Music City Film Critics awards: ‘The Power of the Dog’ is Best Picture; Jessica Chastain and Nicolas Cage are lead acting winners

The Music City Film Critics Association (MCFCA) has announced its winners for the MCFCA 2022 Film Awards. The association is comprised of more than 30 professional film critics working in or near Nashville, Tennessee.

The Power of the Dog was the big winner with four awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay. Dune comes away with the second-most awards with three: Best Score, Best Sound, and Best Production Design.

Nicolas Cage (Pig) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) were named Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, and Ann Dowd (Mass) was named Best Supporting Actress.

“While there were no ties for this year’s awards, there were a lot of close votes, and in the end, 15 different films accounted for our 24 awards,” Sean Atkins, President of the MCFCA said. “That speaks to how exceptional 2021 was for film.”

“Once again the Music City Film Critics have honored a unique group of films and performances that showcase the unique quality presented throughout 2021,” Vice President Micheal Compton added.

Each year the MCFCA gives out The Jim Ridley Award, a special award named after one of Nashville’s most beloved film critics, who died at age 50 in 2016. It is given to the film or the person that best represents Nashville and Tennessee. This year’s recipient is Potsy Ponciroli’s Old Henry, an independent film shot just outside of Nashville and starring Tim Blake Nelson.

Here is the complete list of winners.

Best Picture

Belfast
C’mon C’mon
CODA
Dune
Licorice Pizza
The French Dispatch
The Harder They Fall
The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Tick, Tick…BOOM!
West Side Story

Best Director

Denis Villeneuve, Dune
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Best Actor

Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick…BOOM!
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Nicolas Cage, Pig – WINNER
Simon Rex, Red Rocket
Will Smith, King Richard

Best Actress

Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER
Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

Best Supporting Actor

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
Colman Domingo, Zola
Jason Isaacs, Mass
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Troy Kotsur, CODA

Best Supporting Actress

Ann Dowd, Mass – WINNER
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Caitriona Balfe, Belfast
Kathryn Hunter, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Best Screenplay

Belfast
The French Dispatch
Licorice Pizza
Mass
The Power of the Dog – WINNER

Best Animated Film

Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon

Best Documentary

Flee
Summer of Soul – WINNER
The First Wave
The Rescue
Val

Best International Film

Drive My Car – WINNER
Flee
The Hand of God
Titane
The Worst Person in the World

Best Young Actor

Cooper Hoffman, Licorice Pizza
Jude Hill, Belfast – WINNER
Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place Part II
Reyn Doi, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Woody Norman, C’mon C’mon

Best Young Actress

Emilia Jones, CODA – WINNER
McKenna Grace, Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place Part II
Rachel Zegler, West Side Story
Saniyya Sidney, King Richard

Best Acting Ensemble

Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Mass
The Harder They Fall – WINNER

Best Cinematography

Belfast
Dune
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth – WINNER
West Side Story

Best Editing

Belfast
Dune
Last Night in Soho – WINNER
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog

Best Production Design

Dune – WINNER
Last Night in Soho
Nightmare Alley
The French Dispatch
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Score

Germaine Franco, Encanto
Hans Zimmer, Dune – WINNER
Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog
Jonny Greenwood, Spencer
Nicholas Britell, Don’t Look Up

Best Original Song

“Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto
“Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall
“Just Look Up” – Don’t Look Up
“No Time to Die” – No Time to Die – WINNER
“So May We Start” – Annette

Best Sound

A Quiet Place Part II
Dune – WINNER
No Time to Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Power of the Dog

Best Action Film

Dune
No Time to Die
Nobody
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home – WINNER

Best Comedy Film

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Don’t Look Up
Free Guy
Licorice Pizza – WINNER
Red Rocket

Best Horror Film

A Quiet Place Part II – WINNER
Lamb
Last Night in Soho
Malignant
The Night House

Best Music Film

In the Heights
Respect
Summer of Soul
Tick, Tick…BOOM! – WINNER
West Side Story