Oscar nominations 2021: 'Mank' leads with 10 honors, Viola Davis makes history
The strangest awards season ever kept on its unpredictable path Monday morning, with Oscar nominations sharing the love among a number of films and no clear front-runner to be had.
David Fincher's "Citizen Kane" origin tale "Mank" led the field with 10 nominations, while Shaka King's historical thriller "Judas and the Black Messiah," Florian Zeller's dementia drama "The Father," Aaron Sorkin's courtroom drama "The Trial of the Chicago 7," Lee Isaac Chung's Korean-American Dream story "Minari," Chloé Zhao's road-trip drama "Nomadland" and Darius Marder's deaf-culture study "Sound of Metal" scored six each.
The 93rd annual Academy Awards, airing April 25 (ABC, 8 p.m. EDT/5 PDT), so far doesn't have a host – which, if that holds to form, will be the third year in a row – but does have the most diverse slate of nominated talent. In a positive move away from the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag coined five years ago, nine of the 20 acting nominees are people of color.
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The best picture competition includes "Nomadland," "Mank," "The Father," "Sound of Metal," "The Trial of the Chicago 7," "Black Messiah," "Minari," and Emerald Fennell's feminist revenge movie "Promising Young Woman."
With her best actress nomination for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," Viola Davis became the most-nominated Black actress in Oscar history. The category also features two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand ("Nomadland"), Carey Mulligan ("Promising Young Woman"), Andra Day ("The United States vs. Billie Holiday") and Vanessa Kirby ("Pieces of a Woman").
The late Chadwick Boseman garnered a posthumous best actor nomination for his work in "Ma Rainey." The category also features Anthony Hopkins ("The Father"), Steven Yeun ("Minari"), Gary Oldman ("Mank") and Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal"), who's the first Muslim performer to score a lead actor nod.
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Hopkins' "The Father" co-star Olivia Colman heads a supporting actress lineup with recent Critics Choice winner – and the first Bulgarian acting nominee ever – Maria Bakalova ("Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"), Glenn Close ("Hillbilly Elegy"), Yuh-jung Youn ("Minari") and Amanda Seyfried ("Mank").
Globe and Critics Choice supporting actor victor Daniel Kaluuya faces competition in the Oscar category from his "Judas and the Black Messiah" co-star Lakeith Stanfield, Sacha Baron Cohen ("Chicago 7"), Leslie Odom Jr. ("One Night in Miami") and Paul Raci ("Sound of Metal").
Also, for the first time two women were nominated for best director. Zhao and Emerald Fennell ("Promising Young Woman") are up for the Oscar alongside Fincher, Chung and Thomas Vinterberg ("Another Round")
Here is the list of nominees at this year's Oscars:
Best picture
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
"The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best actor
Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Best actress
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”
Best supporting actor
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
Lakeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best supporting actress
Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari"
Best director
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
David Fincher, “Mank”
Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”
Original screenplay
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Shaka King and Will Berson
“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung
“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell
“Sound of Metal,” Darius Marder and Abraham Marder
"The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin
Adapted screenplay
"Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern
"The Father," Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
"Nomadland," Chloé Zhao
"One Night in Miami," Kemp Powers
"The White Tiger," Ramin Bahran
Animated feature
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”
Original song
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
“Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami”
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Original score
"Da 5 Bloods," Terence Blanchard
"Mank," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
"Minari," Emile Mosseri
"News of the World," James Newton Howard
"Soul," Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
Cinematography
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Nomadland”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Costume design
Alexandra Byrne, “Emma”
Ann Roth, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Trish Summerville, “Mank”
Bina Daigeler, “Mulan”
Massimo Cantini Parrini, “Pinocchio"
Film editing
"The Father," Yorgos Lamprinos
"Nomadland," Chloé Zhao
"Promising Young Woman," Frédéric Thoraval
"Sound of Metal," Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
"The Trial of the Chicago 7," Alan Baumgarten
Makeup and hairstyling
"Emma"
"Hillbilly Elegy"
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
"Mank"
"Pinocchio"
Production design
"The Father"
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
"Mank"
"News of the World"
"Tenet"
Sound
“Greyhound
“Mank”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
“Sound of Metal”
Visual effects
"Love and Monsters"
"The Midnight Sky"
"Mulan"
"The One and Only Ivan"
"Tenet"
Documentary feature
"Collective"
"Crip Camp"
"The Mole Agent"
"My Octopus Teacher"
"Time"
Documentary short subject
"Colette"
"A Concerto Is a Conversation"
"Do Not Split"
"Hunger Ward"
"A Love Song for Latasha"
Animated short film
“Burrow”
“Genius Loci”
“If Anything Happens I Love You”
“Opera”
“Yes-People”
Live action short film
“Feeling Through”
“The Letter Room”
“The Present”
“Two Distant Strangers”
“White Eye”
International film
“Quo Vadis, Aida?," Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Another Round,” Denmark,
“Better Days,” Hong Kong
“Collective,” Romania
“The Man Who Sold His Skin,” Tunisia
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscar nominations 2021: 'Mank' leads with 10, including best picture