In Case You Missed It: A Recap of The Oscars 2021 That No One Asked For
Hey, friends. Back at it again with the recaps that no one absolutely asked for. I love award shows. Like, since before I can even remember—I remember voting during the Kid’s Choice Awards and just agonizing over my decisions. Like, how was I supposed to choose between Drake and Josh and Zoey 101?
But anyway, ever since the Kid’s Choice Awards, I almost always try to tune into every major awards show. I can’t watch them all, but I try to watch the major ones. So, when I found out the Oscars were on last night, I just had to do a recap!
To read the full list of nominees, read here.
Starting right off the bat, there is no host to kick off the 93rd Annual Academy Awards—just like years past. I think the last host to host was Jimmy Kimmel, which he hosted two times before that. In my opinion, I love the host monologues (I actually watch them on YouTube after the fact), but I understand not having the host. They wanted to get down to business!
And now what you came here for: the winners. Feel free to scroll all the way down to read who won Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. But before you do, I want to emphasize that makeup and hair stylists, set designers, and everyone else besides the lead actors and actresses matter, too!
Original Screenplay: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Interrupting the first award announced to give you a fun fact: Emerald Fennell played Camilla Bowles in season four of The Crown. My jaw dropped when I heard that she played Camilla. Also, during the 23-week shoot of Promising Young Woman, Emerald was seven months pregnant. (See photo to the left.)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, The Father
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kalwaya, Judas and the Black Messiah (check out his iconic acceptance speech here)
International Feature Film: Denmark, Another Round
In between commercial breaks, companies took advantage of Hollywood’s biggest night to buy some ad space. Including the trailers for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story trailer and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights!
Best Makeup and Hair Styling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Costume Design: Ann Roth, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Director: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
Interrupting the list of winners to mention that Chloe Zhao, winning Best Director for Nomadland, marks her as the first woman of color to win this award and second woman to do so. Also, I need to mention one of the presenters and nominees of the night, Riz Ahmed. He stars in Sound of Metal as an addict, but last night, he played a sexy young presenter. But I apologize already, he’s married.
Best Sound: Sound of Metal
Best Live Action Short Film: Travon Fee and Martin Desmond Roe, Two Distant Strangers
Best Animated Short: Will McCormack and Michael Govier, If Anything Happens, I Love You
Best Animated Feature Film: Pete Doctor, Dana Murray, Soul
Best Documentary Short: Collette
Best Documentary Feature: My Octopus Teacher
The best documentary feature award was presented by Marlee Martin, a deaf actress (known—by me—for her role on The West Wing).
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Yung-Jung Yan, Mulan. Watch her inspiring and funny speech here.
Visual Effects: Tenet
Production Design: Mank
Cinematography: Eric Messenschmidt, Mank
Film Editing: Sound of Metal
Jean Hershott Humanitarian Award: Tyler Perry. Watch his iconic speech about his mother, charitable foundation, the TPS Camp Quarantine he set up at the beginning of the pandemic, and his call to “refuse hate” in this world today.
Interrupting yet again to mention that Zendaya makes an appearance to present both Best Score and Best Song—and looking stunning while doing so.
Best Score: Atticus Ross, Trent Resner, and Jon Batiste, Soul
Best Song: H.E.R., Fight for You in Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Picture: Nomadland
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins, The Father
And those are the winners! I have opinions about some of them, like for example, Best Actor should have been awarded to Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but I didn’t see the movie so I can’t be 100 percent sure on that. In my opinion, Nomadland swept the Oscars. Promising Young Woman should have gotten more attention, but I think the movie itself brought enough awareness. Same with Judas and the Black Messiah, I think they should have received more awards, but I also think the movie itself was impactful. Still, it would’ve been nice for them to receive prestige recognition.
I’m excited to watch some of these picks. Promising Young Woman and Judas and the Black Messiah definitely up there on my Oscar-nominated movies to watch, and Chloe Zhao sure made Nomadland intriguing.
I missed the Red Carpet pre-show events and interviews, so I’ll just include some red carpet looks served up by the stars. Oh, and check out this video of Glenn Close twerking.
Carey Mulligan, nominated for Best Actress in Promising Young Woman
Regina King, nominated for One Night In Miami. Can we just talk about her entrance to the Oscars and being the first presenter of the night? Watch her entrance here.