Here are Hollywood Elsewhere’s suggested nominations for the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. All nominating ballots are due no later than 6 pm Pacific on Friday, February 5th. The awards telecast (CW Network) will happen on Sunday, 3.7.21. Taye Diggs will once again host. Film and television awards will be covered.

I decided upon these nominees because they struck me as the best efforts in their respective categories. I don’t judge creative efforts in a political light. Or because this or that artist has never won before. Or because someone’s life came to a sudden and tragic end. You vote for the work, period.

I wish the CCA organizers had asked for five nominees in the major acting categories, instead of just three. For the Best Supporting Actress category, I could and would have included Candice Bergen‘s performance in Steven Soderbergh‘s Let Them All Talk.

BEST PICTURE
1. Nomadland
2. Judas and the Black Messiah (excellent ’70s Lumet film, great LaKeith Stanfield performance)
3. The Trial of the Chicago 7
4. The King of Staten Island
5. The Father

BEST ACTOR
1. Anthony Hopkins, The Father
2. Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
3. LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST ACTRESS
1. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
2. Andra Day, United States vs. Billie Holiday
3. Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Sacha Baron Cohen, Trial of the Chicago 7
2. Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
3. Frank Langella, Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Amanda Seyfried, Mank
2. Olivia Colman, The Father
3. Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)
1. Idrahima Gueye, The Life Ahead
2. Helena Zengel, News of the World
3. Drawing a blank

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
1. Trial of the Chicago 7
2. King of Staten Island
2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

BEST DIRECTING
1. Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
2. Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
3. Aaron Sorkin, Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST SCREENWRITING (Original Screenplay)
1. The King of Staten Island
2. The Trial of Chicago 7
3. Sound of Metal

BEST SCREENWRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
1. The Father
2. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
3. French Exit

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Mank
2. Tenet
3. Nomadland

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. Mank
2. News of the World
3. Midnight Sky

BEST EDITING
1. Trial of the Chicago 7
2. Nomadland
3. The Father

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
2. Mank
3. United States vs. Billie Holiday

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
2. United States vs. Billie Holiday
3. Promising Young Woman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. Tenet
2. Greyhound
3. Midnight Sky

BEST COMEDY
1. King of Staten Island
2. Borat 2
3. On The Rocks

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. The Life Ahead
2. Another Round
3. La Llorona

BEST SONG
1. “Everybody Cries” / The Outpost
1. “Io Is (Seen)” / The Life Ahead
3. “Fight For You” / Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST SCORE
1. News of the World
2. Mank
3. Minari

YOUR NAME AND OUTLET: Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere