Which movies are favourites to win at the 2021 Oscars Awards?
The 93rd Academy Awards sees Nomadland the favourite to pick up the big prizes, but Netflix's Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are also in the running.
After a year unlike any other for the movie business, which saw numerous big-name productions caught up in the midst of a global pandemic, Oscars Night 2021 is finally here.
The most prestigious prizes in the award season calendar will be announced on Sunday 25 April at the 93rd edition of the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. While other awards ceremonies have been forced to hold a virtual event due to covid-19 restrictions, an Academy representative has confirmed that there will be a live show element to proceedings.
But which films and actors are up for the top prizes? We take a look at the favourites for the Oscars 2021.
Nomadland the heavy favourite in Best Picture and Best Director categories
The most hotly-tipped film for Sunday’s event is Nomadland, which has been a constant presence at recent awards ceremonies from the Golden Globes to the British Independent Film Awards.
The film received seven BAFTA nominations and has been nominated for six Academy Awards, and is the favourite in most of those categories on Sunday. This is helped by the fact that the pandemic saw many studios postpone or cancel filming and release dates, limiting the number of films to have emerged.
But Nomadland is a standout piece of work in its own right and is the strong favourite to pick up the Best Picture award. Chloe Zhao is also likely to pick up Best Director for her work on Nomadland, hardly a surprise considering that she has been nominated for 13 different 'Best Director' awards at various award shows this year, and has won all of them. She would become only the second female to win Best Director at the Oscars.
Best Actor could see posthumous award for Chadwick Boseman
As with the two previous categories, bookmakers have a clear favourite for 2021’s Best Actor award. Chawick Boseman passed away in August of last year after a battle with cancer but garnered an Oscar nomination for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Also up there for the actor’s award are heavyweights Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman, both of whom have already received the award in their illustrious careers. But after a brilliant final performance the experts are tipping Boseman to be posthumously awarded the prize.
The female award is a much more closely-run affair with three hopefuls vying for the top prize. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) and Frances McDormand (Nomadland) are all in the running with little to choose between them. McDormand has already had huge success at awards shows this year for her stellar performance, picking up 42 other award nominations and winning 19 of them.
Netflix the favourite to be most successful studio
The leading studio at this year’s Academy Awards is Netflix, the streaming giant who have poured money into their own productions in recent years and are reaping the rewards. Netflix films up for awards this year include The Trial of the Chicago 7, Mank and My Octopus Teacher.
In total Netflix has received a whopping 35 nominations, beating the 24 it picked up last year. In recent years the streamer has picked up several awards, such as Roma wining Best Foreign Language Film in 2019, but is yet to claim the big prize. Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are the two nominees for that award this year.