The nominees for the 2nd Annual ScreenAge Wasteland Awards have been announced!
Last month, the SAW team submitted nominees for the best films of 2020. A lot of films and performances were submitted, but at the end of the day there can only be 5 nominees per category (and 8 for Best Picture and Best Movie Moment).
To clear up a couple of questions we’re sure you’ll have, no we did not extend the eligibility period. We don’t care if a film was released on streaming, television, or in theaters. We just care if it was a good film (or that, at the very least, found something enjoyable) and that it was released in 2020.
However, we did make it a requirement for a 2020 film to have been released widely by the end of January 2021 in order to be considered eligible. That means that for films like Minari and Nomadland, which don’t see a wide release until later this month, they will be considered 2021 movies and be eligible for next year’s SAWards.
We also added two new categories this year —Best Score and Best Cinematography— and split up the SAW Breakout Award for Acting & Directing into Best Breakout Film Direction and Best Breakout Film Performance.
With all that out of the way, here are your nominees…
Best Picture
- Da 5 Bloods
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- One Night in Miami
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Promising Young Woman
- Sound of Metal
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Animated Film
- Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
- Soul
- Weathering with You
- The Wolf House
- Wolfwalkers
Most Overlooked Film
- Blood Nose, Empty Pockets
- His House
- The Lodge
- We Summon the Darkness
- The Wolf of Snow Hollow
Best Director
- David Fincher – Mank
- Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
- Christopher Nolan – Tenet
- Céline Sciamma – Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Breakout Film Direction
- Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
- Sam Hargrave – Extraction
- Regina King – One Night in Miami
- Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
- Remi Weekes – His House
Best Actor
- Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
- Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
- Gary Oldman – Mank
- Jesse Plemons – I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Best Supporting Actor
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami
- Ewan McGregor – Birds of Prey
- Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Best Actress
- Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Noémie Merlant – Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Wunmi Mosaku – His House
- Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
- Margot Robbie – Birds of Prey
Best Supporting Actress
- Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Toni Collette – I’m Thinking of Ending Things
- Olivia Cooke – Sound of Metal
- Adèle Haenel – Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Best Breakout Film Performance
- Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Eli Goree – One Night in Miami
- Cristin Milioti – Palm Springs
- Wunmi Mosaku – His House
Best Movie Ensemble
- Da 5 Bloods
- Hamilton
- Happiest Season
- One Night in Miami
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Bill & Ted Face the Music
- The Devil All the Time
- I’m Thinking of Ending Things
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- One Night in Miami
Best Original Screenplay
- Da 5 Bloods
- Happiest Season
- Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Sound of Metal
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Visual Effects
- The Invisible Man
- The Midnight Sky
- Tenet
- Underwater
- The Vast of Night
Best Cinematography
- I’m Thinking of Ending Things
- Mank
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Tenet
- The Vast of Night
Best Score
- Birds of Prey
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Mank
- Soul
- Tenet
Best Movie Moment
- Fertility Dance – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Freeing the Kid – Extraction
- Harper Comes Out to Her Family – Happiest Season
- Bus Flashback – His House
- The Throat Slit – The Invisible Man
- Oslo Airport Fight Take #2 – Tenet
- The Ending – Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Reveal of the Monster – Underwater
Sound of Metal was the most nominated film this year with 7 nominations. It was then a three-way tie for second place with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire each receiving 6 nominations. Next were The Trial of the Chicago 7, His House, Mank, and Tenet with 5 nomination apiece.
Da 5 Bloods and I’m Thinking of Ending Things each got 4 while Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Promising Young Woman, Birds of Prey, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and Happiest Season got 3.
Lastly, The Invisible Man, Underwater, The Vast of Night, Soul, and Extraction finish the multiple nominated films with 2 each.
Voting will be open until midnight March 7, 2021.
To access the voting slip for the 2021 SAWards, CLICK HERE.
The winners will be announced Sunday, March 21, 2021 on our Twitter @SAWasteland with a post going up on the site shortly thereafter.
Let us know down in the comments who you hope wins. Please feel free to share the voting slip with your family, friends, and on social media! Let’s blow this up!
Happy voting, screenagers!