2021 Oscars: Winners and Nominees

56 films were recognised at the 2021 Academy Awards, across 23 categories. 15 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was Nomadland, with 3 awards, ahead of Judas and the Black Messiah with 2. The categories below run from Best Picture, Music (Original Song) and Actor in a Leading Role to the smaller prizes, and in every one the winner is listed first, followed by the other nominees.

Each title links to the film's full award history at all four awards, and the links at the bottom step to the previous and next ceremony.

Last updated August 12, 2026

Best Picture

Nomadland(2021)
Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers
Winner
Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers
Mank(2020)
Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
Minari(2021)
Christina Oh, Producer
Promising Young Woman(2020)
Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers
Sound of Metal(2020)
Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers
The Father(2020)
David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers

Music (Original Song)

Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
"Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah; Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
Winner
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga(2020)
"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga; Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
One Night in Miami...(2020)
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...; Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
The Life Ahead (The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se))(2020)
"Io Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se); Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
The Life Ahead (The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se))(2020)
The Life Ahead
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7; Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

Actor in a Leading Role

The Father(2020)
Anthony Hopkins
Winner
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Chadwick Boseman
Mank(2020)
Gary Oldman
Minari(2021)
Steven Yeun
Sound of Metal(2020)
Riz Ahmed

Actor in a Supporting Role

Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
Daniel Kaluuya
Winner
Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
Lakeith Stanfield
One Night in Miami...(2020)
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Sound of Metal(2020)
Paul Raci
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
Sacha Baron Cohen

Actress in a Leading Role

Nomadland(2021)
Frances McDormand
Winner
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Viola Davis
Pieces of a Woman(2020)
Vanessa Kirby
Promising Young Woman(2020)
Carey Mulligan
The United States vs. Billie Holiday(2021)
Andra Day

Actress in a Supporting Role

Minari(2021)
Yuh-Jung Youn
Winner
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan(2020)
Maria Bakalova
Hillbilly Elegy(2020)
Glenn Close
Mank(2020)
Amanda Seyfried
The Father(2020)
Olivia Colman

Animated Feature Film

Soul(2020)
Pete Docter and Dana Murray
Winner
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon(2019)
Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley
Onward(2020)
Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
Over the Moon(2020)
Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
Wolfwalkers(2020)
Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants

Cinematography

Mank(2020)
Erik Messerschmidt
Winner
Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
Sean Bobbitt
News of the World(2020)
Dariusz Wolski
Nomadland(2021)
Joshua James Richards
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
Phedon Papamichael

Costume Design

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Ann Roth
Winner
Emma.(2020)
Alexandra Byrne
Mank(2020)
Trish Summerville
Mulan(2020)
Bina Daigeler
Pinocchio(2019)
Massimo Cantini Parrini

Directing

Nomadland(2021)
Chloé Zhao
Winner
Another Round(2020)
Thomas Vinterberg
Mank(2020)
David Fincher
Minari(2021)
Lee Isaac Chung
Promising Young Woman(2020)
Emerald Fennell

Documentary (Feature)

My Octopus Teacher(2020)
Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
Winner
Collective(2019)
Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution(2020)
Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
The Mole Agent(2020)
Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
Time(2020)

Documentary (Short Subject)

Colette(2020)
Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
Winner
A Concerto Is a Conversation(2020)
Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
A Love Song for Latasha(2019)
Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan
Do Not Split(2020)
Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
Hunger Ward(2020)
Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

Film Editing

Sound of Metal(2020)
Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
Winner
Nomadland(2021)
Chloé Zhao
Promising Young Woman(2020)
Frédéric Thoraval
The Father(2020)
Yorgos Lamprinos
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
Alan Baumgarten

International Feature Film

Another Round(2020)
Denmark
Winner
Better Days(2019)
Hong Kong
Collective(2019)
Romania
Quo Vadis, Aida?(2021)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Man Who Sold His Skin(2021)
Tunisia

Makeup and Hairstyling

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
Winner
Emma.(2020)
Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
Hillbilly Elegy(2020)
Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
Mank(2020)
Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
Pinocchio(2019)
Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

Music (Original Score)

Soul(2020)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
Winner
Da 5 Bloods(2020)
Terence Blanchard
Mank(2020)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Minari(2021)
Emile Mosseri
News of the World(2020)
James Newton Howard

Production Design

Mank(2020)
Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
Winner
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton
News of the World(2020)
Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
Tenet(2020)
Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
The Father(2020)
Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

Short Film (Animated)

If Anything Happens I Love You(2020)
Will McCormack and Michael Govier
Winner
Burrow(2020)
Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
Genius Loci(2020)
Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
Opera(2020)
Erick Oh
Yes-People(2020)
Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

Short Film (Live Action)

Two Distant Strangers(2020)
Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
Winner
Feeling Through(2019)
Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
The Letter Room(2020)
Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
The Present(2020)
Farah Nabulsi and Ossama Bawardi
White Eye(2019)
Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

Sound

Sound of Metal(2020)
Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michellee Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
Winner
Greyhound(2020)
Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
Mank(2020)
Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
News of the World(2020)
Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
Soul(2020)
Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

Visual Effects

Tenet(2020)
Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
Winner
Love and Monsters(2020)
Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
Mulan(2020)
Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
The Midnight Sky(2020)
Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
The One and Only Ivan(2020)
Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

The Father(2020)
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Winner
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan(2020)
Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
Nomadland(2021)
Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
One Night in Miami...(2020)
Screenplay by Kemp Powers
The White Tiger(2021)
Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Promising Young Woman(2020)
Written by Emerald Fennell
Winner
Judas and the Black Messiah(2021)
Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
Minari(2021)
Written by Lee Isaac Chung
Sound of Metal(2020)
Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)
Written by Aaron Sorkin