With the 2021 Golden Globes already a (not-so) fond memory, and the 2021 Grammys being awarded last night, this morning we received the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, which take place on Sunday, April 25, airing on ABC. It’s always a tense time period—many critics and moviegoers alike wonder if their favorites have been snubbed, as well as wondering if awards bodies are actively working to be as inclusive and diverse as the world we live in. These Oscar nominees? About what was expected for a year that decimated Hollywood due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We still got movies, but theaters being shut down took the wind out of the sails of many studios in the business.
For those paying attention, this year’s group of nominations highlighted strong films from the last year, including Judas and the Black Messiah, Promising Young Woman, Minari, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which marked Chadwick Boseman’s final theatrical performance. That doesn’t mean the Oscars got it 100 percent right—they followed a similar pattern to the Golden Globes in certain regards. There are some things to celebrate in this year’s nomination group, as well as some snubs and interesting observations that need to be discussed.
For those of you asking about movies to watch, you’ve got a little over a month to catch up on all of the films nominated before the 2021 Oscars ceremony. For now, here are the biggest takeaways from the 93rd Academy Awards.