‘Nomadland, ‘Sound of Metal’ top 2021 Film Independent Spirit Award winners

The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards were held tonight and where Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland was the winner of Best Feature, Director, Editing and Cinematography. Right behind was Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal which took home Best Male Lead for Riz Ahmed, Best Supporting Male for Paul Raci and Best First Feature. Saturday Night Live’s Melissa Villaseñor hosted the virtual event, which was a mix of pre-taped awards and acceptance speeches and live ones from this evening.

Carey Mulligan was named Best Female Lead for Promising Young Woman, which also won Best Screenplay for director Emerald Fennell and Yuh-jung Youn won Best Supporting Female, Minari‘s sole win from its six nominations.

Two films were shut out completely: Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, which was the nomination leader with 7, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with five nominations.

Over 650 films and television shows were viewed by the nominating committees and that of all nominated writers and directors, 57% are women and 48% are BIPOC. Of all nominated actors, 69% are BIPOC. And of all 2021 nominees, 42% are women and 37% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 67% women and 63% BIPOC. “2020 was Hell on earth, but one glorious lifeline these past months has been the ability to watch so many great films and shows,” said Film Independent president Josh Welsh. “In an unbelievably challenging year, this year’s Spirit Award nominees inspired us, connected us, and have been a source of urgently needed light in the darkness. Even though we’re still stuck at home, let’s come together to celebrate this great work!”

The Robert Altman Award, which goes to a single film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, was given to One Night in Miami. Winning this award means actors cannot compete in individual acting categories. Previous winners here include Marriage Story last year and Moonlight, which went on to win Best Feature and Best Picture at the Oscars the next day.

This year, like it’s Gotham Awards counterpart, introduced television shows for recognition as well as performances and documentary series categories. In the new television categories, I May Destroy You was awarded the juried prize for Ensemble in a New Series and the competitive Best New Scripted Series award. The Great, P-Valley, Unorthodox and Little America are among the other shows nominated with Unorthodox‘s Shira Hass and Amit Rahav winning both inaugural acting awards.

Last year, Lulu Wang’s The Farewell won the best feature award, while Uncut Gems picked up prizes for Adam Sandler (Male Lead) and directing for Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie. Renée Zellweger won Female Lead for Judy and was the only winner to translate it into an Oscar win.

Here is the full list of nominations with winners in bold.

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)

FIRST COW
Producers: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf

MINARI
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
Producers: Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski

NOMADLAND [WINNER]
Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

I CARRY YOU WITH ME
Director/Producer: Heidi Ewing
Producers: Edher Campos, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION
Director/Producer: Radha Blank
Producers: Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jordan Fudge, Rishi Rajani, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe

MISS JUNETEENTH
Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples
Producers: Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jeanie Igoe, James M. Johnston, Theresa Steele Page, Neil Creque Williams

NINE DAYS
Director: Edson Oda
Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Matthew Linder, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner

SOUND OF METAL [WINNER]
Director: Darius Marder
Producers: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche

BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland [WINNER]

BEST SCREENPLAY
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman [WINNER]
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mike Makowsky, Bad Education
Alice Wu, The Half of It

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs [WINNER]
James Sweeney, Straight Up

BEST MALE LEAD
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal [WINNER]
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger
Rob Morgan, Bull
Steven Yeun, Minari

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner, The Assistant
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman [WINNER]

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee, First Cow
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal [WINNER]
Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong, Nine Days

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han, Minari
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit
Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn, Minari [WINNER]

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
Director: Regina King
Casting Directors: Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jay Keitel, She Dies Tomorrow
Shabier Kirchner, Bull
Michael Latham, The Assistant
Hélène Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards, Nomadland [WINNER]

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

BACURAU (Brazil)
Director: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho

BEST EDITING
Andy Canny, The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Merawi Gerima, Residue
Enat Sidi, I Carry You With Me
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland [WINNER]

THE DISCIPLE (India)
Director: Chaitanya Tamahane

NIGHT OF THE KINGS (Ivory Coast)
Director: Philippe Lacôte

PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME (Hungary)
Director: Lili Horvát

QUO VADIS, AIDA? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) [WINNER]
Director: Jasmila Žbanić

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

COLLECTIVE
Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau
Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana

CRIP CAMP [WINNER]
Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham
Producer: Sara Bolder

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD
Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson
Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

THE MOLE AGENT
Director: Maite Alberdi
Producer: Marcela Santibáñez

TIME
Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley
Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn

PRODUCERS AWARD (The Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films)
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim
Kara Durrett

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD (The Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition)

DAVID MIDELL
Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

EKWA MSANGI [WINNER]
Director of Farewell Amor

ANNIE SILVERSTEIN
Director of Bull

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD (The 26th Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition)

CECILIA ALDARONDO
Director of Landfall

ELEGANCE BRATTON [WINNER]
Director of Pier Kids

ELIZABETH LO
Director of Stray

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; Award given to the writer, director and producer)

THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS
Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian
Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford

LA LEYENDA NEGRA
Writer/Director: Patricia Vidal Delgado
Producers: Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez

LINGUA FRANCA
Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval
Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo

RESIDUE [WINNER]
Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima

SAINT FRANCES
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan
Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer,
Co-Executive Producer)

I MAY DESTROY YOU [WINNER]
CREATOR/EXEC PRODUCER: Michaela Coel
EXEC PRODUCERS: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni

LITTLE AMERICA
EXEC PRODUCERS: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah
Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector,
Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V.
Gordon

SMALL AXE
EXEC PRODUCERS: Tracey Scoffield, David
Tanner, Steve McQueen

A TEACHER
CREATOR/EXEC PRODUCER: Hannah Fidell
EXEC PRODUCERS: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara,
Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst
CO-EXEC PRODUCER: Daniel Pipski

UNORTHODOX
CREATOR/EXEC PRODUCER: Anna Winger
CREATOR: Alexa Karolinski
EXEC PRODUCER: Henning Kamm

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR
DOCUMENTARY SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer,
Co-Executive Producer)

ATLANTA’S MISSING AND MURDERED:
THE LOST CHILDREN
EXEC PRODUCERS: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett,
Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend,
Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius

CITY SO REAL
PRODUCED BY: Zak Piper, Steve James
EXEC PRODUCERS: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann,
Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg,
Jolene Pinder

IMMIGRATION NATION [WINNER]
EXEC PRODUCERS: Christina Clusiau,
Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin,
Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson
CO-EXEC PRODUCERS: Andrey Alistratov,
Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber

LOVE FRAUD
EXEC PRODUCERS: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing,
Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra,
Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman

WE’RE HERE
CREATOR/EXEC PRODUCERS: Stephen Warren,
Johnnie Ingram
EXEC PRODUCERS: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman,
Peter LoGreco
CO-EXEC PRODUCERS: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

ELLE FANNING – The Great
SHIRA HAAS – Unorthodox [WINNER]
ABBY MCENANY – Work In Progress
MAITREYI RAMAKRISHNAN – Never Have
I Ever
JORDAN KRISTINE SEAMÓN – We Are Who
We Are

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

CONPHIDANCE – Little America
ADAM ALI – Little America
NICCO ANNAN – P-Valley
AMIT RAHAV – Unorthodox [WINNER]
HAROLD TORRES – ZeroZeroZero

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (juried award)

I MAY DESTROY YOU
ENSEMBLE CAST: Michaela Coel,
Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia,
Stephen Wight

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Amazon Studios

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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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