"Nomadland" and "Sound of Metal" dominate the Spirit Awards
Friday, April 23, 2021 at 7:50AM by Nathaniel R
Last stop before the Oscars! The Spirit Awards were held last night and the big winner was Nomadland which fits the Spirits like a glove. Congratulations to Chloe Zhao and her team. Less expected but wonderful news is that Sound of Metal collected three prizes: First Feature, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, finally also getting its due. This 'spread the wealth' awards season was surely accidental but it's been beautiful as art is subjective and there's no reason to pretend that only say, four people and one movie are worthy of any prizes each year. In this one way, this season has been the best. In the other ways, zoom ceremonies... never seeing anyone holding their trophies or mingling in rooms together or on the red carpet has been quite glum. But we're in the last weekend now. Hoorah.
After the jump the winners and their acceptance speeches if we found them. Melissa Villaseñor hosted and if you missed her opening monologue here it is...
FILM Nomadland
DIRECTOR Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
ACTRESS Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
ACTOR Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
SUPPORTING ACTRESS You Yuh-jung Minari
SUPPORTING ACTOR Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
SCREENPLAY Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
FIRST SCREENPLAY Andy Siara, Palm Springs
FIRST FEATURE Darius Marder, Sound of Metal
DOCUMENTARY Crip Camp
CINEMATOGRAPHY Nomadland
EDITING Nomadland
INTERNATIONAL FILM Quo Vadis, Aida?
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD Residue
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD Elegance Bratton, Pier Kids
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD One Night in Miami
PRODUCERS AWARD Gerry Kim
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD Ekwa Msangi, Farewell Amor
TELEVISION
Film Independent has added a few television prizes so there those are as well.
SCRIPTED SERIES I May Destroy You
NON SCRIPTED SERIES Immigration Nation
TV ACTRESS Shira Haas, Unorthodox
TV ACTOR Amit Rahav, Unorthodox
TV ENSEMBLE I May Destroy You - Michaela Cole, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wright
Reader Comments (18)
Finally Carey Mulligan gets her due!
What a bore.
If all the acting winners win again on Sunday- I would be very happy. Fingers crossed!
Apart from the absence of FIRST COW, this is a very satisfactory set of winners. Would not be sad if the Oscars matched (though of course they won't).
I think I’m ready to pull the trigger on predicting Quo Vadis Aida to win the Oscar. I know Another Round has a director nomination but it doesn’t really have much momentum. I think Quo Vadis Aida has the passion vote and the importance vote. Personally I’m not a huge Quo Vadis Aida fan (it wouldn’t be higher than #3 for me amongst the Oscar nominees). I’m just feeling a strong vibe that Another Round is going to lose to Quo Vadis Aida.
WOW - amazing winners
This gives those of us pulling for Carey some hope. She beat Frances and Viola here, and probably would've won BAFTA if she'd been nominated. I'll be predicting her or Andra on Oscar night.
And I'm thinking this means Hopkins is taking it. People are sad about Chadwick, but I don't think they'll be voting for him in the numbers he's going to need.
Is it true that a lot of Film Twitter pundits were allowed to vote this year?
So pleased with the Acting Winners - Carey Mulligan handled some strong emotions without moving into caricature. And I have a big man crush on Riz Ahmed - beside that, I think he's a wonderful actor.
Peggy Sue -- not that i'm aware of. But anyone can vote if they join the organization so film twitter people who want to spend that $100 a year can vote.
Great choices -- the only win I wish we'd be seeing more of is Hopkins in 'The Father.' Saw it last night -- what a sensational performance.
I love that Palm Springs got something this year. That was the film I most enjoyed in 2020.
I am also elated that Carey Mulligan won, as I am of all the others, an Oscars repeat is possibly imminent.
I. May. Destroy. You.
Oh, I see! Lots of people on my TL were bragging about that. Hate them.
The fact that Ahmed won here is so FAIR and fairness is so rare in the Oscar race.
Lifeless, pre-taped ceremony. Too bad. Melissa Villaseñor was amusing with all of her impressions.
Go Carey!!
This gives me hope that Carey will win her Oscar. It's definitely a tight race between her, Viola, and Frances... and shoot, even Andra. It's a wild category this year.
Happy her her, Riz, Paul Raci, and Michaela Coel.