“First Cow,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Minari,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and “Nomadland” scored Best Feature Film nominations for the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards, with “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” leading the pack with seven nominations. “Minari” had six film nominations, and “Nomandland” wound up with five.
And for the first time Film Independent recognized the best in TV. “A Teacher,” “I May Destroy You,” “Little America,” “Small Axe” and “Unorthodox” all landed nominations for Best New Scripted Series. “Unorthodox” and “Little America” each scored three nominations.
Nominations for the 36th annual ceremony were announced Tuesday via Film Independent’s website and YouTube channel by Laverne Cox, Barry Jenkins and Olivia Wilde.
Though the awards are generally held the Saturday afternoon before the Oscars ceremony, the show has been moved up to a primetime slot on Thursday, April 22 and will air on IFC that will also be simulcast on AMC+ and made available on AMC+ and on demand the next day.
The newly added TV categories this year included Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance and Best Ensemble Cast.
List of Nominees (Updating)
Best Feature
First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
Best First Feature
I Carry You With Me
The 40-Year-Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal
John Casssavetes Award
The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue
Saint Frances
Best Screenplay
Bad Education
Minari
The Half of It
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Promising Young Woman
Best First Screenplay
Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up
Best Cinematography
The Assistant
Bull
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
She Dies Tomorrow
Best Documentary
Collective
Crip Camp
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Mole Agent
Time
First Feature
I Carry You With Me
The 40 Year Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal
Best Supporting Actor
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 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 Female
Alexis Chikaeze – Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han – Minari
Valerie Mahaffey – French Exit
Talia Ryder – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn – Minari
Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung
Emerald Fennell
Eliza Hittman
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloé Zhao, 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
Robert Altman Award
“One Night in Miami…”
Director: Regina King
Casting Directors: Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Best International Film
Bacurau – Brazil (Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The Disciple – India (Director: Chaitanya Tamhane)
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)
Producers Award
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim
Someone to Watch Award
David Midell – Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Ekwa Msangi – Director of Farewell Amor
Annie Silverstein – Director of Bull
Truer Than Fiction Award
Cecilia Aldarondo – Director of Landfall
Elegance Bratton – Director of Pier Kids
Elizabeth Lo – Director of Stray
TV CATEGORIES
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
“Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”
“City So Real”
“Immigration Nation”
“Love Fraud”
“We’re Here”
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
“I May Destroy You”
“Little America”
“Small Axe”
“A Teacher”
“Unorthodox”
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW 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
Conphidance – “Little America”
Adam Ali – “Little America”
Nicco Annan – “P-Valley”
Amit Rahav – “Unorthodox”
Harold Torres – “Zero, Zero, Zero”
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
“I May Destroy You” –
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia,
Stephen Wight