Streaming services dominated the nominations for the 26th Critics Choice Awards, with Netflix garnering four best picture nominations, a record-setting number for any studio in the history of the CCA. “Da 5 Bloods” from Spike Lee, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” from George C. Wolfe, “Mank” from David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” represented for the platform.
“Mank,” an examination of “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, led the field with 12 nominations, including best picture, director, actor for Gary Oldman and supporting actress for Amanda Seyfried.
Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” the semi-autobiographical tale of a Korean family moving to Arkansas in the 1980s, was second with 10 nominations, including best picture, foreign language film, actor for Steven Yeun and supporting actress for Yuh-Jung Youn.
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“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” landed eight mentions, while Universal Pictures’ “News of the World,” from director and co-writer Paul Greengrass, garnered seven.
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Netflix received 46 film nominations, and combined with the 26 TV nods announced last month, the streamer’s total comes to 72, the most for any studio or network. A24 was the second most-nominated film studio with 14, and Amazon Studios was close behind with 13. Across film and TV, HBO was the second most-nominated with 24, and Amazon Studios garnered 18 in total.
With a nomination for supporting actress for “The Father,” Olivia Colman is the only person recognized for their work in both film and television. Colman was also nominated for best actress in a drama series for “The Crown.”
Chadwick Boseman becomes the first actor to receive two posthumous nominations in the same year for his work in “Da 5 Bloods” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” He wasn’t the only double nominee on the list as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were both cited for their works on “Mank” and Pixar’s “Soul,” the latter they share with co-composer Jon Batiste. Andra Day is also one of the credited songwriters on “Tigress & Tweed” from “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” along with her best actress mention.
In the 26 years of the Critics Choice Awards, there have been a few years in which studios received three best picture nominations in a single year. The last time was in 2012 by the Weinstein Company with “Django Unchained,” “The Master” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” They all lost to the eventual best picture winner “Argo.”
Several nominated actors, who were left out of the Golden Globes and SAG Awards’ mentions, include Ben Affleck for “The Way Back,” Delroy Lindo for “Da 5 Bloods,” Sidney Flanigan for “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Paul Raci for “Sound of Metal” and Ellen Burstyn for “Pieces of a Woman.”
Notable snubs include “Judas and the Black Messiah” in best picture and cinematography, and there were complete shutouts for STXfilms’ “The Mauritanian” and Vertical Entertainment’s “Miss Juneteenth.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Critics Choice Awards will be an in-person/virtual hybrid show with host Taye Diggs and some of the presenters filming from a stage in Los Angeles, while nominees appear remotely from various locations around the world. The Critics Choice Awards will air on the CW on Sunday, March 7.
Best Picture
- “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
- “Mank” (Netflix)
- “Minari” (A24)
- “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
- “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
- “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
- “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
- “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Best Director
- Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari” (A24)
- Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
- David Fincher, “Mank” (Netflix)
- Spike Lee, “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
- Regina King, “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
- Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
- Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
Best Actor
- Ben Affleck, “The Way Back” (Warner Bros)
- Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
- Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
- Tom Hanks, “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
- Anthony Hopkins, “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Delroy Lindo, “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
- Gary Oldman, “Mank” (Netflix)
- Steven Yeun, “Minari” (A24)
Best Actress
- Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
- Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
- Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features)
- Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman” (Netflix)
- Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
- Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
- Zendaya, “Malcolm & Marie” (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor
- Chadwick Boseman, “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
- Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
- Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros)
- Bill Murray, “On the Rocks” (A24/Apple TV Plus)
- Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
- Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
Best Supporting Actress
- Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
- Ellen Burstyn, “Pieces of a Woman” (Netflix)
- Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix)
- Olivia Colman, “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Amanda Seyfried, “Mank” (Netflix)
- Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari” (A24)
Best Young Actor/Actress
- Ryder Allen, “Palmer” (Apple TV Plus)
- Ibrahima Gueye, “The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
- Alan Kim, “Minari” (A24)
- Talia Ryder, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features)
- Caoilinn Springall, “The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
- Helena Zengel, “News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Best Acting Ensemble
- “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
- “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros)
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
- “Minari” (A24)
- “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Best Original Screenplay
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Jack Fincher
- “Minari” (A24) – Lee Isaac Chung
- “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features) – Eliza Hittman
- “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features) – Emerald Fennell
- “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) – Darius Marder, Abraham Marder
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) – Aaron Sorkin
Best Adapted Screenplay
- “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics) – Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
- “First Cow” (A24) – Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) – Ruben Santiago-Hudson
- “News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – Luke Davies, Paul Greengrass
- “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) – Chloé Zhao
- “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios) – Kemp Powers
Best Production Design
- “Emma” (Focus Features) – Kave Quinn, Stella Fox
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) – Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara, Diana Stoughton
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale
- “News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan
- “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (Searchlight Pictures) – Cristina Casali, Charlotte Dirickx
- “Tenet” (Warner Bros) – Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
Best Cinematography
- “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix) – Newton Thomas Sigel
- “First Cow” (A24) – Christopher Blauvelt
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Erik Messerschmidt
- “Minari” (A24) – Lachlan Milne
- “News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – Dariusz Wolski
- “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) – Joshua James Richards
- “Tenet” (Warner Bros) – Hoyte Van Hoytema
Best Costume Design
- “Emma” (Focus Features) – Alexandra Byrne
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) – Ann Roth
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Trish Summerville
- “Mulan” (Walt Disney Pictures) – Bina Daigeler
- “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (Searchlight Pictures) – Suzie Harman, Robert Worley
- “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features) – Nancy Steiner
Best Editing
- “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics) – Yorgos Lamprinos
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Kirk Baxter
- “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) – Chloé Zhao
- “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
- “Tenet” (Warner Bros) – Jennifer Lame
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) – Alan Baumgarten
Best Hair and Makeup
- “Emma” (Focus Features)
- “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix)
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
- “Mank” (Netflix)
- “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
- “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
Best Visual Effects
- “Greyhound” (Apple TV Plus)
- “The Invisible Man” (Universal Pictures)
- “Mank” (Netflix)
- “The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
- “Mulan” (Walt Disney Pictures)
- “Tenet” (Warner Bros)
- “Wonder Woman 1984” (Warner Bros)
Best Score
- “The Midnight Sky” (Netflix) – Alexandre Desplat
- “Mank” (Netflix) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
- “Minari” (A24) – Emile Mosseri
- “News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – James Newton Howard
- “Soul” (Pixar) – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
- “Tenet” (Warner Bros) – Ludwig Göransson
Best Song
- “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (Netflix) – “Husavik (My Home Town)”
- “The Life Ahead” (Netflix) – “Io Si (Seen)”
- “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros) – “Fight for You”
- “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios) – “Speak Now”
- “The Outpost” (Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment) – “Everybody Cries”
- “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu) – “Tigress & Tweed”
Best Foreign Language Film
- “Another Round” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
- “Collective” (Magnolia Pictures)
- “La Llorona” (Shudder)
- “The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
- “Minari” (A24)
- “Two Of Us” (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Comedy
- “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
- “The Forty-Year-Old Version” (Netflix)
- “The King of Staten Island” (Universal Pictures)
- “On the Rocks” (A24/Apple TV+)
- “Palm Springs” (Hulu/NEON)
- “The Prom” (Netflix)
Clayton Davis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association for both film and television.
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