The 4th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations Have Been Announced

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN LEADS THE 4TH ANNUAL HCA FILM AWARDS WITH NINE NOMINATIONS

(Los Angeles, CA – February 2, 2021) – The Hollywood Critics Association is pleased to reveal the full list of nominees for the 4th Annual HCA Film Awards. The virtual awards ceremony will stream on the official HCA Facebook page and YouTube channel on Friday, March 5, 2021, beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. 

Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman topped the list with a total of nine nominations. The film, which received rave reviews after its premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Female Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best First Feature, Best Cast Ensemble, Best Hair & Makeup, and Best Film Editing. 

Regina King’s One Night in Miami, which was picked up by Amazon Studios before its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, earned a total of eight nominations. Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mank tied with a total of seven nominations each. Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland scored a total of six nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Female Director. Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, and Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari all scored six nominations each. 

“2020 was a challenging year for the film industry. As movie theaters worldwide were forced to close due to a global pandemic, studios began to explore new ways to release their films to audiences. As critics, we missed the experience of watching movies on the big screen, but like the studios, we embraced the new normal as we consumed films through various streaming links, apps, and virtual screening platforms,” notes HCA Chairman Scott Menzel.

Keeping up with tradition, the Hollywood Critics Association members continue to embrace and support a wide array of films each year. Among the nominations are several indie titles such as Miss Juneteenth, Black Bear, Class Action Park, First Cow, The Forty-Year-Old Version, and The Personal History of David Copperfield. Also making multiple appearances on the nomination list are Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs, and Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man. 

“Even though cinemas were closed for most of the year, 2020 was a groundbreaking year for film in many ways. Streaming became the norm and prompted many studios to shift their focus to creating content for their digital platforms. Also, a good portion of the films released in 2020 were directed by women or people of color. We, as an organization, hope this continues to happen as we move into the future. We are looking forward to seeing more inclusivity on-screen, hopefully not just in awards films, but in movies in general,” noted HCA Co-Chair Ashley Menzel.

In total, the Hollywood Critics Association nominated 58 films, which included a mixture of independents, streamers, and studio releases.