Who will win?

Starting later than usual due to the Coronavirus, the 2021 Awards Season has finally arrived. The Hollywood Foreign Press, Screen Actors Guild, and The Critics Choice released their nominations for their upcoming awards ceremonies. The differences in the nominations reveal what the critics like compared to what the actors liked. This article concentrates on the movie categories and I will highlight which titles I’d like to see win.

Best Picture/Best Cast

I have watched 6 of these movies and only plan to watch maybe 2 others. In a year that Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey existed, it’s infuriating that the only people that seem to have seen Music are the Hollywood Foreign Press. Music’s 11% Rotten Tomatoes score speaks volumes, especially compared to Jingle Jangle’s 89% score. Add in most of the reviews I’ve heard for The Prom have been less than stellar it makes you ask: What are these people watching? Then there’s Mank, a nomination that shows Hollywood’s love of films about itself and exactly where Netflix is spending their marketing budget. The buzz is saying that Nomadland is the film to beat and while it’s beautifully shot it is not the Best Film nominated.

The one thing that jumped out at me was the lack of diversity in Hollywood Foreign Press’ (HFP) picks for best picture. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami… are brilliant in every way and were snubbed for Best Picture nods by the HFP, but hey, at least Regina King was nominated for Best Director. Speaking of…

What we will celebrate is the fact that there are more women in the director category than men and there is one American Black woman and one woman of Chinese descent. Yay…diversity. I hope those that select the winner do not make an obtuse choice by picking Fincher or Sorkin.

The Acting Categories are similarly all over the place except for a few nominations. Even without the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman, I believe this would have been his year. His role as Levi in Ma’ Rainey is some of the best acting I have witnessed. It should also be noted that he is nominated with the Guild for best supporting actor for Da 5 Bloods. 

For Best Actress Tthe critics are saying the awards will go to Frances McDormand for Nomadland. I disagree, we’ve seen her do this type of understated role before. Her performance in that piece is good, however, Viola Davis transformed into Ma Rainey.

Best Supporting Actor is the one category where the three bodies seem to be in agreement. Several performances are worth the win. I’m pulling for Leslie Odom Jr. for One Night in Miami as his turn as Sam Cooke is something special,  but I wouldn’t be upset if Sacha Baron Cohen or Daniel Kaluuya won since they both gave outstanding performances. 

Finally, Best Supporting Actress, I have only watched one of these movies so I have no clue who will win or should win. I fear they will give it to Glenn Close for giving a great performance in a bad film.

Overall, I appreciate that the nominations are more inclusive but there is still some room for improvement. It appears the committees are still awarding mediocrity. The nominations for Hill Billy Elegy are proof as that movie was destroyed by the critics. I want both actresses to receive all the awards but it should be for a movie that are worthy of their talents.  I am curious to see how all of this plays on.

The Golden Globes airs on February 28^th on NBC on Sunday, February 28 at 8 pm ET

The Screen Actor Guild Awards airs on TNT and TBS on Sunday, April 4, 2021, at 9 pm ET

The Critics Choice will air live on The CW on Sunday, March 7, 2021, from 7-10 pm ET

Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15^th.