36th Independent Spirit Awards

36th Independent Spirit Awards
36th Independent Spirit Awards
Awarded for	Best in independent film and independent television
Date	April 22, 2021
Site	Santa Monica Pier ; Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Hosted by	Melissa Villaseñor
Highlights
Best Feature	Nomadland
Most awards	Nomadland (4)
Most nominations	Never Rarely Sometimes Always (7)
Television coverage
Channel	IFC
	← 35th; Independent Spirit Awards; 37th →;

The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films and television series of 2020, were presented by Film Independent on April 22, 2021.^[1] Though it was initially intended for the ceremony to air on April 24, 2021, it was later changed to April 22, 2021.^[2] The nominations were announced on January 26, 2021 by Laverne Cox, Barry Jenkins, and Olivia Wilde.^[3]^[4]^[5] The ceremony was televised in the United States on IFC and streamed exclusively by AMC+.^[6] Melissa Villaseñor hosted the ceremony.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Expansion

This year, the Film Independent expanded categories in order to honor television series for the first time, debuting five new categories: Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series, Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series, and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Winners and nominees

Film

Youn Yuh-jung, Best Supporting Female winner

Best Feature	Best Director
Nomadland First Cow Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Minari Never Rarely Sometimes Always	Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Lee Isaac Chung – Minari Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman Eliza Hittman – Never Rarely Sometimes Always Kelly Reichardt – First Cow
Best Male Lead	Best Female Lead
*Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal* as Ruben Stone** Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Levee Green (posthumous) Adarsh Gourav – The White Tiger as Balram Halwai Rob Morgan – Bull as Abe Steven Yeun – Minari as Jacob Yi	*Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman* as Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas** Nicole Beharie – Miss Juneteenth as Turquoise Jones Viola Davis – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Ma Rainey Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always as Autumn Callahan Julia Garner – The Assistant as Jane Frances McDormand – Nomadland as Fern
Best Supporting Male	Best Supporting Female
*Paul Raci – Sound of Metal* as Joe** Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Cutler Orion Lee – First Cow as King-Lu Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Toledo Benedict Wong – Nine Days as Kyo	*Youn Yuh-jung – Minari* as Soon-ja** Alexis Chikaeze – Miss Juneteenth as Kai Jones Yeri Han – Minari as Monica Yi Valerie Mahaffey – French Exit as Madame Reynaud Talia Ryder – Never Rarely Sometimes Always as Skylar
Best Screenplay	Best First Screenplay
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman Lee Isaac Chung – Minari Eliza Hittman – Never Rarely Sometimes Always Mike Makowsky – Bad Education Alice Wu – The Half of It	Andy Siara – Palm Springs Kitty Green – The Assistant Noah Hutton – Lapsis Channing Godfrey Peoples – Miss Juneteenth James Sweeney – Straight Up
Best First Feature	Best Documentary Feature
Darius Marder – Sound of Metal Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version Heidi Ewing – I Carry You with Me Edson Oda – Nine Days Channing Godfrey Peoples – Miss Juneteenth	Crip Camp Collective Dick Johnson Is Dead The Mole Agent Time
Best Cinematography	Best Editing
Joshua James Richards – Nomadland Jay Keitel – She Dies Tomorrow Shabier Kirchner – Bull Michael Latham – The Assistant Hélène Louvart – Never Rarely Sometimes Always	Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Andy Canny – The Invisible Man Scott Cummings – Never Rarely Sometimes Always Merawi Gerima – Residue Enat Sidi – I Carry You with Me
Best International Film
Quo Vadis, Aida? ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) Bacurau ( Brazil) The Disciple ( India) Night of the Kings ( Ivory Coast) Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time ( Hungary)

Films with multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
7	Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6	Minari
5	Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
5	Nomadland
4	Miss Juneteenth
3	The Assistant
	Bull
	First Cow
	Promising Young Woman
	Sound of Metal
2	I Carry You with Me
	Nine Days
	Residue

Films that won multiple awards
Awards	Film
4	Nomadland
3	Sound of Metal
2	Promising Young Woman

Television

Best New Scripted Series	Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
I May Destroy You (BBC One / HBO) Little America (Apple TV+) Small Axe (Prime Video) A Teacher (FX on Hulu) Unorthodox (Netflix)	Immigration Nation (Netflix) Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (HBO) City So Real (National Geographic) Love Fraud (Showtime) We're Here (HBO)
Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series	Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
*Amit Rahav – Unorthodox* as Yakov "Yanky" Shapiro (Netflix)** Adam Ali – Little America as Zain (Apple TV+) Nicco Annan – P-Valley as Uncle Clifford (Starz) Conphidance – Little America as Iwegbuna (Apple TV+) Harold Torres – ZeroZeroZero as Manuel Contreras (Prime Video)	*Shira Haas – Unorthodox* as Esther "Esty" Shapiro (Netflix)** Elle Fanning – The Great as Catherine the Great (Hulu) Abby McEnany – Work in Progress as Abby (Showtime) Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I Ever as Devi Vishwakumar (Netflix) Jordan Kristine Seamón – We Are Who We Are as Caitlin Poythress / Harper (HBO)
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
I May Destroy You – Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, and Stephen Wight

Series with multiple nominations and awards

Series that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Series
3	Little America
3	Unorthodox
2	I May Destroy You

Series that won multiple awards
Awards	Series
2	I May Destroy You
2	Unorthodox

Special awards

John Cassavetes Award

(The award is given to the best feature made for under $500,000; recipients are the writer, director, and producer)

Residue

Robert Altman Award

(The award is given to its film director, casting director, and ensemble cast)

One Night in Miami... – Regina King, Kimberly R. Hardin, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr.

Emerging Filmmakers Awards

Producers Award

The award honors emerging producers, who despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to create quality independent films. The winner receives a $25,000 unrestricted cash grant courtesy of Spirit Award Premier Sponsors Genesis Motor North America.

Gerry Kim
- Kara Durrett
- Lucas Joaquin

Someone to Watch Award

The award honors a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The winner receives a $25,000 unrestricted cash grant courtesy of Spirit Award Premier Sponsors Genesis Motor North America.

Ekwa Msangi – Farewell Amor
- David Midell – The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
- Annie Silverstein – Bull

Truer than Fiction Award

The award honors to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The winner receives a $25,000 unrestricted cash grant courtesy of Spirit Award Premier Sponsors Genesis Motor North America.

Elegance Bratton – Pier Kids
- Cecilia Aldarondo – Landfall
- Elizabeth Lo – Stray

References

^ Galuppo, Mia; Nordyke, Kimberly; Drury, Sharareh; Perez, Lexy (April 22, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Nomadland' Wins Best Feature, Best Director for Chloe Zhao". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2021). "Independent Spirit Awards Breaks Tradition During Pandemic, Will Take Place Thursday Before Oscars". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
^ Anderson, Erik (January 21, 2021). "Spirit Awards move date; Barry Jenkins, Laverne Cox, Olivia Wilde to announce nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
^ "SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS (2021) | Presenters Olivia Wilde, Barry Jenkins & Laverne Cox". YouTube. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ Lewis, Hilary (January 26, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', 'Minari', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Nomadland' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ Hipes, Patrick (April 22, 2021). "How To Watch Tonight's Film Independent Spirit Awards Online & On TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Warren, Matt (February 8, 2021). "SNL's Melissa Villaseñor to Host the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards, April 22". Film Independent. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (February 8, 2021). "'SNL' Star Melissa Villasenor to Host 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
^ Perez, Lexy (April 22, 2021). "Spirit Awards: Melissa Villasenor Says Pandemic Marked "Tough Year" to "Watch Independent Movies"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
^ Welk, Brian (September 29, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Adds 5 New TV Categories for 2021 Ceremony". TheWrap. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
^ Hill, Libby (September 29, 2020). "2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards Expand to Honor Television". IndieWire. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
^ Schneider, Michael (April 22, 2021). "Independent Spirit Awards Define What's 'Indie TV': 'I May Destroy You' and 'Unorthodox', for Starters". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

External links

Official website

[1] Galuppo, Mia; Nordyke, Kimberly; Drury, Sharareh; Perez, Lexy (April 22, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Nomadland' Wins Best Feature, Best Director for Chloe Zhao". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[2] D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2021). "Independent Spirit Awards Breaks Tradition During Pandemic, Will Take Place Thursday Before Oscars". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 22, 2021.

[3] Anderson, Erik (January 21, 2021). "Spirit Awards move date; Barry Jenkins, Laverne Cox, Olivia Wilde to announce nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 22, 2021.

[4] "SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS (2021) | Presenters Olivia Wilde, Barry Jenkins & Laverne Cox". YouTube. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.

[5] Lewis, Hilary (January 26, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', 'Minari', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Nomadland' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 26, 2021.

[6] Hipes, Patrick (April 22, 2021). "How To Watch Tonight's Film Independent Spirit Awards Online & On TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[7] Warren, Matt (February 8, 2021). "SNL's Melissa Villaseñor to Host the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards, April 22". Film Independent. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

[8] Verhoeven, Beatrice (February 8, 2021). "'SNL' Star Melissa Villasenor to Host 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

[9] Perez, Lexy (April 22, 2021). "Spirit Awards: Melissa Villasenor Says Pandemic Marked "Tough Year" to "Watch Independent Movies"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

[10] Welk, Brian (September 29, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Adds 5 New TV Categories for 2021 Ceremony". TheWrap. Retrieved September 29, 2020.

[11] Hill, Libby (September 29, 2020). "2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards Expand to Honor Television". IndieWire. Retrieved September 29, 2020.

[12] Schneider, Michael (April 22, 2021). "Independent Spirit Awards Define What's 'Indie TV': 'I May Destroy You' and 'Unorthodox', for Starters". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

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v t e Independent Spirit Awards
Current categories	Best Film Best Director Best Lead Performance Best Supporting Performance Best Breakthrough Performance Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Documentary Feature Best First Feature Best International Film Best Screenplay Best First Screenplay Best New Scripted Series Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series John Cassavetes Award Robert Altman Award
Retired categories	Best Male Lead Best Female Lead Best Supporting Male Best Supporting Female Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ceremonies	1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 (years are of film release; ceremonies are the following year)