‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ Leads 2021 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

“First Cow,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Minari,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and “Nomadland” scored Best Feature Film nominations for the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards, with “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” leading the pack with seven nominations. “Minari” had six film nominations, and “Nomandland” wound up with five.

And for the first time Film Independent recognized the best in TV. “A Teacher,” “I May Destroy You,” “Little America,” “Small Axe” and “Unorthodox” all landed nominations for Best New Scripted Series. “Unorthodox” and “Little America” each scored three nominations.

Nominations for the 36th annual ceremony were announced Tuesday via Film Independent’s website and YouTube channel by Laverne Cox, Barry Jenkins and Olivia Wilde.

*Also Read:* 'Nomadland' Named Best Film at Gotham Awards

Though the awards are generally held the Saturday afternoon before the Oscars ceremony, the show has been moved up to a primetime slot on Thursday, April 22 and will air on IFC that will also be simulcast on AMC+ and made available on AMC+ and on demand the next day.

The newly added TV categories this year included Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance and Best Ensemble Cast.

*List of Nominees (Updating)
*

*Best Feature*
First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland

*Best First Feature*
I Carry You With Me
The 40-Year-Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal

*John Casssavetes Award
*The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue
Saint Frances

*Best Screenplay*
Bad Education
Minari
The Half of It
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Promising Young Woman

*Best First Screenplay*

Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up

*Best Cinematography*
The Assistant
Bull
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
She Dies Tomorrow

*Best Documentary*
Collective
Crip Camp
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Mole Agent
Time

*First Feature*
I Carry You With Me
The 40 Year Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal

*Best Supporting Actor*
Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee – First Cow
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong – Nine Days

*Best Male Lead*
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav – The White Tiger
Rob Morgan – Bull
Steven Yeun – Minari

*Best Female Lead*

Nicole Beharie – “Miss Juneteenth”
Viola Davis – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Sidney Flanigan – “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Julia Garner – “The Assistant”
Frances McDormand – “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan – “Promising Young Woman”

*Best Supporting Female*

Alexis Chikaeze – Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han – Minari
Valerie Mahaffey – French Exit
Talia Ryder – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn – Minari

*Best Director*
Lee Isaac Chung
Emerald Fennell
Eliza Hittman
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

*Best Editing*
Andy Canny, The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Merawi Gerima, Residue
Enat Sidi, I Carry You With Me
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

*Robert Altman Award*

“One Night in Miami…”
Director: Regina King
Casting Directors: Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

*Best International Film
*

Bacurau – Brazil (Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The Disciple – India (Director: Chaitanya Tamhane)
Night of the Kings – Ivory Coast (Director: Philippe Lacôte)
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time – Hungary (Director: Lili Horvát)
Quo Vadis, Aida? – Bosnia and Herzegovina (Director: Jasmila Žbanić)

*Producers Award*

Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim

*Someone to Watch Award
*

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

*Truer Than Fiction Award
*

Cecilia Aldarondo – Director of Landfall
Elegance Bratton – Director of Pier Kids
Elizabeth Lo – Director of Stray

*TV CATEGORIES*

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

“Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”
“City So Real”
“Immigration Nation”
“Love Fraud”
“We’re Here”

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

“I May Destroy You”
“Little America”
“Small Axe”
“A Teacher”
“Unorthodox”

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Elle Fanning – “The Great”
Shira Haas – “Unorthodox”
Abby McEnany – “Work in Progress”
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – “Never Have I Ever”
Jordan Kristine Seamón – “We Are Who We Are”

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Conphidance – “Little America”
Adam Ali – “Little America”
Nicco Annan – “P-Valley”
Amit Rahav – “Unorthodox”
Harold Torres – “Zero, Zero, Zero”

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

“I May Destroy You” -
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia,
Stephen Wight

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