If there’s an early Oscar favorite, Nomadland is it.
The critics from Chicago continued the impressive (though still early) awards season run for the micro-budget indie starring Frances McDormand. It’s directed by emerging Chinese-American director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Marvel’s upcoming The Eternals).
Winning five awards total, Nomadland was cited as Best Picture of 2020 by the Chicago crix. Zhao won for Director and her Adapted Screenplay, McDormand for Best Actress, and the Cinematography was also feted.
The late Chadwick Boseman took Best Actor honors for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Paul Raci continued his long shot Oscar hopes for Supporting Actor in Sound of Metal, and Maria Bakalova also won another critics prize for her turn as Borat’s daughter in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Along with a woman writer/director dominating the group’s top prizes, female artists were also cited by Chicago as the year’s most promising newcomers.
Sidney Flannigan was Most Promising Performer for her lead turn in the abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always (writer/director Eliza Hittman also won for her Original Screenplay) and Emerald Fennell won the Breakthrough Filmmaker Award for her debut feature Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan.
Here is a full list of the 2020 awards from the CFCA.
CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
2020 Film Awards
Best Picture: Nomadland
Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Best Supporting Actor: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Best Adapted Screenplay: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao
Best Original Screenplay: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Eliza Hittman
Best Animated Feature: Wolfwalkers
Best Documentary: Dick Johnson is Dead
Best Foreign Language Film: Another Round, Brazil, dir. Thomas Vinterberg
Best Art Direction: Mank
Best Cinematography: Nomadland, Joshua James Richards
Best Costume Design: Emma., Alexandra Byrne
Best Editing: I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Robert Frazen
Best Original Score: Soul, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Best Use of Visual Effects: The Invisible Man
Most Promising Performer: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Click on links below for other Critics Group Awards and Guild Nominees that have been announced so far for the 2020 / 21 season:
Critics Choice Awards Nominations
Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations
Golden Globe Nominations
National Board of Review
National Society of Film Critics
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
New York Film Critics Circle
Boston Society of Film Critics