Hollywood Critics Association names ‘Promising Young Woman’ Best Picture

The 4th annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) announced their winners for the best in film of 2020 as well as bestow several honorary awards this evening in a virtual ceremony. Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman was named Best Picture and Fennell was selected as the winner of Best Original Screenplay, First Feature and was the Filmmaker on the Rise winner.

“Even though cinemas were closed for most of the year, 2020 was a groundbreaking year for film in many ways. Streaming became the norm and prompted many studios to shift their focus to creating content for their digital platforms. Also, a good portion of the films released in 2020 were directed by women or people of color. We, as an organization, hope this continues to happen as we move into the future. We are looking forward to seeing more inclusivity on-screen, hopefully not just in awards films, but in movies in general,” noted HCA Co-Chair Ashley Menzel.

This year’s event streamed virtually on Friday, March 5, 2021 on the official HCA Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Carey Mulligan’s fiery performance in Promising Young Woman earned her a Best Actress win and the late Chadwick Boseman was named Best Actor for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) and Yuh-jung Youn (Minari) received the supporting acting wins.

Birds of Prey was a big winner, scooping up three wins in the genre and below the line categories, taking Visual Effects, Best Action Film and Best Stunts.

Two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti (Fatale, Black and Blue, Heat) received the organization’s first-ever “Timeless Award,” which is their take on the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sound of Metal‘s Paul Raci was honored with “Breakthrough Performance Actor” while Cristin Milioti will receive “Breakthrough Performance Actress” for her role in Neon and Hulu’s existential comedy, Palm Springs.

This year’s “Acting Achievement Award” was Aubrey Plaza for her tour-de-force performance in Momentum Pictures’ Black Bear. Nicole Beharie received this year’s “Game Changer Award” for her profound performance in Channing Godfrey Peoples’ Miss Juneteenth. Academy Award-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross wiere honored with the “Artisan Achievement Award” for their work on Pixar’s Soul and Netflix’s Mank. Both scores by Reznor and Ross are amongst the most memorable scores of 2020.

Sidney Flanigan, the star of Eliza Hittman’s critically acclaimed Never Rarely Sometimes Always, received the “HCA’s Standout Performance by an Actor or Actress 23 or Under Award.” Run star Kiera Allen was the recipient of the “Spotlight Award” (formerly known as the Newcomer Award). Jo Ellen Pellman, who stars as Emma Nolan in Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation of The Prom, will receive the “Star on the Rise Award”. 

In the Heights​ and ​Hamilton​ creator, ​Lin-Manuel Miranda​ received this year’s HCA Inspire Award. Each year, the Inspire Award is given to an individual within the entertainment industry whose work serves as an inspiration to others. Lin-Manuel Miranda has broken down barriers while pursuing his dreams and inspiring millions along the way.

Writer and director ​Emerald Fennell​ received the HCA Filmmaker on the Rise Award for her directorial debut, ​Promising Young Woman​. Since the film’s premiere at Sundance in January 2020, ​Promising Young Woman​ has become one of the most talked about and lauded films over the past year.

Minari​ composer ​Emile Mosseri​ received the Artisan on the Rise Award. Mosseri has made great strides as an artisan in just four years and has composed scores for various television shows and films, including ​The Last Black Man In San Francisco​, ​Kajillionaire​, and ​Minari.

Dwayne Johnson received the Trailblazer Award, created to highlight and celebrate actors and filmmakers who speak out about important topics and advocate for change. Dwayne Johnson started his illustrious career with just $7 to his name and ambition to be among the best in the world of sports and entertainment. During the pandemic, Johnson made countless donations to frontline workers and first responders and used his voice and recognition to lead the Black Lives Matter movement’s dialogue. He is a long-time supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and has been granting wishes for over two decades.

Zack Snyder received the group’s first-ever Valiant Award. In December of 2020, Snyder and his fanbase helped raise over $500,000 dollars for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. To raise additional funds for the AFSP during the HCA Film Awards, the Hollywood critics association plans to purchase a host of Snyder’s merchandise on the Ink to the People fundraising platform to give away on their social media channels during the ceremony.

Here is the full list of nominees and winners of the 4th Hollywood Critics Association awards.

Best Picture

• Da 5 Bloods
• Judas and The Black Messiah
• Minari 
• Nomadland 
• One Night in Miami
• Promising Young Woman 
• Soul 
• Sound of Metal 
• The Father 
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Actor

• Anthony Hopkins – The Father
• Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 
• Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods – WINNER
• Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami
• Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal

Best Actress

• Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman – WINNER
• Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man 
• Frances McDormand – Nomadland 
• Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
• Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• Zendaya – Malcolm & Marie 

Best Supporting Actor

• Bo Burnham – Promising Young Woman 
• Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
• Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah 
• Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami…
• Paul Raci – Sound of Metal – WINNER

Best Supporting Actress

• Amanda Seyfried – Mank 
• Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman
• Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy 
• Olivia Colman – The Father
• Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari – WINNER

Best Animated or VFX Performance 

• Ben Schwartz – Sonic the Hedgehog – WINNER
• Cathy Ang – Over the Moon
• Honor Kneafsey – Wolfwalkers 
• Jamie Foxx – Soul
• Tina Fey – Soul 

Best Male Director

• Darius Marder – Sound of Metal – WINNER
• David Fincher – Mank 
• Lee Isaac Chung – Minari 
• Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah 
• Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods

Best Female Director

• Chloé Zhao – Nomadland – WINNER
• Eliza Hittman – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
• Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
• Regina King – One Night In Miami
• Sofia Coppola – On the Rocks

Best Original Screenplay

• Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of The Chicago 7 
• Abraham Marder & Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
• Andy Siara – Palm Springs
• Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman – WINNER
• Lee Isaac Chung – Minari 

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
• Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller – The Father 
• Jonathan Raymond & Kelly Reichardt – First Cow 
• Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami – WINNER
• Ruben Santiago-Hudson – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 

Best Cast Ensemble

• Da 5 Bloods – WINNER
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• One Night in Miami
• Promising Young Woman
• The Prom
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best First Feature

• Channing Godfrey Peoples – Miss Juneteenth 
• Darius Marder – Sound of Metal 
• Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman – WINNER
• Radha Blank – The 40-Year-Old Version
• Regina King – One Night In Miami 

Best Animated Film

• Onward 
• Over The Moon
• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• Wolfwalkers – WINNER

Best International Film

• Another Round
• Bacurau 
• I’m No Longer Here
• La Llorona – WINNER
• Two of Us 

Best Documentary (tie)

• All In: The Fight For Democracy – WINNER
• Boys State
• Class Action Park – WINNER
• Dick Johnson is Dead
• Time 

Best Action Film

• Bad Boys for Life 
• Birds of Prey – WINNER
• Extraction
• Tenet
• The Old Guard

Best Blockbuster Film

• Birds of Prey – WINNER
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Tenet
• The Old Guard 
• Wonder Woman 1984

Best Comedy/Musical Film

• Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
• On the Rocks 
• Palm Springs – WINNER
• The Personal History of David Copperfield 
• The Prom 

Best Horror Film

• Freaky
• His House
• Host
• Relic 
• The Invisible Man – WINNER

Best Indie Film 

• Black Bear 
• First Cow 
• Minari – WINNER
• Miss Juneteenth
• Palm Springs

Best Short Film

• Burrow 
• Canvas
• Cops And Robbers
• If Anything Happens, I Love You
• The Heart Still Hums – WINNER

Best Cinematography 

• Erik Messerschmidt – Mank
• Dariusz Wolski – News of The World
• Joshua James Richards – Nomadland – WINNER
• Hoyte van Hoytema – Tenet
• Martin Ruhe – The Midnight Sky

Best Stunts

• Birds of Prey – WINNER
• Extraction
• Tenet
• The Old Guard
• Wonder Woman 1984

Best Score

• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Mank
• Emile Mosseri – Minari
• James Newton Howard – News of The World
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste – Soul – WINNER
• Alexandre Desplat – The Midnight Sky

Best Original Song

• Husavik (My Hometown) – Eurovision Song Contest – WINNER
• Rocket to the Moon – Over the Moon
• Speak Now – One Night in Miami
• Turntables – All In: The Fight for Democracy
• Wear Your Crown – The Prom

Best Hair & Makeup

• Deborah La Mia Denaver and Adruitha Lee – Birds of Prey
• Eryn Krueger, Mekash Patricia Dehaney, and Matthew Mungle – Hillbilly Elegy
• Kimberley Spiteri, Colleen LaBaff, Gigi Williams, and Michelle Audrina Kim – Mank
• Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry, Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon and Jamika Wilson – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
• Angela Wells and Daniel Curet – Promising Young Woman

Best Costume Design

• Erin Benach – Birds of Prey
• Alexandra Byrne – Emma
• Trish Summerville – Mank
• Ann Roth – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• Suzie Harman – The Personal History of David Copperfield – WINNER

Best Production Design

• Kave Quinn – Emma
• Donald Graham Burt – Mank – WINNER
• Mark Ricker – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• Cristina Casali – The Personal History of David Copperfield
• Jamie Walker McCall – The Prom

Best Film Editing

• Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
• Frédéric Thoraval – Promising Young Woman
• Yorgos Lamprinos – The Father
• Andy Canny – The Invisible Man
• Alan Baumgarten – The Trial of the Chicago 7 – WINNER

Best Visual Effects

• Greg Steele and Annemarie Griggs – Birds of Prey
• Ged Wright – Sonic the Hedgehog
• Andrew Jackson – Tenet
• Jonathan Dearing – The Invisible Man – WINNER
• Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins, and Max Solomon – The Midnight Sky

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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.

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