The Oscar nominations for 2021 have been announced. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross accepted nominations for their work on Mank and Soul, while both Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The United States vs. Billie Holiday received nods. It was also a landmark for Riz Ahmed, the star of Sound of Metal. That’s for Best Picture, and Ahmed is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The other best picture nominees are The Father, Jude and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
In the “Best Original Score” category, Reznor and Ross were nominated for both Pixar’s Soul and David Fincher’s Mank. Terence Blanchard was recognized for his work on Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods; and Minari (Emile Mosseri) and News of the World (James Newton Howard) also accepted nominations. Ludwig Göransson, who won for his Black Panther score in 2019, was dismissed for his work on Christopher Nolan’s time-consuming blockbuster Tenet.
For the best original song, HER was nominated for the Judas and Black Messiah songs “Fight for You” – a career premiere for the singer-songwriter. The other nominees are Daniel Pemberton and Celeste’s Hear My Voice; Savan Kotecha, Rickard Goransson and Fat Max Gsus’ “Húsavík” (Eurovision Song Contest); “Io Si (seen)” by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi (The Life Ahead); and Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth’s “Speak Now” (One Night in Miami). That means that Janelle Monáe (“Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy), Justin Timberlake (“Just Sing” from Trolls: World Tour), Reznor and Ross (for their songs for Mank) or Brandi were out of luck Carlile (the onward song “Carried Me With You”).
In the leading role as best actress, Viola Davis and Andra Day were nominated for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
Read Pitchfork’s feature with Steven Yeun, who has received multiple nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work in Minari. He is the first Asian-American actor to be nominated in this category.
See Riz Ahmed review Eminem, Paddington Bear, and more:
