Awards Season 2020-21: Critics Groups Salad V

Been a while since I’ve done one of these. Got a lot of groups to go over – 16, in fact. Most aren’t going to impact the Oscar race in of themselves, but they help us to read the season.

This time around, the groups are:

• African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)
• Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA)
• Critics’ Choice Awards (CCA)
• Detroit Film Critics Society (DFCS)
• Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA)
• Hollywood Critics Association (HCA)
• Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA)
• Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS)
• Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA)
• Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS)
• Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC)
• Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC)
• Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS)
• Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA)
• Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC)
• Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC)

Picture:

• AAFCA: Judas and the Black Messiah
• AFCA: Minari
• CCA: Nomadland
• DFCS: Nomadland
• GFCA: Nomadland
• HCA: Promising Young Woman
• IFCA: Nomadland
• LVFCS: Nomadland
• LEJA: Nomadland
• NFCS: Promising Young Woman
• OAFFFC: Promising Young Woman
• PCC: Minari
• PFCS: Nomadland
• SEFCA: Nomadland
• VFCC: Nomadland
• WFCC: Promising Young Woman*

*The WFCC award is technically for “Best Movie About Women”; likewise, their Director, Screenplay, and Documentary categories are specifically for films by and/or about women.

A near sweep for Nomadland, with a few nods for Young Woman and Minari (and one for Judas). While the major industry awards have yet to be announced, it’s looking less and less likely that anything can overtake Nomadland. I’ll get into more detail about this when I do my final Oscar predictions, but right now Young Woman might actually be the biggest threat in Picture.

Director:

• AAFCA: Regina King, One Night in Miami
• AFCA: Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
• CCA: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• DFCS: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• GFCA: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• HCA: Darius Marder, Sound of Metal (male)/Chloe Zhao, Nomadland (female)
• IFCA: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• LVFCS: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• LEJA: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• NFCS: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
• OAFFFC: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• PCC: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• PFCS: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• SEFCA: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• VFCC: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
• WFCC: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

And another near-sweep for Zhao, with Chung and Fennell offering only faint challenges (and both from groups that went with their films for Picture). It’s even harder to imagine her losing the Oscar. It’s nice to see Marder get a nod since the HCA splits their Director award by gender; his direction was really quite strong (if not as strong as Zhao’s).

Actor:

• AAFCA: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• AFCA: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• CCA: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• DFCS: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods
• GFCA: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• HCA: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods
• IFCA: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• LVFCS: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• LEJA: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• NFCS: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal and Anthony Hopkins, The Father (tie)
• OAFFFC: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• PCC: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• PFCS: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• SEFCA: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• VFCC: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• WFCC: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Boseman continues to dominate; Riz Ahmed pops up in a few places (and Delroy Lindo manages a couple of late nods), but Boseman should have this award in the bag.

Actress:

• AAFCA: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
• AFCA: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• CCA: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• DFCS: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• GFCA: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• HCA: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• IFCA: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• LVFCS: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• LEJA: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• NFCS: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• OAFFFC: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• PCC: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• PFCS: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• SEFCA: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• VFCC: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• WFCC: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

This category is a bit more open; aside from the one win for Day, the other 15 awards are split between Mulligan and McDormand, 10-5. That would seem to tip the scales heavily in Mulligan’s favor, but her Globe loss (to Day) and BAFTA snub (opening the door for McDormand to win) complicate matters somewhat. SAG will be key here.

Supporting Actor:

• AAFCA: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• AFCA: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• CCA: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• DFCS: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• GFCA: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
• HCA: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
• IFCA: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
• LVFCS: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• LEJA: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• NFCS: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• OAFFFC: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• PCC: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• PFCS: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
• SEFCA: Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
• VFCC: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Daniel Kaluuya wins 11 out of 15 groups with Supporting Actor awards; Paul Raci manages a few nods (and Sacha Baron Cohen snags one), but Kaluuya should ride the wave of acclaim for his film to a win.

Supporting Actress:

• AAFCA: Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah
• AFCA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• CCA: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
• DFCS: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• GFCA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• HCA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• IFCA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• LVFCS: Amanda Seyfried, Mank
• LEJA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• NFCS: Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
• OAFFFC: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• PCC: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• PFCS: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• SEFCA: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
• VFCC: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Probably the most open acting category, with four of the five Oscar nominees getting wins (sorry, Olivia Colman). Youn winning 10 of the 15 would seem to mark her as the favorite, but Bakalova won the Critics’ Choice, easily the most significant of these awards as far as predicting the Oscars is concerned. BAFTA and SAG, again, are key.

Ensemble:

• AAFCA: One Night in Miami
• AFCA: Minari
• CCA: The Trial of the Chicago 7
• DFCS: Minari
• GFCA: One Night in Miami
• HCA: Da 5 Bloods
• LEJA: Hamilton
• OAFFFC: One Night in Miami
• PFCS: The Trial of the Chicago 7
• SEFCA: The Trial of the Chicago 7
• WFCC: Radium Girls

The Oscars don’t have this category, of course, but SAG does, and their winner is usually a Picture frontrunner. Assuming Trial wins, it remains a contender in the Picture race, even without a Director nod.

Original/Adapted Screenplay:

• AAFCA: One Night in Miami
• AFCA: Minari/Nomadland
• CCA: Promising Young Woman/Nomadland
• DFCS: Minari/Nomadland
• GFCA: Promising Young Woman/Nomadland
• HCA: Promising Young Woman/One Night in Miami
• LVFCS: Judas and the Black Messiah/One Night in Miami
• LEJA: Minari/One Night in Miami
• NFCS: Promising Young Woman/The Father
• OAFFFC: Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Promising Young Woman (tie)/Nomadland
• PCC: One Night in Miami
• PFCS: The Trial of the Chicago 7/One Night in Miami
• SEFCA: Minari/Nomadland
• VFCC: The Trial of the Chicago 7
• WFCC: Never Rarely Sometimes Always

It’s worth noting that the WGA gave out their awards this weekend; Original Screenplay went to Promising Young Woman and Adapted went to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Since Nomadland wasn’t eligible, this won’t affect its chances of winning the Oscar. But Young Woman beat Trial of the Chicago 7, its biggest competition – and the biggest threat to beat Nomadland for Picture – and that is significant.

Young Woman also won the Critics’ Choice, which helps its cause; no film has won both and lost the Oscar. Minari has a few wins to its name as well, but at this point it would be a major upset. We still have to see what BAFTA does, but if Fennell wins that, I’d be surprised if she didn’t get the Oscar as well.

Cinematography:

• AFCA: Nomadland
• CCA: Nomadland
• GFCA: Nomadland
• HCA: Nomadland
• LVFCS: Nomadland
• LEJA: Nomadland
• NFCS: Tenet
• OAFFFC: Nomadland
• PCC: I’m Thinking of Ending Things
• PFCS: Nomadland
• SEFCA: Nomadland

Major kudos to the PCC for showing Ending Things some love. I actually think Nomadland should win this (and it very likely will), but any attention for that film is a plus in my book.

Editing:

• AFCA: Nomadland
• CCA: Sound of Metal and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (tie)
• HCA: The Trial of the Chicago 7
• LVFCS: Sound of Metal
• LEJA: Nomadland
• PFCS: The Trial of the Chicago 7

Now we get into the categories most critics groups don’t bother awarding, and here we’ve got a pretty wide array of winners; six groups and three films, two with two wins and one with three. And, of course, a tie. The industry awards will really tell the story here.

Production Design:

• CCA: Mank
• GFCA: Mank
• HCA: Mank
• LVFCS: Mank
• LEJA: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• NFCS: Mank
• PFCS: Mank

This should be Mank‘s to lose; ironic since it doesn’t even make my own top 5.

Costume Design:

• CCA: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• HCA: The Personal History of David Copperfield
• LVFCS: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• LEJA: Emma.
• PFCS: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Love that David Copperfield got some attention. I’m still pushing for Emma., but Ma Rainey might win this.

Makeup:

• CCA: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• HCA: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• LEJA: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Can’t argue too much with this. The makeup on Viola Davis impressed me greatly (although some apparently found it over-the-top).

Score:

• AFCA: Soul
• CCA: Mank
• GFCA: Soul
• HCA: Soul
• IFCA: Nomadland
• LVFCS: Soul
• LEJA: Soul
• PCC: Soul
• PFCS: Soul

I swear I’ll get around to watching Soul one of these days.

Funny that Nomadland got an award for its score, since the music wasn’t actually written for the film.

Song:

• CCA: “Speak Now,” One Night in Miami
• GFCA: “Speak Now,” One Night in Miami
• HCA: “Husavik,” Eurovision Song Contest
• IFCA: “Speak Now,” One Night in Miami
• LVFCS: “Fight For You,” Judas and the Black Messiah
• LEJA: “Speak Now,” One Night in Miami
• PFCS: “Speak Now,” One Night in Miami

“Speak Now” seems to be the heavy favorite, though you can’t be too sure just what the Academy will do here. Personally, I liked “Fight For You” a lot more.

Sound:

• DFCS: Sound of Metal*
• LEJA: Sound of Metal

*The DFCS award is technically for “Best Use of Music/Sound.

Kudos to the LEJA for actually having a Sound award. I’ve said this before, but I really don’t know why critics’ groups tend not to have many tech awards. If anyone should notice outstanding sound design (or sets, or costumes, or makeup), it’s the people who watch movies for a living.

Anyway, Sound of Metal is the easy winner. Nothing else comes close.

Visual Effects:

• CCA: Tenet
• HCA: The Invisible Man
• LVFCS: The Invisible Man
• LEJA: The Invisible Man
• NFCS: Tenet
• PFCS: Tenet

Remind me why the Effects branch of the Academy didn’t even shortlist The Invisible Man?

Foreign Language Film:

• AAFCA: Night of the Kings
• AFCA: Minari
• CCA: Minari
• GFCA: Another Round
• HCA: La Llorona
• LVFCS: Another Round
• LEJA: La Llorona
• PCC: Minari
• PFCS: Another Round
• SEFCA: Another Round
• VFCC: Minari
• WFCC: La Llorona

Given how the Oscar nominations went, Another Round should take this without breaking a sweat. Good on the AAFCA for recognizing the excellent Night of the Kings.

Animated Feature:

• AAFCA: Soul
• AFCA: Wolfwalkers
• CCA: Soul*
• DFCS: Soul
• GFCA: Soul
• HCA: Wolfwalkers
• IFCA: Soul
• LVFCS: Soul
• LEJA: Soul
• NFCS: Soul
• OAFFFC: Wolfwalkers
• PCC: Soul
• PFCS: Soul
• SEFCA: Soul

*The Critics’ Choice awards for Animated Feature and Documentary Feature are technically not part of their main awards.

11 of 14 groups go with Soul, which is the only Oscar nominee to get additional nominations. That kind of kiboshes the suspense.

Documentary Feature:

• AAFCA: All In: The Fight for Democracy
• AFCA: Boys State
• CCA: Dick Johnson is Dead
• DFCS: Dick Johnson is Dead
• GFCA: Time
• HCA: All In: The Fight for Democracy/Class Action Park
• IFCA: Dick Johnson is Dead
• LVFCS: Boys State
• LEJA: Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado
• NFCS: The Dissident
• OAFFFC: Collective
• PCC: Boys State
• PFCS: Boys State
• SEFCA: Time
• VFCC: Collective
• WFCC: Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story

And, finally, the biggest mess of any category. The actual Oscar nominees account for four awards, two for Collective and two for Time. But they didn’t nominate Boys State (four awards) or Dick Johnson (three). Weirdos.

So nothing has dramatically changed. We’ve got the PGA tomorrow, and if they go with Nomadland, I’m fairly comfortable in its chances to walk off with the Oscar. If they go with something else…then things get a little more interesting.