Promising Young Woman Declared Best Picture by Hollywood Critics Association

Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman has been declared Best Picture by the Hollywood Critics Association. The film also won Best Actress for Carey Mulligan, and Best Original Screenplay and Best First Feature for Fennell.

Two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti (Fatale, Black and Blue, Heat) received the organization’s first-ever “Timeless Award,” which is their take on the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sound of Metal‘s Paul Raci will be honored with “Breakthrough Performance Actor” while Cristin Milioti will receive “Breakthrough Performance Actress” for her role in Neon and Hulu’s existential comedy, Palm Springs.

This year’s “Acting Achievement Award” went to Aubrey Plaza for her tour-de-force performance in Momentum Pictures’ Black Bear. Nicole Beharie received this year’s “Game Changer Award” for her profound performance in Channing Godfrey Peoples’ Miss Juneteenth. Academy Award-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were honored with the “Artisan Achievement Award” for their work on Pixar’s Soul and Netflix’s Mank.

Sidney Flanigan, the star of Eliza Hittman’s critically acclaimed Never Rarely Sometimes Always, received the “HCA’s Standout Performance by an Actor or Actress 23 or Under Award”. Run star Kiera Allen was the recipient of the “Spotlight Award” (formerly known as the Newcomer Award). Jo Ellen Pellman, who stars as Emma Nolan in Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation of The Prom, received the “Star on the Rise Award”. 

In the Heights​ and ​Hamilton​ creator, ​Lin-Manuel Miranda​ received this year’s HCA Inspire Award. Each year, the Inspire Award is given to an individual within the entertainment industry whose work serves as an inspiration to others. Lin-Manuel Miranda has broken down barriers while pursuing his dreams and inspiring millions along the way.

Writer and director ​Emerald Fennell​ received the HCA Filmmaker on the Rise Award for her directorial debut, ​Promising Young Woman​. Since the film’s premiere at Sundance in January 2020, ​Promising Young Woman​ has become one of the most talked-about and lauded films over the past year.

Minari​ composer ​Emile Mosseri​ received the Artisan on the Rise Award. Mosseri has made great strides as an artisan in just four years and has composed scores for various television shows and films, including ​The Last Black Man In San Francisco​, ​Kajillionaire​, and ​Minari.

Dwayne Johnson received the Trailblazer Award, created to highlight and celebrate actors and filmmakers who speak out about important topics and advocate for change. Dwayne Johnson started his illustrious career with just $7 to his name and ambition to be among the best in the world of sports and entertainment. During the pandemic, Johnson made countless donations to frontline workers and first responders and used his voice and recognition to lead the Black Lives Matter movement’s dialogue. He is a long-time supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and has been granting wishes for over two decades.

Zack Snyder received the group’s first-ever Valiant Award. In December of 2020, Snyder and his fanbase helped raise over $500,000 dollars for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. To raise additional funds for the AFSP during the HCA Film Awards, the Hollywood critics association plans to purchase a host of Snyder’s merchandise on the Ink to the People fundraising platform to give away on their social media channels during the ceremony.

Winners in bold below.

Best Picture

Da 5 Bloods 
Judas and The Black Messiah
Minari 
Nomadland 
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman 
Soul 
Sound of Metal 
The Father 
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Actor

Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal

Best Actress

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man 
Frances McDormand – Nomadland 
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Zendaya – Malcolm & Marie 

Best Supporting Actor

Bo Burnham – Promising Young Woman 
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah 
Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal

Best Supporting Actress

Amanda Seyfried – Mank 
Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy 
Olivia Colman – The Father
Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari

Best Animated or VFX Performance 

Ben Schwartz – Sonic the Hedgehog
Cathy Ang – Over the Moon
Honor Kneafsey – Wolfwalkers 
Jamie Foxx – Soul
Tina Fey – Soul 

Best Male Director

Darius Marder – Sound of Metal 
David Fincher – Mank 
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari 
Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah 
Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods

Best Female Director

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Eliza Hittman – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Regina King – One Night In Miami
Sofia Coppola – On the Rocks

Best Original Screenplay

Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of The Chicago 7 
Abraham Marder & Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
Andy Siara – Palm Springs
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller – The Father 
Jonathan Raymond & Kelly Reichardt – First Cow 
Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami
Ruben Santiago-Hudson – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 

Best Cast Ensemble

Da 5 Bloods
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
The Prom
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best First Feature

Channing Godfrey Peoples – Miss Juneteenth 
Darius Marder – Sound of Metal 
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Radha Blank – The 40-Year-Old Version
Regina King – One Night In Miami 

Best Animated Film

Onward 
Over The Moon
Soul
The Croods: A New Age
Wolfwalkers

Best International Film

Another Round
Bacurau 
I’m No Longer Here
La Llorona
Two of Us 

Best Documentary

All In: The Fight For Democracy (tie)
Boys State
Class Action Park (tie)
Dick Johnson is Dead
Time 

Best Action

Bad Boys for Life 
Birds of Prey
Extraction
Tenet
The Old Guard

Best Blockbuster

Birds of Prey
Sonic the Hedgehog
Tenet
The Old Guard 
Wonder Woman 1984

Best Comedy/Musical

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
On the Rocks 
Palm Springs 
The Personal History of David Copperfield 
The Prom 

Best Horror

Freaky
His House
Host
Relic 
The Invisible Man

Best Indie Film 

Black Bear 
First Cow 
Minari 
Miss Juneteenth
Palm Springs

Best Short Film

Burrow
Canvas
Cops And Robbers
If Anything Happens, I Love You
The Heart Still Hums

Best Cinematography 

Erik Messerschmidt – Mank
Dariusz Wolski – News of The World
Joshua James Richards – Nomadland
Hoyte van Hoytema – Tenet
Martin Ruhe – The Midnight Sky

Best Stunts

Birds of Prey
Extraction
Tenet
The Old Guard
Wonder Woman 1984

Best Score

Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross – Mank
Emile Mosseri – Minari
James Newton Howard – News of The World
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste – Soul
Alexandre Desplat – The Midnight Sky

Best Original Song

Husavik (My Hometown) – Eurovision Song Contest
Rocket to the Moon – Over the Moon
Speak Now – One Night in Miami
Turntables – All In: The Fight for Democracy
Wear Your Crown – The Prom

Best Hair & Makeup

Deborah La Mia Denaver and Adruitha Lee – Birds of Prey
Eryn Krueger, Mekash Patricia Dehaney, and Matthew Mungle – Hillbilly Elegy
Kimberley Spiteri, Colleen LaBaff, Gigi Williams, and Michelle Audrina Kim – Mank
Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry, Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon and Jamika Wilson – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Angela Wells and Daniel Curet – Promising Young Woman

Best Costume Design

Erin Benach – Birds of Prey
Alexandra Byrne – Emma
Trish Summerville – Mank
Ann Roth – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Suzie Harman – The Personal History of David Copperfield

Best Production Design

Kave Quinn – Emma
Donald Graham Burt – Mank
Mark Ricker – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Cristina Casali – The Personal History of David Copperfield
Jamie Walker McCall – The Prom

Best Film Editing

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Frédéric Thoraval – Promising Young Woman
Yorgos Lamprinos – The Father
Andy Canny – The Invisible Man
Alan Baumgarten – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Visual Effects

Kevin Souls and Thrain Shadbolt – Birds of Prey
Ged Wright – Sonic the Hedgehog
Andrew Jackson – Tenet
Jonathan Dearing – The Invisible Man
Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins, and Max Solomon – The Midnight Sky