Although “Nomadland” won Chicago Indie Critics’ Best Independent Film, the big news here ended up being Spike Lee breaking Chloé Zhao’s streak for Best Director, winning for his work on “Da 5 Bloods,” which also tied for Best Studio Film with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Chadwick Boseman took three awards, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and the Impact Award. Viola Davis took her first Best Actress award of the season, while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” also won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Ensemble, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup.
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM
(budgets under $20 million)
“Nomadland”
NOMINEES
- “The Father”
- “First Cow”
- “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
- “Promising Young Woman”
BEST STUDIO FILM
(budgets over $20 million)
“Da 5 Bloods”
&
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
NOMINEES
- “Mank”
- “Soul”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
BEST DIRECTOR
Spike Lee
“Da 5 Bloods”
NOMINEES
- Emerald Fennell — “Promising Young Woman”
- George C. Wolfe — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- Florian Zeller — “The Father”
- Chloe Zhao — “Nomadland”
BEST ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
NOMINEES
- Riz Ahmed — “Sound Of Metal”
- Anthony Hopkins — “The Father”
- Delroy Lindo — “Da 5 Bloods”
- Steven Yeun — “Minari”
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
NOMINEES
- Nicole Beharie — “Miss Juneteenth”
- Sidney Flanigan — “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
- Frances McDormand — “Nomadland”
- Carey Mulligan — “Promising Young Woman”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman
“Da 5 Bloods”
NOMINEES
- Bo Burnham — “Promising Young Woman”
- Sacha Baron Cohen — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
- Frank Langella — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
- Bill Murray — “On The Rocks”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Maria Bakalova
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
NOMINEES
- Olivia Colman — “The Father”
- Talia Ryder — “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
- Amanda Seyfried — “Mank”
- Youn Yuh-jung — “Minari”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“His House”
NOMINEES
- “Another Round”
- “Bacurau”
- “Beanpole”
- “The Life Ahead”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Boys State”
NOMINEES
- “Dick Johnson Is Dead”
- “Rising Phoenix”
- “The Social Dilemma”
- “Time”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
(TIE)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Aaron Sorkin
&
“Promising Young Woman”
Emerald Fennell
NOMINEES
- “Mank” – Jack Fincher
- “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” – Eliza Hittman
- “Palm Springs” – Andy Siara
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
NOMINEES
- “The Father” – Florian Zeller
- “First Cow” – Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond
- “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” – Charlie Kaufman
- “Nomadland” – Chloe Zhao
BEST ANIMATED FILM
“Soul”
NOMINEES
- “Onward”
- “Over The Moon”
- “The Willoughbys”
- “Wolfwalkers”
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
NOMINEES
- “Da 5 Bloods”
- “Minari”
- “One Night In Miami”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Nomadland”
Joshua James Richards
NOMINEES
- “Da 5 Bloods” — Newton Thomas Sigel
- “Emma.” — Christopher Blauvelt
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” — Remi Adefarasin
- “Mank” — Erik Messerschmidt
- “Tenet” — Hoyte Van Hoytema
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Mank”
Donald Graham Burt
NOMINEES
- “Emma.” — Kave Quinn
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” — Gavin Bocquet
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — Mark Ricker
- “Tenet” — Nathan Crowley
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Ann Roth
NOMINEES
- “Emma.” — Alexander Byrne
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” — Michael Wilkinson
- “Mank” — Trish Summerville
- “Sylvie’s Love” — Phoenix Mellow
BEST MAKEUP
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Matiki Anoff
NOMINEES
- “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” — Deborah La Mia Denaver
- “Emma.” — Marese Langan
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” — Sharon Martin
- “Possessor” — Dan Martin
BEST EDITING
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Alan Baumgarten
NOMINEES
- “The Father” — Yorgos Lamprinos
- “Nomadland” — Chloe Zhao
- “Tenet” — Jennifer Lame
- “Wander Darkly” — Tamara Meem and Alex O’Flinn
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
“Soul”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
NOMINEES
- “Mank” — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
- “The Midnight Sky” — Alexandre Desplat
- Emile Mosseri — “Minari”
- “Tenet” — Ludwig Goransson
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Speak Now” from “One Night In Miami”
Performed by Leslie Odom Jr.
NOMINEES
- “Wuhan Flu” from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
- “Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
- “This Day” from “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
- “Loyal Brave True” from “Mulan”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Invisible Man”
NOMINEES
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
- “The Midnight Sky”
- “Tenet”
- “Wonder Woman 1984”
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
(Honors the work of an artist who pushes the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content)
Steve McQueen
NOMINEES
- Radha Blank
- Chadwick Boseman
- Emerald Fennell
- Chloe Zhao
IMPACT AWARD
(Given to a person whose work has had a positive impact on society)
Chadwick Boseman
NOMINEES
- Garrett Bradley
- Scott H. Dehn
- Ryan Oestreich
- Chloe Zhao
QUICK LIST
Best Independent Film: “Nomadland”
Best Studio Film: “Da 5 Bloods” & “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Director: Spike Lee — “Da 5 Bloods”
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Actress: Viola Davis — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Supporting Actor: Chadwick Boseman — “Da 5 Bloods”
Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova — “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Best Foreign Language Film: “His House”
Best Documentary: “Boys State”
Best Original Screenplay (TIE): “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — Aaron Sorkin & “Promising Young Woman” — Emerald Fennell
Best Adapted Screenplay: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Best Animated Film: “Soul”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Cinematography: “Nomadland” — Joshua James Richards
Best Production Design: “Mank” — Donald Graham Burt
Best Costume Design: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — Ann Roth
Best Makeup: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — Matiki Anoff
Best Editing: “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — Alan Baumgarten
Best Musical Score: “Soul” — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Best Original Song: “Speak Now” from “One Night In Miami”
Best Visual Effects: “The Invisible Man”
Trailblazer Award: Steve McQueen
Impact Award: Chadwick Boseman
Chicago Indie Critics
Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) is a creative and engaging non-for-profit organization composed of unique, dedicated, and diversified film critics. Our members are wide-ranging in experiences, backgrounds, tastes, diversities, and target audiences across both print and online platforms and publications. We have organized to share our personal assessments, commentaries, passions, and creativity in the vigilant effort to highlight the greatness and diversity found in both independent and mainstream films. While we originate in the Chicagoland area, the efforts of Chicago Indie Critics are to share, celebrate, and promote the rich artistic medium of film to audiences, fans, and eager minds across the nation and world as an exemplary and upstanding pillar of intelligent print and broadcast journalism.
