Streaming Services Rule 2021 Oscar Nominations, Led By Netflix’s 35 Nods
Author: Kelsey Sutton. Source: Adweek
The 93rd Academy Awards may just be another big year for streaming services, if this morning’s nominations are any indication. Netflix led the pack with the most nominations of any distributor or service, notching a record 35 nominations for its titles. Amazon Prime Video came in at second with its own record: 12 nominations in total.
At Netflix, the David Fincher-directed drama Mank, starring Gary Oldman, led the pack with 10 Oscar nominations in total, including for best picture and best director. The film also grabbed a nomination for best actor for Oldman and best supporting actress for Amanda Seyfried.
Netflix beat its own record
Several additional Netflix movies helped the streamer beat its previous record of 24 nominations, set last year thanks to Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story. Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 got six nominations, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received five, including a posthumous nomination for Chadwick Boseman in the best actor category, along with a nod to Viola Davis for best actress. Hillbilly Elegy also got two nominations, including for Glenn Close’s supporting actress role.
Other streamers had their own record-breaking mornings. Amazon Prime Video had 12 nominations in total, half of which came from the Riz Ahmed-led Sound of Metal, which was nominated six times. One Night in Miami, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm and the documentary Time all received nods of their own.
Hulu also had a few nominations, including one for The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, which Hulu bought from Paramount Pictures last year, two nominations for the Danish drama Another Round starring Mads Mikkelson and one for the documentary The Mole Agent. Searchlight’s Nomadland, available to stream on Hulu the same day it hit theaters, also got six nominations.
First nominations for Disney+ and Apple TV+
Streaming newcomers Disney+ and Apple TV+ also had their first-ever Oscar nominations. Disney’s Mulan, released as a premium title on Disney+ over the summer, attracted two nominations, and the Pixar film Soul, which was rerouted to Disney+ in December, got three; the animated Disney+ film The One and Only Ivan also received a nod for visual effects. Apple TV+ received two nominations, one each for the animated film Wolfwalkers and the Tom Hanks-led Greyhound.
Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah, which was distributed simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max earlier this year, brought in six nominations—but in a stroke of bad luck, the film became unavailable on HBO Max today, since the day-and-date window on the streamer only extends for a month after a film’s theatrical debut.
Oscar’s pandemic pivot
The nominations reflect a brutal year of theater closures, which caused many films to be rerouted to streaming services eager to snap up rights and attract customers. All five of Disney+’s nods come from films that had initially planned to be released in theaters, but which shifted to the streamer instead.
Because of the pandemic, the eligibility window for this year’s Oscars was also extended by two months. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also allowed movies released directly to streaming platforms to qualify for Oscar consideration this year—as long as the film had a previously-planned theatrical release.
Fewer blockbuster films
It was also a year with fewer blockbuster films than normal, as many studios opted to hold off on releasing their biggest and flashiest titles for a post-pandemic future. One notable exception was Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which Warner Bros. debuted in theaters last year; it was nominated for visual effects and production design.
The Academy Awards will air Sunday, April 25 on ABC. Like the Golden Globes, the awards show will be broadcast from several locations, including both the Dolby Theatre and Union Station in Los Angeles.
The complete Oscar nominations list can be found here.