Spirit Awards nominations: ‘Minari,’ ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ lead film; ‘I May Destroy You,’ ‘P-Valley’ recognized in television
First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Nomadland earn Best Feature nominations; Miss Juneteenth, Nine Days and I Carry You With Me perform
The nominations for the 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced, virtually, this morning and Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari led the field with seven and six mentions apiece.
Ahead of the nominations, Film Independent president Josh Welsh announced that 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 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 director category was a shining example of increased efforts for diversity and visibility with four of the five nominees being women – Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Kelly Reichardt (First Cow) and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) – and the lone male being Lee Isaac Chung for Minari.
Best Feature nominees were First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Nomadland. Best First Feature nominees were I Carry You With Me, The 40-Year Old Version, Miss Juneteenth, Nine Days and Sound of Metal.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Miss Juneteenth made a strong showing, with Ma Rainey earning four acting nominations along with Best Feature and Miss Juneteenth earning two acting nominations, Female Lead for Nicole Beharie and Supporting Female for Alexis Chikaeze.
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.
In the new television categories, I May Destroy You, The Great, P-Valley, Unorthodox and Little America were among the shows nominated with performances by Adam Ali, Elle Fanning, Shira Hass, Nicco Annan recognized.
The nominations were announced by previous Spirit Award winners Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) and Laverne Cox (Promising Young Woman).
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.
This year, like it’s Gotham Awards counterpart, introduced television shows for recognition as well as performances and documentary series categories.
The ceremony, which usually happens on a beach in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars, will now occur on April 22 (three days before the Academy Awards) and be broadcast on IFC and AMC+ on April 23.
Here is the full list of nominations.
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
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
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
BEST SCREENPLAY
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
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
James Sweeney, Straight Up
BEST MALE LEAD
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
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
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee, First Cow
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
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
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
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
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
BACURAU (Brazil)
Director: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
HAROLD TORRES – ZeroZeroZero
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
I MAY DESTROY YOU
ENSEMBLE CAST: Michaela Coel,
Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia,
Stephen Wight
Image courtesy of courtesy of Focus Features
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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