Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Oscars 2021 winners: The full list

Number of surprise wins rocked ceremony

Jacob Stolworthy
Sunday 25 April 2021 22:31 BST
Comments
Oscars 2021: Best moments from this year's Academy Awards
Leer en Español

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Road movie Nomadland has won the top prize at the 2021 Oscars, where director Chloé Zhao made history as the first woman of colour to win the award for directing, and the second woman in history.

The ceremony also saw Sir Anthony Hopkins win the Best Actor Oscar, defeating the late Chadwick Boseman, while Daniel Kaluuya won the Best Supporting Actor prize.

Nomadland, which tells the story of a woman travelling through the American west, also scooped the Best Actress prize for its star Frances McDormand.

McDormand, who has now won three Best Actress Oscars, howled on stage as the film won the Best Picture – a tribute to Nomadland production sound mixer Michael Wolf Snyder, who died at the age of 35 earlier this year.

Sir Anthony, 83, who did not attend the ceremony, is the oldest winner of the Best Actor category. He previously won an Oscar in 1992 for his defining role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

He won for his performance in The Father, about a man slipping into dementia, defeating presumptive favourite Boseman, who died last year aged 43 following a private four-year battle with cancer.

Kaluuya, who was born in London to Ugandan parents, is the first black British winner of Best Supporting Actor, as he was celebrated for his portrayal of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.

There were a number of surprise wins. David Fincher’s Mank led the pack with 10 nominations, but ultimately won two.

Find the full list of winners below.

Best Picture

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Nomadland WINNER

Producers Peter Spears, from left, Frances McDormand, Chloe Zhao, Mollye Asher and Dan Janvey, winners of the award for best picture for ‘Nomadland’
Producers Peter Spears, from left, Frances McDormand, Chloe Zhao, Mollye Asher and Dan Janvey, winners of the award for best picture for ‘Nomadland’ (AP)

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand – Nomadland WINNER

Frances McDormand speaks after winning Best Actress
Frances McDormand speaks after winning Best Actress (ABC)

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins – The Father WINNER

Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for his role in ‘The Father’
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for his role in ‘The Father’ (AP)

Gary Oldman – Mank

Steven Yeun – Minari

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah WINNER

Daniel Kaluuya poses with his Oscar
Daniel Kaluuya poses with his Oscar (EPA)

Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami…

Paul Raci – Sound of Metal

Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman – The Father

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari WINNER

Yuh-Jung Youn, winner of the award Actress in a Supporting Role for ‘Minari’
Yuh-Jung Youn, winner of the award Actress in a Supporting Role for ‘Minari’ (AFP/Getty)

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round

David Fincher – Mank

Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland WINNER

Chloé Zhao speaks after winning Best Director
Chloé Zhao speaks after winning Best Director (AMPAS/Reuters)

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Judas and the Black Messiah

Minari

Promising Young Woman WINNER

Emerald Fennell accepts the Oscar for Original Screenplay
Emerald Fennell accepts the Oscar for Original Screenplay ( Todd Wawry/AMPAS/Reuters)

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

The Father WINNER

Florian Zeller with his Oscar after winning the Best Adapted Screenplay for the ‘The Father’
Florian Zeller with his Oscar after winning the Best Adapted Screenplay for the ‘The Father’ (Getty)

Nomadland

One Night in Miami…

The White Tiger

Best International Feature Film

Another Round WINNER

‘Another Round’ director Thomas Vinterberg accepts the Oscar for Best International Feature Film
‘Another Round’ director Thomas Vinterberg accepts the Oscar for Best International Feature Film (AMPAS/Reuters)

Better Days

Collective

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Best Animated Feature Film

Onward

Over the Moon

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Soul WINNER

Dana Murray and Pete Docter, winners of the award for Best Animated Feature Film for ‘Soul’
Dana Murray and Pete Docter, winners of the award for Best Animated Feature Film for ‘Soul’ (EPA)

Wolfwalkers

Best Documentary Feature

Collective

Crip Camp

The Mole Agent

My Octopus Teacher WINNER

Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed with the award for Best Documentary Feature for ‘My Octopus Teacher’
Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed with the award for Best Documentary Feature for ‘My Octopus Teacher’ (EPA)

Time

Best Film Editing

The Father

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal WINNER

Mikkel E G Nielsen, winner of Best Film Editing for ‘Sound of Metal’
Mikkel E G Nielsen, winner of Best Film Editing for ‘Sound of Metal’ (Getty)

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Cinematography

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank WINNER

Erik Messerschmidt with the award for Best Cinematography for ‘Mank’
Erik Messerschmidt with the award for Best Cinematography for ‘Mank’ (AFP/Getty)

News of the World

Nomadland

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Music (Original Score)

Da 5 Bloods

Mank

Minari

News of the World

Soul WINNER

Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, winners of the award for Best Music (Original Score) for ‘Soul’
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, winners of the award for Best Music (Original Score) for ‘Soul’ (Reuters)

Best Music (Original Song)

“Fight for You” – Judas and the Black Messiah WINNER

H.E.R., winner of the award for Best Original Song for Fight For You from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
H.E.R., winner of the award for Best Original Song for Fight For You from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ (AP)

“Hear My Voice” – The Trial of the Chicago 7

“Husavik” – Eurovision Song Contest

“Io Si (Seen)” – The Life Ahead

“Speak Now” – One Night in Miami...

Best Sound

Greyhound

Mank

News of the World

Soul

Sound of Metal WINNER

Phillip Bladh, Carlos Cortes, Michellee Couttolenc and Jaime Baksht, winners of the award for Best Sound for ‘Sound of Metal’
Phillip Bladh, Carlos Cortes, Michellee Couttolenc and Jaime Baksht, winners of the award for Best Sound for ‘Sound of Metal’ (EPA)

Best Visual Effects

Love and Monsters

The Midnight Sky

Mulan

The One and Only Ivan

Tenet WINNER

Scott R Fisherwith the award for Best Visual Effects for ‘Tenet’
Scott R Fisherwith the award for Best Visual Effects for ‘Tenet’ (AP)

Best Production Design

The Father

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank WINNER

Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale, winners of Best Production Design for ‘Mank’
Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale, winners of Best Production Design for ‘Mank’ (Getty)

News of the World

Tenet

Best Costume Design

Emma

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom WINNER

Viola Davis as the vivacious Ma Rainey in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Viola Davis as the vivacious Ma Rainey in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (Netflix)

Mank

Mulan

Pinnochio

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

Emma

Hillbilly Elegy

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom WINNER

Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson and Sergio Lopez-Rivera, winners of the award for Best Make-up and Hairstyling for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson and Sergio Lopez-Rivera, winners of the award for Best Make-up and Hairstyling for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (AFP/Getty)

Mank

Pinocchio

Best Animated Short Film

Burrow

Genius Loci

If Anything Happens I Love You WINNER

Michael Govier and Will McCormack take home the Best Animated Short Film Oscar for ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
Michael Govier and Will McCormack take home the Best Animated Short Film Oscar for ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’ (Reuters)

Opera

Yes-People

Best Live Action Short Film

Feeling Through

The Letter Room

The Present

Two Distant Strangers WINNER

Martin Desmond Roe, and Travon Free pose with award for Best Live Action Short Film for ‘Two Distant Strangers’
Martin Desmond Roe, and Travon Free pose with award for Best Live Action Short Film for ‘Two Distant Strangers’ (AP)

White Eye

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Colette WINNER

Alice Doyard and Anthony Giacchino won Best Documentary (Short Subject) for ‘Colette’
Alice Doyard and Anthony Giacchino won Best Documentary (Short Subject) for ‘Colette’ (AFP/Getty)

A Concerto Is a Conversation

Do Not Split

Hunger Ward

A Love Song for Latasha

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in