From streaming dominance to diversity volume, what to expect from Academy Awards 2021 nominations
FirstpostIn a normal year, we would have had the Oscars by now. Over the last two years, every best-picture nominee was also nominated by the Producers Guild of America, so the remaining spots could be claimed by the same films nominated for a PGA Award, picks like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Judas and the Black Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami and Sound of Metal. In addition to Nomadland, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Promising Young Woman, Minari and Mank, I’m projecting best-picture nominations for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami and The Father. And she may not be the lone woman in her category: The Directors Guild of America also nominated Emerald Fennell for the group’s top prize, while the Golden Globes included Zhao, Fennell, and Regina King. I’m predicting multiple nominations for the cast from Minari, including star Steven Yeun and supporting actress Yuh-Jung Youn, although the Oscars have a frustrating track record when it comes to Asian-led ensembles: Even when films like Parasite, Letters From Iwo Jima and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon made the best-picture lineup, their stars were overlooked for individual honours, and buzzy actors like Zhao Shuzhen and Michelle Yeoh also found no traction with the academy.