London Film Critics winners: ‘Nomadland’ is Film of the Year, Maria Bakalova wins again

The London Film Critics Circle have named Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland the best film of 2020, also awarding Zhao Screenwriter of the Year and star Frances McDormand Actress of the Year.

Rose Glass’s unholy horror Saint Maud led the field with eight mentions, winning the Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker for Glass and British/Irish Actress of the Year for star Morfydd Clark.

Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, about a young teenage girl who finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother after being abandoned by their single mother, was next with six nominations and for its casting.

Joining McDormand in acting wins were Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) as Actor of the Year. Boseman’s co-star Colman Domingo accepted on behalf of the late actor, quoting from Boseman himself saying “You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking.” Maria Bakalova picked up another supporting actress win for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, beating out Ellen Burstyn in Pieces of a Woman and Amanda Seyfried in Mank, among others.

Steve McQueen was named Director of the Year for his five-film series Small Axe, which also won Shaun Parkes the supporting actor prize over Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Chadwick Boseman in Da 5 Bloods, among others.

Here is the full list of winner, in bold.

Film of the Year

About Endlessness
Collective
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Lovers Rock
The Mauritanian
Minari
Nomadland – WINNER
Promising Young Woman
Rocks
Saint Maud

Foreign Language Film of the Year

About Endlessness
Another Round – WINNER
Collective
Les Misérables
Minari

Documentary of the Year

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
Collective – WINNER
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Time
The Truffle Hunters

The Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year

The Father
Lovers Rock
Mangrove
Rocks
Saint Maud – WINNER

Director of the Year

David Fincher – Mank
Rose Glass – Saint Maud
Kevin Macdonald – The Mauritanian
Steve McQueen – Small Axe – WINNER
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

Screenwriter of the Year

Jack Fincher – Mank
Rose Glass – Saint Maud
Charlie Kaufman – I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland – WINNER

Actress of the Year

Morfydd Clark – Saint Maud
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand – Nomadland – WINNER
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Actor of the Year

Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
Tahar Rahim – The Mauritanian

Supporting Actress of the Year

Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – WINNER
Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman
Essie Davis – Babyteeth
Jennifer Ehle – Saint Maud
Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Supporting Actor of the Year

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
Aldis Hodge – Clemency
Ben Mendelsohn – Babyteeth
Shaun Parkes – Mangrove – WINNER

British/Irish Actress of the Year (for body of work)

Bukky Bakray – Rocks
Jessie Buckley – I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Misbehaviour
Morfydd Clark – Eternal Beauty, Saint Maud – WINNER
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman, The World to Come
Carey Mulligan – The Dig, Promising Young Woman

British/Irish Actor of the Year (for body of work)

Riz Ahmed – Mogul Mowgli, Sound of Metal – WINNER
Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Trial of the Chicago 7
John Boyega – Red, White and Blue
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Cosmo Jarvis – Calm With Horses, Nocturnal

The Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker

Henry Blake – County Lines
Fyzal Boulifa – Lynn + Lucy
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Rose Glass – Saint Maud – WINNER
Remi Weekes – His House

Young British/Irish Perfomer

Kosar Ali – Rocks
Bukky Bakray – Rocks – WINNER
Millie Bobby Brown – Enola Holmes
Conrad Khan – County Lines
Molly Windsor – Make Up

British/Irish Short Film

Filipiñana – Rafael Manuel, director
Hungry Joe – Paul Holbrook, director
Lizard – Akinola Davies Jr, director
The Long Goodbye – Aneil Karia, director – WINNER
The Shift – Laura Carreira, director

Technical Achievement

Ammonite – Stéphane Fontaine, cinematography
Birds of Prey – Deborah Lamia Denaver & Adruitha Lee, makeup & hair
Lovers Rock – Mica Levi, music
Mank – Donald Graham Burt, production design
Nomadland – Joshua James Richards, cinematography
Rocks – Lucy Pardee, casting – WINNER
Soul – Pete Docter, animation
Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, sound design
Tenet – Jennifer Lame, film editing
WolfWalkers – Tomm Moore & Ross Stewart, animation