2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners List

April 22, 2021

The 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards is handing out the trophies tonight.

This ceremony represents the last stop before this Sunday's Oscars (which would normally take place the day before the Oscars, but Film Independent decided a primetime ceremony would work better this year.

Melissa Villaseñor of Saturday Night Live fame is hosting the ceremony, which is how Film Independent fundraises for many of the programs the organization hosts throughout the year. The show starts at 7 PM Pacific.

As we head into the show, Never Rarely Sometimes Always has seven nominations, followed by Minari with six nominations and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Nomadland tied with five. All four films are nominated for Best Feature.

Announced previous to the show is that Regina King's One Night in Miami will be honored with the Robert Altman Award, which will be given to one film's director, casting director, and the ensemble cast.

The 2021 nominees include TV categories for the very first time.

Winners are selected by members of Film Independent (of which I am one). To determine eligibility, Film Independent defines an independent film as any film with a budget under $22.5 million, making many Oscar nominees ineligible.

The list of 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards winners will be updated as they are announced. Refresh for the latest.

Best Feature

First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland (WINNER)

Best First Feature

I Carry You With Me
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal (WINNER)

John Cassavettes Award – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000

The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue (WINNER)
Saint Frances

Best Director

Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt - First Cow
Chloé Zhao - Nomadland (WINNER)

Best Female Lead

Nicole Beharie - Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner - The Assistant
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman (WINNER)

Best Male Lead

SOUND OF METALCourtesy of Amazon Studios

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal (WINNER)
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav - The White Tiger
Rob Morgan - Bull
Steven Yeun - Minari

Best Supporting Female

Alexis Chikaeze - Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han - Minari
Valerie Mahaffey - French Exit
Talia Ryder - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn - Minari (WINNER)

Best Supporting Male

Colman Domingo - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee - First Cow
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal (WINNER)
Glynn Turman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong - Nine Days

Best Screenplay

Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman (WINNER)
Eliza Hittman - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mike Makowsky - Bad Education
Alice Wu - The Half of It

Best First Screenplay

Kitty Green - The Assistant
Noah Hutton - Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples - Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara - Palm Springs (WINNER)
James Sweeney - Straight Up

Best Documentary

Collective
Crip Camp (WINNER)
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Mole Agent
Time

Best International Film (Award given to the director)

Bacurau
The Disciple
Night of the Kings
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Quo Vadis, Aida? (WINNER)

Best Cinematography

Jay Keitel - She Dies Tomorrow
Shabier Kirchner - Bull
Michael Latham - The Assistant
Hélène Louvart - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland (WINNER)

Best Editing

Andy Canny - The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Merawi Gerima - Residue
Enat Sidi - I Carry You With Me
Chloé Zhao - Nomadland (WINNER)