If nothing else, this past year has certainly taught people a thing or two about rearranging their expectations. From habitual gym rats making do at home with modified prison workouts to educators who find themselves now teaching from the very screens they’ve tried to eradicate from their classrooms, 2020 (and now 2021) have made us all experts in the field of embracing major adjustments. And it should be noted that such changes are often positive and exciting.
Take the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which this morning announced the nominees of its 36th annual awards ceremony, set to air Thursday, April 22 at 10pm ET and 7pm PT—a temporary (and exciting!) break from the show’s usual spot as a live daytime event the day before the Oscars.
Also, new this year: for the first time in history, the Spirit Awards will be recognizing outstanding achievement in the uniqueness of vision, innovation, and boldness of vision in TV and streaming as well as a feature film. The nominees were revealed on Film Independent’s YouTube channel this morning, courtesy of presenters Olivia Wilde, Barry Jenkins, and Laverne Cox:
Conversely, we are grateful, too, for the things that never change—like the fact that Spirit Award winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members. This year, join by February 11 to receive awards screeners and full Spirit Award Member benefits. And as of this morning, you have some added incentive…
So! Without further delay, here are this year’s nominees:
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 is 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, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; Award is 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
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
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 is 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 is 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
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.
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
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
(Award is given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
ATLANTA’S MISSING AND MURDERED: THE LOST CHILDREN
Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius
CITY SO REAL
Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James
Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder
IMMIGRATION NATION
Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson
Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber
LOVE FRAUD
Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman
WE’RE HERE
Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram
Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco
Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
(Award is given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
I MAY DESTROY YOU
Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel
Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni
LITTLE AMERICA
Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon
SMALL AXE
Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen
A TEACHER
Creator/Executive Producer: Hanna Fidell
Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst
Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski
UNORTHODOX
Creator/Executive Producer: Anna Winger
Creator: Alexa Karolinski
Executive Producer: Henning Kamm
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A 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
Adam Ali, Little America
Nicco Annan, P-Valley
Conphidance, Little America
Amit Rahav, Unorthodox
Harold Torres, ZeroZeroZero
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
I MAY DESTROY YOU
Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wight
Said Josh Welsh, President Film Independent: “2020 was Hell on Earth. But one glorious lifeline these past months has been the ability to watch so many great films and shows.” He added, “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. And even though we’re still stuck at home, let’s come together to celebrate this great work!”
The 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast Thursday, April 22 at 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT exclusively on IFC and AMC+.
To learn more about supporting Film Independent’s mission and programs, contact Jennifer Murby at jmurby@filmindependent.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Stephanie Terifay at sterifay@filmindependent.org.
The Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsor IFC. FIJI Water is the Official Water. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. We are also honored to be partnering with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) SeeHer, the leading global movement for gender equality in media, advertising, marketing, and entertainment, and AMC Networks to further celebrate and act as a catalyst for accurate and meaningful representation in storytelling.
