The other group of Phoenix film critics announced their nominations for the best of 2021 earlier today. And here they are:

BEST PICTURE
DRIVE MY CAR
LICORICE PIZZA
THE POWER OF THE DOG
SPENCER
WEST SIDE STORY

BEST COMEDY FILM
BARB AND STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
LICORICE PIZZA
RED ROCKET
SHIVA BABY

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
DUNE
THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES
A QUIET PLACE PART II
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
THE SUICIDE SQUAD

BEST HORROR FILM
CANDYMAN
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
MALIGNANT
THE NIGHT HOUSE
TITANE

BEST ANIMATED FILM
ENCANTO
LUCA
THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
VIVO

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
DRIVE MY CAR
THE HAND OF GOD
PETITE MAMAN
TITANE
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

BEST DOCUMENTARY
FLEE
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
SUMMER OF SOUL
VAL
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

BEST ACTOR
NICOLAS CAGE, PIG
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, THE POWER OF THE DOG
ANDREW GARFIELD, TICK,TICK…BOOM!
JOAQUIN PHOENIX, C’MON C’MON
DENZEL WASHINGTON, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

BEST ACTRESS
OLIVIA COLMAN, THE LOST DAUGHTER
LADY GAGA, HOUSE OF GUCCI
ALANA HAIM, LICORICE PIZZA
NICOLE KIDMAN, BEING THE RICARDOS
KRISTEN STEWART, SPENCER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BRADLEY COOPER, LICORICE PIZZA
MIKE FAIST, WEST SIDE STORY
CIARIN HINDS, BELFAST
KODI SMIT-MCPHEE, THE POWER OF THE DOG
JEFFREY WRIGHT, THE FRENCH DISPATCH

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CAITRIONA BALFE, BELFAST
KIRSTEN DUNST, THE POWER OF THE DOG
ARIANA DEBOSE, WEST SIDE STORY
RITA MORENO, WEST SIDE STORY
RUTH NEGGA, PASSING

BEST DIRECTOR
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, LICORICE PIZZA
WES ANDERSON, THE FRENCH DISPATCH
JANE CAMPION, THE POWER OF THE DOG
RYUSUKE HAMAGUCHI, DRIVE MY CAR
STEVEN SPIELBERG, WEST SIDE STORY

BEST SCREENPLAY
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, LICORICE PIZZA
JANE CAMPION AND THOMAS SAVAGE, THE POWER OF THE DOG
RYÛSUKE HAMAGUCHI, HARUKI MURAKAMI, AND TAKAMASA OE, DRIVE MY CAR
MIKE MILLS, C’MON C’MON
AARON SORKIN, BEING THE RICARDOS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BRUNO DELBONNEL, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
GREIG FRASER, DUNE
JANUSZ KAMINSKI, WEST SIDE STORY
DAN LAUSTSEN, NIGHTMARE ALLEY
ARI WEGNER, THE POWER OF THE DOG

BEST SCORE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, THE FRENCH DISPATCH
JONNY GREENWOOD, THE POWER OF THE DOG
JONNY GREENWOOD, SPENCER
JEYMES SAMUEL, THE HARDER THEY FALL
HANS ZIMMER, DUNE

The winners will be announced on December 17th!

Though I think a lot of people have kind of tuned out now that the Oscar nominations have finally been announced, the critics groups and the guilds are still announcing their picks for the best of 2020 and the first two months of 2021.  Yesterday, the Phoenix Critics Circle announced that Minari was their selection for best film of the year!

Here are the winners from Phoenix:

BEST PICTURE
FIRST COW
MINARI
NOMADLAND
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
SOUND OF METAL

BEST COMEDY FILM
THE 40-YEAR-OLD VERSION
ANOTHER ROUND
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
ON THE ROCKS
PALM SPRINGS

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
POSSESOR
SPUTNIK
TENET
THE VAST OF NIGHT

BEST HORROR FILM
ANTEBELLUM
THE INVISIBLE MAN
LA LLORONA
POSSESOR
RELIC

BEST ANIMATED FILM
THE CROODS: NEW AGE
ONWARD
OVER THE MOON
SOUL
WOLFWALKERS

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
ANOTHER ROUND
BACURAU
COLLECTIVE
LA LLORONA
MINARI

BEST DOCUMENTARY
BOYS STATE
CRIP CAMP
DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD
GUNDA
TIME

BEST ACTOR
RIZ AHMED – SOUND OF METAL
CHADWICK BOSEMAN – MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
DELROY LINDO – DA 5 BLOODS
MADS MIKKELSEN – ANOTHER ROUND
GARY OLDMAN – MANK
STEVEN YEUN – MINARI

BEST ACTRESS
VIOLA DAVIS – MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
ANDRA DAY – THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY
SIDNEY FLANIGAN – NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
FRANCES MCDORMAND – NOMADLAND
CAREY MULLIGAN – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHADWICK BOSEMAN – DA 5 BLOODS
SACHA BARON COHEN – THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
DANIEL KALUUYA – JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
LESLIE ODOM JR. – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
PAUL RACI – SOUND OF METAL

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MARIA BAKALOVA – BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
OLIVIA COLMAN – THE FATHER
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK – JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
AMANDA SEYFRIED – MANK
YUH-JUNG YOUN – MINARI
HELENA ZENGEL – NEWS OF THE WORLD

BEST DIRECTOR
LEE ISSAC CHUNG – MINARI
EMERALD FENNELL – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
DAVID FINCHER – MANK
REGINA KING – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
CHLOE ZHAO – NOMADLAND

BEST SCREENPLAY
LEE ISAAC CHUNG – MINARI
EMERALD FENNELL – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
KEMP POWERS – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
AARON SORKIN – THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
CHLOE ZHAO – NOMADLAND

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
ERIK MESSERSCHMIDT – MANK
JOSHUA JAMES RICHARDS – NOMADLAND
NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL – DA 5 BLOODS
HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA – TENET
ŁUKASZ ŻAL – I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

BEST SCORE
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – TENET
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD – NEWS OF THE WORLD
EMILE MOSSERI – MINARI
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS – MANK
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS, JON BATISTE – SOUL

Here are the 2020 nominees of the Phoenix Critics Circle!  The winners will be announced on the 18th, which is the day after the Oscar nominations are announced so …. well, way to go, Phoenix.

On the plus side, the Phoenix Critics Circle not only gives out the “usual” awards — Best Actor, Best Actress, and all that — but they also give out genre-specific awards.  Personally, I think that every regional critics group should follow their lead.  If nothing else, it means some recognition for two of my favorite films of the past year, Possessor and The Vast of Night.

Anyway, the nominees:

BEST PICTURE
FIRST COW
MINARI
NOMADLAND
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
SOUND OF METAL

BEST COMEDY FILM
THE 40-YEAR-OLD VERSION
ANOTHER ROUND
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
ON THE ROCKS
PALM SPRINGS

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
POSSESOR
SPUTNIK
TENET
THE VAST OF NIGHT

BEST HORROR FILM
ANTEBELLUM
THE INVISIBLE MAN
LA LLORONA
POSSESOR
RELIC

BEST ANIMATED FILM
THE CROODS: NEW AGE
ONWARD
OVER THE MOON
SOUL
WOLFWALKERS

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
ANOTHER ROUND
BACURAU
COLLECTIVE
LA LLORONA
MINARI

BEST DOCUMENTARY
BOYS STATE
CRIP CAMP
DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD
GUNDA
TIME

BEST ACTOR
RIZ AHMED – SOUND OF METAL
CHADWICK BOSEMAN – MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
DELROY LINDO – DA 5 BLOODS
MADS MIKKELSEN – ANOTHER ROUND
GARY OLDMAN – MANK
STEVEN YEUN – MINARI

BEST ACTRESS
VIOLA DAVIS – MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
ANDRA DAY – THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY
SIDNEY FLANIGAN – NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
FRANCES MCDORMAND – NOMADLAND
CAREY MULLIGAN – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHADWICK BOSEMAN – DA 5 BLOODS
SACHA BARON COHEN – THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
DANIEL KALUUYA – JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
LESLIE ODOM JR. – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
PAUL RACI – SOUND OF METAL

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MARIA BAKALOVA – BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
OLIVIA COLMAN – THE FATHER
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK – JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
AMANDA SEYFRIED – MANK
YUH-JUNG YOUN – MINARI
HELENA ZENGEL – NEWS OF THE WORLD

BEST DIRECTOR
LEE ISSAC CHUNG – MINARI
EMERALD FENNELL – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
DAVID FINCHER – MANK
REGINA KING – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
CHLOE ZHAO – NOMADLAND

BEST SCREENPLAY
LEE ISAAC CHUNG – MINARI
EMERALD FENNELL – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
KEMP POWERS – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
AARON SORKIN – THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
CHLOE ZHAO – NOMADLAND

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
ERIK MESSERSCHMIDT – MANK
JOSHUA JAMES RICHARDS – NOMADLAND
NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL – DA 5 BLOODS
HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA – TENET
ŁUKASZ ŻAL – I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

BEST SCORE
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – TENET
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD – NEWS OF THE WORLD
EMILE MOSSERI – MINARI
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS – MANK
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS, JON BATISTE – SOUL