Usually one of the first voices heard during a normal awards season, the National Board of Review released their 2020 year-in winners today, with “Da 5 Bloods” receiving Best Picture, Director, and Ensemble, with Chadwick Boseman also posthumously receiving their Icon Award. “Minari” and “Sound Of Metal” each won a pair of awards, but a film that has not been mentioned much during this awards season, “News Of The World,” won Best Adapted Screenplay and also ended up on their Top 10 list.
BEST PICTURE
“Da 5 Bloods”
BEST DIRECTOR
Spike Lee
“Da 5 Bloods”
BEST ACTOR
Riz Ahmed
“Sound Of Metal”
BEST ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan
“Promising Young Woman”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Paul Raci
“Sound Of Metal”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Youn Yuh-jung
“Minari”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Minari”
Lee Isaac Chung
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“News Of The World”
Paul Greengrass & Luke Davies
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Soul”
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Sidney Flanigan
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Channing Godfrey Peoples
“Miss Juneteenth”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“La Llorona”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Time”
BEST ENSEMBLE
“Da 5 Bloods”
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Nomadland”
Joshua James Richards
NBR ICON AWARD
Chadwick Boseman
NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD
“One Night in Miami”
NBR Spotlight Award
Radha Blank
(for writing, directing, producing and starring in “The Forty-Year-Old Version”)
TOP FILMS
| “First Cow” |
| “The Forty-Year-Old Version” |
| “Judas and the Black Messiah” |
| “The Midnight Sky” |
| “Minari” |
| “News of the World” |
| “Nomadland” |
| “Promising Young Woman” |
| “Soul” |
| “Sound of Metal” |
TOP 5 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS
| “Apples” |
| “Collective” |
| “Dear Comrades” |
| “The Mole Agent” |
| “Night of the Kings” |
TOP 5 DOCUMENTARIES
| “All In: The Fight for Democracy” |
| “Boys State” |
| “Dick Johnson is Dead” |
| “Miss Americana” |
| “The Truffle Hunters” |
TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS
| “The Climb” |
| “Driveways” |
| “Farewell Amor” |
| “Miss Juneteenth” |
| “The Nest” |
| “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” |
| “The Outpost” |
| “Relic” |
| “Saint Frances” |
| “Wolfwalkers” |
QUICK LIST
Best Picture: “Da 5 Bloods”
Best Director: Spike Lee — “Da 5 Bloods”
Best Actor: Riz Ahmed — “Sound Of Metal”
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan — “Promising Young Woman”
Best Supporting Actor: Paul Raci — “Sound Of Metal”
Best Supporting Actress: Youn Yuh-jung — “Minari”
Best Original Screenplay: “Minari” — Lee Isaac Chung
Best Adapted Screenplay: “News of the World” — Paul Greengrass & Luke Davies
Best Animated Feature: “Soul”
Breakthrough Performance: Sidney Flanigan — “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Best Directorial Debut: Channing Godfrey Peoples — “Miss Juneteenth”
Best Foreign Language Film: “La Llorona”
Best Documentary: “Time”
Best Ensemble: “Da 5 Bloods”
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: “Nomadland” — Joshua James Richards
NBR Icon Award: Chadwick Boseman
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: “One Night in Miami”
NBR Spotlight Award: Radha Blank
NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW
Founded in 1909 in New York City, the National Board of Review is one of the oldest organizations in the country “dedicated to discussing and selecting what its members regard as the best film works of each year.” This is the NBR’s 91st year of giving out awards. Pundits mark these awards as the official kick off to the Oscars season, with numerous critics groups following suit with their awards throughout the rest of the year. There are over 100 members of the NBR, including directors, academics, and film enthusiasts, who submit ballots which are then tabulated, with the winners announced online.
