sorkin
  • 2. Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – BAFTA, BFCA , GG, WGA
    Emerald Fennell
  • 3. Minari (A24) – BFCA (WGA ineligible)
    Lee Isaac Chung
  • 4. Mank (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG (WGA ineligible)
    Jack Fincher
  • 5. Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – BFCA, WGA
    Abraham Marder, Darius Marder (screenplay), Derek Cianfrance (story by)

Watch out for: Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – WGA

FILM EDITING

  • 1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – ACE (drama), BAFTA, BFCA
    Alan Baumgarten
  • 2. Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – ACE (drama), BAFTA, BFCA
    Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
  • 3. Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – ACE (drama), BAFTA, BFCA
    Chloé Zhao
  • 4. Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – ACE (comedy), BAFTA
    Frédéric Thoraval
  • 5. Minari (A24) – ACE (drama)
    Harry Yoon

Watch out for: Mank (Netflix) – ACE, BFCA

CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • 1. Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – ASC, BAFTA, BFCA
    Joshua James Richards
  • 2. Mank (Netflix) – ASC, BAFTA, BFCA
    Erik Messerschmidt
  • 3. News of the World (Universal Pictures) – ASC, BAFTA, BFCA
    Dariusz Wolski
  • 4. Cherry (Apple TV+) – ASC
    Newton Thomas Sigel
  • 5. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – ASC
    Phedon Papamichael

Watch out for: Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – BAFTA

ORIGINAL SCORE

  • 1. Soul (Disney/Pixar) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, HMMA, SCL
    Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
  • 2. News of the World (Universal Pictures) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, HMMA, SCL
    James Newton Howard
  • 3. Mank (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, GG, HMMA, SCL
    Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
  • 4. Minari (A24) – BAFTA, BFCA, HMMA, SCL
    Emile Mosseri
  • 5. The Midnight Sky (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, HMMA
    Alexandre Desplat

Watch out for: Tenet (Warner Bros) – BFCA, GG, HMMA, SCL

ORIGINAL SONG

  • 1. “Io Sì” (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (Netflix) – BFCA, HMMA, GG, SCL
    Written by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi
  • 2. “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios) – BFCA, GG, HMMA
    Written by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
  • 3. “Husavik (My Hometown)” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix) – BFCA, HMMA, SCL
    Written by Fat Max Gsus, Rickard Göransson, and Savan Kotecha
  • 4. “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – BFCA, HMMA
    Written by H.E.R., D’Mile, Tiara Thomas
  • 5. “Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios) – HMMA
    Written by Janelle Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III, George “George 2.0.” A. Peters II

Watch out for: “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7

SOUND

  • 1. Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) – BAFTA, CAS, MPSE (x3)
    Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Carolina Santana
  • 2. News of the World (Universal Pictures) – BAFTA, CAS, MPSE (x3)
    John Pritchett, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, Oliver Tarney, Michael Fentum
  • 3. Greyhound (Apple TV+) – BAFTA, CAS, MPSE (x2)
    Odin Benitez, Jason King, Christian P. Minkler, Michael Minkler, Jeff Sawyer
  • 4. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – CAS, MPSE (x2)
    Renee Tondelli, Dan Kenyon, Julian Slater, Michael Babcock, Thomas Varga
  • 5. Mank (Netflix) – CAS, MPSE
    Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, Drew Kunin

Watch out for: The Midnight Sky (Netflix) – MPSE (x2)

PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • 1. Mank (Netflix) – ADG, BAFTA, BFCA
    Donald Graham Burt (production designer), Jan Pascale (set decorator)
  • 2. News of the World (Universal Pictures) – ADG, BAFTA, BFCA
    David Crank (production designer), Elizabeth Keenan (set decorator)
  • 3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – ADG, BFCA
    Mark Ricker (production designer), Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton (set decorators)
  • 4. Tenet (Warner Bros) – ADG, BFCA
    Nathan Crowley (production designer), Kathy Lucas (set decorator)
  • 5. The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures) – BFCA
    Cristina Casali (production designer), Charlotte Dirickx (set decorator)

Watch out for: Mulan (Walt Disney) – ADG

COSTUME DESIGN

  • 1. Mank (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, CDG
    Trish Summerville
  • 2. Emma. (Focus Features) – BAFTA, BFCA, CDG
    Alexandra Byrne
  • 3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, CDG
    Ann Roth
  • 4. Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures) – BFCA, CDG
    Bina Daigeler
  • 5. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
    Michael Wilkinson

Watch out for: The Glorias (Roadside Attractions)

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

  • 1. Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, MUAH (x3)
    Eryn Krueger Mekash (makeup department head), Patricia Dehaney (hair department head), Matthew Mungle (prosthetic designer)
  • 2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – BAFTA, BFCA, MUAH (x2)
    Sergio Lopez-Rivera (personal makeup for Viola Davis), Mia Neal (hair department head, wig designer & wig builder), Jamika Wilson (personal hair for Viola Davis)
  • 3. Pinocchio (Roadside Attractions) – BAFTA, MUAH
    Mark Coulier (prosthetic makeup designer), Dalia Colli (makeup artist), Francesco Pegoretti (hair designer)
  • 4. Mank (Netflix) BAFTA, BFCA, MUAH
    Kimberley Spiteri (hair department head), Gigi Williams (makeup department head)
  • 5. Emma. (Focus Features) – BFCA
    Marese Langan (hair and makeup designer)

Watch out for: Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)  MUAH (x2)

VISUAL EFFECTS

  • 1. The Midnight Sky (Netflix) – BAFTA, VES
    Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins, Max Solomon
  • 2. Tenet (Warner Bros) – BAFTA, BFCA, VES
    Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher, Mike Chambers
  • 3. Welcome to Chechnya (HBO) – VES
    Ryan Laney
  • 4. Mank (Netflix) – BFCA, VES
    Wei Zheng, Simon Carr, Pablo Helman, James Pastorius
  • 5. Mulan (Disney+) – BAFTA, BFCA, VES
    Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, Steve Ingram

Watch out for: The One and Only Ivan (Disney+) – Annie, BAFTA, VES

ANIMATED FEATURE

  • 1. Soul (Disney/Pixar) – Annie, BAFTA, BFCA, GG, PGA, VES
    Pete Docter, Dana Murray
  • 2. Wolfwalkers (Apple TV+/Cartoon Saloon) – Annie, BAFTA, BFCA, GG, PGA
    Stéphan Roelants, Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young, Nora Twomey
  • 3. Onward (Pixar) – Annie, BAFTA, BFCA, GG, PGA, VES
    Dan Scanlon, Kori Rae
  • 4. The Croods: A New Age (Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation) – Annie, GG, PGA, VES
    Mark Swift, Joel Crawford
  • 5. Over the Moon (Netflix) – BFCA, GG, PGA, VES
    Glen Keane, Peilin Chou, Gennie Rim

Watch out for: The Willoughbys (Netflix) – Annie, BFCA, VES

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • 1. Collective (Magnolia Selects) – BAFTA, CEH, IDA
    Alexander Nanau
  • 2. Time (Amazon Studios) – BFCA, CEH, IDA, PGA
    Garrett Bradley
  • 3. Welcome to Chechnya (HBO Documentary Films) – DGA, IDA
    David France
  • 4. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) – BFCA, IDA
    James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham
  • 5. The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics) – DGA, IDA, PGA
    Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw

Watch out for: My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) – BAFTA, DGA

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

  • 1. Another Round (Denmark, Samuel Goldwyn Mayer) – GG, BAFTA, BFCA
  • 2. Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia-Herzegovina, NEON/SUPER LTD) – BAFTA
  • 3. Dear Comrades! (Russia, Hulu) – BAFTA
  • 4. I’m No Longer Here (Mexico, Netflix)
  • 5. Night of the Kings (Ivory Coast, NEON)

Watch out for: Two of Us (France, Magnolia Pictures) – GG, BFCA

ANIMATED, LIVE ACTION, DOCUMENTARY SHORT

ANIMATED SHORT

  • 1. Burrow
  • 2. Out
  • 3. If Anything Happens I Love You
  • 4. Genius Loci
  • 5. Kapaemahu

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

  • 1. Hunger Ward (trailer)
  • 2. What Would Sophia Loren Do? (trailer)
  • 3. A Concerto Is a Conversation(full film)
  • 4. The Speed Cubers
  • 5. Colette

LIVE ACTION SHORT

  • 1. The Human Voice (trailer)
  • 2. The Letter Room
  • 3. White Eye
  • 4. Feeling Through
  • 5. Two Distant Strangers (trailer)

NOMINATION TOTALS

Mank – 10

Minari – 8

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 7

Nomadland – 6

Sound of Metal – 6

The Trial of the Chicago – 6

Promising Young Woman – 5

One Night in Miami – 4

Judas and the Black Messiah – 3

Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013. He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

Recent Posts

From ‘Alien’ to ‘Gladiator,’ How Ridley Scott Uses His Own Legacy to Elevate IP Cinema

Ridley Scott is a wild man–a prolific maverick of spectacle, the pissed-off elder statesman of… Read More

November 15, 2024

2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST ACTOR (November)

Is it Ralph Fiennes' time? Will the Academy conclave and finally pick him as this… Read More

November 15, 2024

Nicole Kidman to Receive International Star Award for ‘Babygirl’ from Palm Springs International Film Awards

The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Nicole Kidman is the recipient of the International… Read More

November 15, 2024

‘Red One’ Review: The North Pole Has Fallen For Johnny Storm and The Rock

If you ever wished that Air Force One (1997) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013) took… Read More

November 15, 2024

Conan O’Brien to Host 2025 Oscars: “America Demanded It!”

Emmy-winning comedian, writer, producer and former late-night host Conan O’Brien is your host for the… Read More

November 15, 2024

Producers Guild of America Announces Finalists and Expansion of “PGA Innovation Award” for the 36th Producers Guild Awards

Today, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the six finalists for the 2025 PGA… Read More

November 14, 2024

This website uses cookies.