93rd Academy Awards (2021) — Winners and Ceremony Highlights
The delayed 93rd Academy Awards took place on Sunday, 25 April 2021. The ceremony combined in-person attendance in Los Angeles with remote participation from several venues worldwide. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and limited to essential guests, the event departed from the traditional Oscars format. It resembled an extended evening talk show, with guest presenters replacing a single host, a DJ in place of the usual live orchestra, and no live musical performances. Many customary elements were scaled back to accommodate pandemic-era restrictions.
Nomadland emerged as the big winner of the night, with Chloé Zhao receiving Best Director and the film taking Best Picture. Frances McDormand won Best Actress for her lead in Nomadland, earning her third Academy Award. Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for his role in The Father, a result that surprised some viewers who had expected a posthumous win for Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The evening was notable for its extended acceptance speeches, allowing winners more time at the podium than in recent ceremonies. Memorable moments included Yuh-Jung Youn’s warm and humorous speech after winning Supporting Actress for Minari, and recognition of humanitarian work with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award presented to both the Motion Picture & Television Fund and Tyler Perry.
Winners and Nominees — 93rd Academy Awards
Best Picture
- NOMADLAND — Winner
- The Father
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- Mank
- Minari
- Promising Young Woman
- Sound of Metal
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Directing
- Chloé Zhao — Nomadland — Winner
- Thomas Vinterberg — Another Round
- David Fincher — Mank
- Lee Isaac Chung — Minari
- Emerald Fennell — Promising Young Woman
Cinematography
- Erik Messerschmidt — Mank — Winner
- Sean Bobbitt — Judas and the Black Messiah
- Dariusz Wolski — News of the World
- Joshua James Richards — Nomadland
- Phedon Papamichael — The Trial of the Chicago 7
Actor in a Leading Role
- Anthony Hopkins — The Father — Winner
- Riz Ahmed — Sound of Metal
- Chadwick Boseman — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Gary Oldman — Mank
- Steven Yeun — Minari
Actress in a Leading Role
- Frances McDormand — Nomadland — Winner
- Viola Davis — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Andra Day — The United States vs. Billie Holiday
- Vanessa Kirby — Pieces of a Woman
- Carey Mulligan — Promising Young Woman
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Daniel Kaluuya — Judas and the Black Messiah — Winner
- Sacha Baron Cohen — The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Leslie Odom, Jr. — One Night in Miami
- Paul Raci — Sound of Metal
- LaKeith Stanfield — Judas and the Black Messiah
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Yuh-Jung Youn — Minari — Winner
- Maria Bakalova — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Glenn Close — Hillbilly Elegy
- Olivia Colman — The Father
- Amanda Seyfried — Mank
Adapted Screenplay
- Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller — The Father — Winner
- Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Chloé Zhao — Nomadland
- Kemp Powers — One Night in Miami
- Ramin Bahrani — The White Tiger
Original Screenplay
- Emerald Fennell — Promising Young Woman — Winner
- Will Berson & Shaka King — Judas and the Black Messiah
- Lee Isaac Chung — Minari
- Darius Marder & Abraham Marder — Sound of Metal
- Aaron Sorkin — The Trial of the Chicago 7
International Feature Film
- Another Round — Winner
- Better Days
- Collective
- The Man Who Sold His Skin
- Quo Vadis, Aida?
Animated Feature Film
- Soul — Winner
- Onward
- Over the Moon
- A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
- Wolfwalkers
Documentary Feature
- My Octopus Teacher — Winner
- Collective
- Crip Camp
- The Mole Agent
- Time
Other Key Awards
- Film Editing — Sound of Metal — Winner
- Production Design — Mank — Winner
- Costume Design — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — Winner
- Makeup and Hairstyling — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — Winner
- Visual Effects — Tenet — Winner
- Original Score — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste — Soul — Winner
- Original Song — “Fight for You” — Judas and the Black Messiah — Winner
- Achievement in Sound — Sound of Metal — Winner
- Animated Short Film — If Anything Happens I Love You — Winner
- Live-Action Short Film — Two Distant Strangers — Winner
- Documentary Short Subject — Colette — Winner
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
- Motion Picture & Television Fund — Recipient
- Tyler Perry — Recipient
The 2021 ceremony will be remembered for its pared-back production, extended acceptance speeches, and the prominence of films that explored personal and social themes. Nomadland and its creators received some of the night’s highest honors, while a wide range of films across genres and formats were recognized, reflecting a diverse year in filmmaking despite the challenges faced by the industry.