93rd Academy Awards Winners and Review
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
A Review of the Ceremony
Regina King walked out onto the stage to open the 93rd Academy Awards, as one of the biggest Best Director snubs; she knew how to command the start of this ceremony right, with a declaration for unity and change. During this speech, you may have noticed the same two things I did. Firstly, everything was clearly in twenty four frames per second, as if we were watching a film version of the Academy Awards. Steve Soderbergh — the mastermind behind this year’s ceremony — was going to make the Oscars his own, and by golly did he do that. With crazy camera pans, a lack of fluff (for the most part), and a focus on why everyone is in this industry, Soderbergh made Oscars purely about film all over again.
Secondly, I was caught off guard when King was zipping right into the nominees for Best Writing (Original Screenplay), and didn’t realize that this would be a different kind of a host-less affair; the last few Oscars have been without a master of ceremonies, but they usually try to pad out their time with skits and other shenanigans. That was barely the case this time. The categories were sped through for the most part, with discussions about each nominee mostly replacing clips from their respective films; a unique, nice touch that may not be for everybody, but it felt special for me. What didn’t get cut short were the speeches, which felt longer than ever, since there wasn’t an orchestra to cut everyone off (Questlove was the disc jockey for the ceremony, and he was feeling courteous enough to wait).
Later on, I was very aware of just how strange the layout of the categories was. Chloé Zhao won for Best Directing very early on (within the first five or six nominees, I believe), but her film Nomadland winning Best Picture before Best Actor and Actress were announced may be even stranger. Otherwise, the night was a bit of a meshing of each category, in Soderbergh’s own peculiar way. Musical categories were left until the end. Shorts were spread out. Everything felt so up in the air, which certainly helps the Oscars feel unpredictable to some degree, I suppose.
On the topic of unpredictability, Soderbergh knew to have both major acting awards last, as Frances McDormand is now a three time Best Actress winner (and a four time winner, including her producer credit for Nomadland) and was the sole survivor of the most competitive category of the year. Then, there was Sir Anthony Hopkins, finally securing that second Best Actor award for his brilliant, touching performance in The Father, which will likely land as the biggest shock of the evening (which was saved for last); him beating out Chadwick Boseman’s posthumous nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a bit of a difficult pill to swallow, and likely will be for some time, but it’s Sir Anthony Hopkins, for crying out loud! Another major upset was H.E.R. being able to turn Judas and the Black Messiah into a two time winner for her Best Original Song “Fight For You", but that category was such a toss up anyway.
Otherwise, we had business as usual. Daniel Kaluuyah won for Best Supporting Actor (Judas and the Black Messiah), and Yuh-Jung Youn for Best Supporting Actress (Minari); both winners will be memorable for their speeches (with Kaluuyah discussing his parents having sex to make him being a miracle, and his mother’s baffled live reaction to this, and Youn being the most charming, hilarious speaker of the entire evening in every way). The Academy Awards like having each Best Picture nominee go home with something. Riz Ahmed went home empty handed, but he got to grant his film Sound of Metal with an award for Best Sound; the film would also win for Best Film Editing. Emerand Fennell won Best Original Screenplay for her debut film Promising Young Woman, and The Father secured its second win for the Adapted variant. Mank did reasonably well with two wins back-to-back (Best Production Design and CInematography). Then, there was The Trial of the Chicago 7: once touted as the possible Best Picture winner, only to be the only nominee of the category to go home empty handed.
Other events include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Soul picking up two awards each (Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume for the former, Animated Feature and Original Score for the latter), Tenet continuing Christopher Nolan’s Oscar history with a win for Visual Effects, and the three short films (Colette for Documentary (Short Subject), If Anything Happens I Love You for Animated Short, and Two Distant Strangers for Live Action Short). Bryan Cranston provided the MPTF with an honourary Oscar (the first time the award went to a company and/or institution and not a person), and Viola Davis gave her friend Tyler Perry his own Oscar as well; Perry gifted the evening with a loving speech that ranks up there as one of the best of the night. Another speech worth mentioning was that of Thomas Vinterberg, whose Another Round won for Best International Feature Film early on; his tribute to his late daughter was an early heartbreaking moment.
Overall, the Oscars went kind of as expected: lots of obvious wins, and some major shake ups. As a ceremony, it felt not too shabby. The cinematic quality of the night felt just right, especially since much of the self-patting-on-the-back was replaced with actually interesting tidbits and recollections. Outside of the Best Original Song trivia moment (Glenn Close had to win somehow tonight, and she did so by stealing the moment with her apparent in-depth knowledge of music and her certain funky dance moves), there wasn’t any fluff at all. Considering the social distancing, the ability to have as many nominees there as possible, and the heart that went into the appreciation of film over the celebration of social status, these Oscars were alright. I personally feel like not having Best Picture last was a bit of a stupid decision, to be frank; my guess was that Chadwick Boseman was anticipated to win and was placed last, but you can’t take these gambles (especially since it clearly didn’t pay off, with Hopkins winning and not even being there; Joaquin Phoenix’s worst nightmare of being the sole focus of the Academy Awards came true). Furthermore, it’s the biggest award of the night; why wouldn’t you have Best Picture last? Outside of this one major mess up, I feel like the other bold risks paid off. I’m glad Soderbergh tried something a wee bit different, especially in a time of uncertainty.
The Winners
Picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland WINNER
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Directing
Another Round-Thomas Vinterberg
Mank-David Fincher
Minari-Lee Isaac Chung
Nomadland-Chloé Zhao WINNER
Promising Young Woman-Emerald Fennell
Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed-Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman-Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins-The Father WINNER
Gary Oldman-Mank
Steven Yeun-Minari
Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis-Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day-The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Vanesa Kirby-Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand-Nomadland WINNER
Carey Mulligan-Promising Young Woman
Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen-The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya-Judas and the Black Messiah WINNER
Leslie Odom, Jr.-One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci-Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield-Judas and the Black Messiah
Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova-Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close-Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman-The Father
Amanda Seyfried-Mank
Yuh-Jung Youn-Minari WINNER
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm-Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimmer & Peter Bayham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
The Father-Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller WINNER
Nomadland-Screenplay by Chloé Zhao
One Night in Miami…-Screenplay by Kemp Powers
The White Tiger-Screenplay by Ramin Bahrani
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Judas and the Black Messiah-Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King, Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
Minari-Screenplay by Lee Isaac Chung
Promising Young Woman-Screenplay by Emerald Fennell WINNER
Sound of Metal-Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder, Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
The Trial of the Chicago 7-Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
International Feature Film
Another Round WINNER
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Animated Feature Film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul WINNER
Wolfwalkers
Documentary Feature
Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher WINNER
Time
Cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah-Sean Bobbitt
Mank-Erik Messerschmidt WINNER
News of the World-Dariusz Wolski
Nomadland-Joshua James Richards
The Trial of the Chicago 7-Phedon Papamichael
Live Action Short Film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers WINNER
White Eye
Animated Short Film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You WINNER
Opera
Yes-People
Documentary Short Subject
Colette WINNER
A Concerto Is A Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song For Latasha
Music (Original Score)
Da 5 Bloods-Terrence Blanchard
Mank-Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Minari-Emile Mosseri
News of the World-James Newtan Howard
Soul-Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste WINNER
Music (Original Song)
”Fight For You”-Judas and the Black Messiah, Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emille II, Lyric by H.E.R and Tiara Thomas WINNER
”Hear My Voice”-The Trial of the Chicago 7, Music by Daniel Pemberton, Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
”Husavik”-Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
”Io Sì (Seen)”-The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti A Se), Music by Diane Warren, Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
”Speak Now”-One Night in Miami…, Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Sound
Greyhound-Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders & David Wyman
Mank-Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance & Drew Kunin
News of the World-Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller & John Pritchett
Soul-Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott & David Parker
Sound of Metal-Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés & Phillip Bladh WINNER
Film Editing
The Father-Yorgos Lamprinos
Nomadland-Chloé Zhao
Promising Young Woman-Frédéric Thoraval
Sound of Metal-Mikkel E. G. Nielsen WINNER
The Trial of the Chicago 7-Alan Baumgarten
Costume Design
Emma-Alexandra Byrne
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom-Ann Roth WINNER
Mank-Truth Summerville
Mulan-Bina Daigeler
Pinocchio-Massima Cantini Parrini
Production Design
The Father-Production Design: Peter Francis, Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom-Production Design: Mark Ricker, Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara & Diana Stoughton
Mank-Production Design: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Jon Pascale WINNER
News of the World-Production Design: David Crank, Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
Tenet-Production Design: Nathan Crawley, Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
Makeup and Hairstyling
Emma-Marese Langan, Laura Allen & Claudia Stolze
Hillbilly Elegy-Eryn Krueger Mekash, Mattew Mungle & Patricia Dehaney
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom-Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal & Jamika Wilson WINNER
Mank-Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri & Colleen LaBaff
Pinocchio-Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli & Francesco Pegoretti
Visual Effects
Love and Monsters-Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt & Brian Cox
The Midnight Sky-Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon & David Watkins
Mulan-Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury & Steve Ingram
The One and Only Ivan-Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones & Santiago Colomo Martinez
Tenet-Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley & Scott Fisher WINNER
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.