‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘Minari’ lead Latino Entertainment Journalists nominations

The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) announced today the film nominees for the third annual Latino Entertainment Film Awards. The winners will be revealed via the LEJA social media channels on Sunday, March 7 beginning at 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT.

This year’s film nominees are led by Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom from director George C. Wolfe, which earned 10 nominations including best picture, best actor for Chadwick Boseman, best actress for Viola Davis, best supporting actor for Colman Domingo, best adapted screenplay for Ruben Santiago-Hudson, best ensemble casting, best production and set design, best costume design, best hair and makeup and best sound.

Lee Isaac Chung’s heartfelt Korean immigrant family drama Minari was next with nine nominations including best picture, best director and original screenplay for Chung, best actor for Steven Yeun, best supporting actress for Yuh-Jung Youn, best ensemble, best cinematography, best score and best international feature.

Chloé Zhao received the most individual nominations for directing, writing, producing and editing Searchlight Pictures’ Nomadland, the most for any woman in the history of LEJA.

Aunt and niece Sônia and Alice Braga both earned nominations, in two different categories, Sônia in supporting actress for her work in the Brazilian film Bacurau and Alice for her voice in the animated film Soul.

In the studio tally, Netflix leads with a total of 42 nominations with Amazon Studios nabbing an impressive 14 total.

“It’s been an extremely difficult year for our industry and our Latinx community,” said LEJA Founder and President Clayton Davis. “While we are honored to highlight the stunning achievements from this cinematic year, our underserved and undervalued people have faced unprecedented challenges. The beautiful and extraordinary films are pieces of art and we share in their celebration. It’s also incredibly important that the same diversity we are beginning to see in our entertainment medium be adopted in the journalism industry. It is the responsibility of the studios, and their partner publications to seek, hire and welcome more Latinx voices onto the pages of their magazines and websites. Another vibrant and inclusive year is ahead of us, and we hope to no longer be overlooked.”

It was also announced that Academy Award nominee Rosie Perez is the recipient of the 2021 Rita Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2021 Latino Activism Award, the first person to receive both prizes in the same year. Perez had a starring role in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey from earlier in 2020 and co-starred in The Flight Attendant for HBO Max in the fall. Breakout performer Ariana DeBose will be honored with the 2021 Latino Activism Award after starring in Disney+’s Hamilton and Netflix’s The Prom.

Winners will be announced via @LEJALatino social platforms on Sunday, March 7 beginning at 12:00 PM ET. Here is the full list of nominations.

Best Picture

• I Carry You with Me (Sony Pictures Classics) – Mynette Louie, Heidi Ewing, Gabriela Maire, Edher Campos
• Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – Ryan Coogler, Charles D. King, Shaka King
• La Llorona (Shudder) – Jayro Bustamante, Gustavo Matheu
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf
• Minari (A24) – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh
• Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao
• One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios) – Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Jody Klein
• Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – Ben Browning, Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, Ashley Fox
• Soul (Pixar) – Dana Murray
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – Stuart M. Besser, Matt Jackson, Marc Platt, Tyler Thompson

Best Director

• Jayro Bustamante, La Llorona (Shudder)
• Lee Isaac Chung, Minari (A24)
• Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
• Regina King, One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• Kelly Reichardt, First Cow (A24)
• Chloé Zhao, Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)

Best Actor

• Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
• Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Armando Espitia, I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Anthony Hopkins, The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Steven Yeun, Minari (A24)

Best Actress

• Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
• Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)
• Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman (Netflix)
• Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
• Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear (Momentum Pictures)

Best Supporting Actor

• Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
• Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
• Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• Paul Raci, Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)

Best Supporting Actress

• Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Studios)
• Sônia Braga, Bacurau (Kino Lorber)
• Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman (Netflix)
• Olivia Colman, The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
• Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari (A24)

Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance

• Cathy Ang, Over the Moon (Netflix)
• Alice Braga, Soul (Pixar)
• Tina Fey, Soul (Pixar)
• Jamie Foxx, Soul (Pixar)
• Tom Holland, Onward (Pixar)
• Phillipa Soo, Over the Moon (Netflix)

Best Animated Feature

• On-Gaku: Our Sound (GKIDS) – Kenji Iwaisawa
• Onward (Pixar) – Dan Scanlon
• Over the Moon (Netflix) – Glen Keane, John Kahrs
• Soul (Pixar) – Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
• Wolfwalkers (Apple TV+/GKIDS) – Tomm Moore, Ross Stewar
• The Wolf House (Kimstim Films) – Cristobal León, Joaquín Cociña

Best International Feature

• Another Round (Denmark) – Thomas Vinterberg
• Bacurau (Brazil) – Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles
• I Carry You with Me (Mexico) – Heidi Ewing
• I’m No Longer Here (Mexico) – Fernando Frias de la Parra
• La Llorona (Guatemala) – Jayro Bustamante
• Minari (USA) – Lee Isaac Chung

Best Documentary Feature

• Boys State (A24/Apple TV Plus) – Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
• Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) – Nicole Newnham, James Lebrecht
• Dick Johnson Is Dead (Netflix) – Kirsten Johnson
• MLK/FBI (IFC Films) – Sam Pollard
• Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix) – Cristina Costantini Kareem Tabsch
• Time (Amazon Studios) – Garrett Bradley

Best Original Screenplay

• The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix) – Radha Blank
• Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros) – Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas, Kenneth Lucas
• La Llorona (Shudder) – Jayro Bustamante
• Minari (A24) – Lee Isaac Chung
• Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) – Emerald Fennell
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) – Aaron Sorkin

Best Adapted Screenplay

• The Father (Sony Pictures Classics) – Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
• First Cow (A24) – Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt
• I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix) – Charlie Kaufman
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) – Ruben Santiago-Hudson
• Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) – Chloé Zhao
• One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios) – Kemp Powers

Best Ensemble Casting

• Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Hamilton (Disney Plus)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Minari (A24)
• One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

Best Production & Set Design

• Emma. (Focus Features)
• The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Mank (Netflix)
• Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)

Best Cinematography

• First Cow (A24)
• I’m No Longer Here (Netflix)
• La Llorona (Shudder)
• Mank (Netflix)
• Minari (A24)
• Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)

Best Costume Design

• Emma. (Focus Features)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Mank (Netflix)
• Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
• One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)

Best Editing

• The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Mank (Netflix)
• The Mole Agent (Gravitas Ventures)
• Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)
• Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

Best Hair and Makeup

• Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)
• Emma. (Focus Features)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
• The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)

Best Sound

• La Llorona (Shudder)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Mank (Netflix)
• Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
• Soul (Pixar)
• Tenet (Warner Bros)

Best Visual Effects

• The Invisible Man (Universal Pictures)
• Mank (Netflix)
• The Midnight Sky (Netflix)
• Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Tenet (Warner Bros)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros)

Best Stunt Design

• Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)
• The Invisible Man (Universal Pictures)
• Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
• The Old Guard (Netflix)
• Tenet (Warner Bros)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros)

Best Musical Score

• Da 5 Bloods (Netflix) – Terence Blanchard
• Emma. (Focus Features) – Isobel Waller-Bridge, David Schweltzer
• Minari (A24) – Emile Moseeri
• News of the World (Universal Pictures) – James Newton Howard
• Tenet (Warner Bros) – Ludwig Göransson
• Soul (Pixar) – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Song

• “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix)
• “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
• “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (Netflix)
• “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
• “Rocket to the Moon” from Over the Moon (Netflix)
• “Ultraluminary” from Over the Moon (Netflix) 

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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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