2021 Independent Spirit Awards nominations: Olivia Wilde leads the stars announcing the nominees

Olivia Wilde led the filmmakers announcing the nominees for the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards, with Never Rarely Sometimes Always leading the pack with seven nominations and Minari following close behind with six nods.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Nomadland were also top contenders with five nominations each.

The nominations were announced virtually on Tuesday morning by Wilde, Laverne Cox, and Barry Jenkins.

‘It is such an honor to be here to help announce the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Award nominees,’ Wilde said. ‘True to independent film, I did my own hair and makeup, I don’t have any snacks, and the lighting is a little iffy, but you know, we get it, in the independent film community, we make it work. We make it work.’ 

First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and Nomadland have all been nominated for Best Feature.

The nominees for Best First Feature are The Forty-Year-Old Version, I Carry You With Me, Miss Juneteenth, Nine Days, and Sound Of Metal.

The nominees for the John Cassavetes Award are The Killing Of Two Lovers, La Leyenda Negra, Lingua Franca, Residue, and Saint Frances. 

Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Kelly Reichardt (First Cow), and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) are the nominees for Best Director. 

The nominees for Best Screenplay are Lee Isaac Chung for Minari, Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman, Eliza Hittman for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Mike Makowsky for Bad Education, and Alice Wu for The Half of It. 

Kitty Green for The Assistant, Noah Hutton for Lapsis, Channing Godfrey Peoples for Miss Juneteenth, Andy Siara for Palm Springs, and James Sweeney for Straight Up are the nominees for Best First Screenplay.

Nicole Beharie for Miss Juneteenth, Viola Davis for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sidney Flanigan for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Julia Garner for The Assistant, Frances McDormand for Nomadland, and Carey Mulligan for Promising Young Woman have all been nominated for Best Female Lead.

The nominees for Best Male Lead are Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal, Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Adarsh Gourav for The White Tiger, Rob Morgan for Bull, and Steven Yeun for Minari. 

Best Documentary nominees are Collective, Crip Camp, Dick Johnson Is Dead, The Mole Agent, and Time.

Alexis Chikaeze from Miss Juneteenth, Yeri Han from Minari, Valerie Mahaffey from French Exit, Talia Ryder from Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and Yuh-Jung Youn from Minari are all up for Best Supporting Female.

The nominees for Best Supporting Male are Colman Domingo for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Orion Lee for First Cow, Paul Raci for Sound of Metal, Glynn Turman from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Benedict Wong from Nine Days.

The nominees for Best International Film are Bacurau (Brazil), The Disciple (India), Night Of The Kings (Ivory Coast), Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time (Hungary), Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The nominees for Best Editing are Andy Canny for The Invisible Man, Scott Cummings for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Merawai Gerima for Residue, Enat Sidi for I Carry You With Me, and Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.

The nominees for Best Cinematography are Jay Keitel for She Dies Tomorrow, Shabier Kirchner for Bull, Michael Latham for The Assistant, Hélène Louvart for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and Joshua James Richards for Nomadland.