Minnesota Film Critics go for ‘Nomadland,’ Delroy Lindo, ‘Wolfwalkers’ in first ever awards

In their inaugural awards, the Minnesota Film Critics Alliance (MFCA) voted Nomadland as the best picture of 2020 and Chloé Zhao as best director. The film also won for its cinematography.

Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) and Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) tied for Best Actor, Carey Mulligan was named Best Actress for Promising Young Woman and the supporting awards went to Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Yuh-jung Youn (Minari). Wolfwalkers won animated film.

The Alliance is a 17-member group and for this year’s awards, 14 participated in nominating and voting on the best of 2020. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, films released into March were eligible, allowing some titles watched in 2021 to be included.

Here is the list of nominees, winners and runners-up.

BEST PICTURE

• “Da 5 Bloods.” Producers Spike Lee, Jon Kilik, Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin.
• “The Invisible Man.” Producers Jason Blum and Kylie Du Fresne.
• “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Producers Charles King, Ryan Coogler and Shaka King.
• “Minari.” Producers Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Christina Oh.
• “Nomadland.” Producers Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao and Mollye Asher.
• “Promising Young Woman.” Producers Ben Browning, Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, Tom Ackerley and Ashley Fox.
• “Sound of Metal.” Producers Bert Hamelinck, Kathy Benz, Bill Benz and Sacha Ben Harroche.

WINNER: “Nomadland.”
RUNNER-UP: “Promising Young Woman.”

BEST DIRECTOR

• Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
• Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman.”
• Shaka King, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Spike Lee, “Da 5 Bloods.”
• Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland.”

WINNER: Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland.”
RUNNERS-UP: Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman” and Spike Lee for “Da 5 Bloods.”

BEST ACTOR

• Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal.”
• Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
• Anthony Hopkins, “The Father.”
• Delroy Lindo, “Da 5 Bloods.”
• Lakieth Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Steven Yuen, “Minari.”

WINNER: TIE between Delroy Lindo, “Da Five Bloods” and Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
RUNNERS-UP: Riz Ahmed for “Sound of Metal,” Lakieth Stanfield for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Steven Yuen for “Minari” and Anthony Hopkins for “The Father.”

BEST ACTRESS

• Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
• Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
• Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman.”
• Frances McDormand, “Nomadland.”
• Elisabeth Moss, “The Invisible Man.”
• Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman.”

WINNER: Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman.”
RUNNER-UP: Elisabeth Moss, “The Invisible Man.”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Chadwick Boseman, “Da 5 Bloods.”
• Bo Burnham, “Promising Young Woman.”
• Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Alan Kim, “Minari.”
• Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami.”
• Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal.”

WINNER: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
RUNNER-UP: Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal.”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Movie Film.”
• Olivia Colman, “The Father.”
• Dominique Fishback, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Youn Yuh-Jung, “Minari.”
• Amanda Seyfried, “Mank.”

WINNER: Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari.”
RUNNER-UP: Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Movie Film.”

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee. “Da 5 Bloods.”
• Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari.”
• Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman.”
• Charlie Kaufman, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.”
• Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
• Leigh Whannell, “The Invisible Man.”
• Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”

WINNER: Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman.”
RUNNERS-UP: Leigh Whannell for “The Invisible Man,” Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” and Aaron Sorkin for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

• K.K. Barrett, “Birds of Prey.”
• Donald Graham Burt, “Mank.”
• David Crank, “News of the World.”
• Molly Hughes, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.”
• Peter Francis, “The Father.”
• Mark Ricker, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
• Kave Quinn, “Emma.”

WINNER: K.K. Barrett, “Birds of Prey.”
RUNNER-UP: Donald Graham Burt, “Mank.”

BEST EDITING

• Alan Baumgarten, “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
• Robert Franzen, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.”
• Adam Gough, “Da 5 Bloods.”
• Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, “Sound of Metal.”
• Kristan Sprague, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Frédéric Thoraval, “Promising Young Woman.”
• Harry Yoon, “Minari.”

WINNER: Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, “Sound of Metal.”
RUNNER-UP: Robert Franzen, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Sean Bobbitt, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
• Stefan Duscio, “The Invisible Man.”
• Lachlan Milne, “Minari.”
• Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland.”
• Newton Thomas Sigel, “Da 5 Bloods.”

WINNER: Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland.”
RUNNER-UP: Stefan Duscio, “The Invisible Man.”

BEST ANIMATED FILM

• “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon.” Producer Paul Kewley.
• “Onward.” Producer Kori Rae.
• “Over the Moon.” Producers Peilin Chou and Gennie Rim.
• “Soul.” Producer Dana Murray.
• “Wolfwalkers.” Producers Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, Paul Young and Stephan Roelants.

WINNER: “Wolfwalkers.”
RUNNER-UP: “Soul.”

BEST MUSIC

• Terence Blanchard, “Da 5 Bloods.”
• “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Music by Craig Harris and Mark Isham. Featuring the song “Fight for You” by D’Mile and H.E.R., lyrics by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas.”
• Emile Mosseri, “Minari.”
• Trent Reznor, Atticus Russ and John Batiste, “Soul.”
• Benjamin Wallfisch, “The Invisible Man.”
• Anthony Willis, “Promising Young Woman.”

WINNER: “Soul.”
RUNNER-UP: “Da 5 Bloods.”

BEST SOUND WORK

• “Da 5 Bloods.”
• “Greyhound.”
• “I’m Thinking of Ending.”
• “The Invisible Man.”
• “Sound of Metal.”

WINNER: “Sound of Metal.”
RUNNER-UP: “The Invisible Man.”

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS

• “Birds of Prey.”
• “Greyhound.”
• “The Invisible Man.”
• “Mank.”
• “Mulan.”
• “Tenet.”
• “Wonder Woman 1984.”

WINNER: “The Invisible Man.”
RUNNER-UP: “Tenet.”

Image courtesy of Apple TV+/Cartoon Saloon

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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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