American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Television and Documentary Nominations

Episode of a Series for Non-Commercial Television
David Luther – Das Boot, “Gegen die Zeit” (S1, E6) (Sky)
M. David Mullen, ASC – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Simone” (Amazon)
Chris Seager, BSC – Carnival Row, “Grieve No More” (Amazon)
Brendan Steacy, CSC – Titans, “Dick Grayson” (DC Universe)
Colin Watkinson, ASC, BSC – The Handmaid’s Tale, “Night” (Hulu)

Episode of a Series for Commercial Television
Dana Gonzales, ASC – Legion, “Chapter 20” (FX)
C. Kim Miles, CSC, MySC – Project Blue Book, “The Flatwoods Monster” (History)
Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC – Legion, “Chapter 23” (FX)
Peter Robertson, ISC – Vikings, “Hell” (History)
David Stockton, ASC – Gotham, “Ace Chemicals” (FOX)

Motion Picture, Miniseries, or Pilot Made for Television
John Conroy, ISC – The Terror: Infamy, “A Sparrow in a Swallow’s Nest” (AMC)
P.J. Dillon, ISC – The Rook, “Chapter 1” (Starz)
Chris Manley, ASC – Doom Patrol, pilot (DC Universe)
Martin Ruhe, ASC – Catch-22, “Episode 5” (Hulu)
Craig Wrobleski, CSC – The Twilight Zone, “Blurryman” (CBS All Access)

The ASC Documentary Award
Nicholas de Pencier— Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
Fejmi Daut & Samir Ljuma— Honeyland
Evangelia Kranioti— Obscuro Barroco

3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Award Nominations

Formerly the Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society, winners announced January 9th!

Best Picture
1917
Booksmart
The Farewell
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Marriage Story
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Waves

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best Actress
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Supporting Actor 
Sterling K. Brown, Waves
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Taylor Russell, Waves
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell

Best Adapted Screenplay
Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Scott Silver and Todd Phillips, Joker
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes

Best Original Screenplay
Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman, Booksmart
Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Rian Johnson, Knives Out
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite

Best Male Director
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Best Female Director 
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Alma Har’el, Honey Boy
Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Olivia Wilde, Booksmart

Best Performance by an Actor or Actress 23 and Under
Julia Butters, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart
Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit

Breakthrough Performance
Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
Zack Gottsagen, The Peanut Butter Falcon
Kelvin Harrison Jr, Waves
Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell
Taylor Russell, Waves

Best Cast
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
Knives Out
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Waves

Best First Feature
Booksmart
Brittany Runs A Marathon
Honey Boy
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Queen & Slim

Best Independent Film
Booksmart
The Farewell
Honey Boy
Luce
Waves

Best Action/War Film
1917
Avengers: Endgame
Captain Marvel
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Best Animated Film
Abominable
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Best Blockbuster
Avengers: Endgame
Captain Marvel
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Shazam!
Spider-Man: Far from Home

Best Comedy/Musical
Blinded by The Light
Booksmart
Dolemite is My Name
Long Shot
Rocketman

Best Documentary
American Factory
Apollo 11
Hail Satan?
The Kingmaker
Love, Antosha

Best Foreign Language Film
The Farewell
Monos
Pain & Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Horror
Crawl
Doctor Sleep
Midsommar
Ready or Not
Us

Best Animated or VFX Performance
Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame
Robert De Niro, The Irishman
Tom Hanks, Toy Story 4
Ryan Reynolds, Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917
Lawrence Sher, Joker
Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Robert Richardson, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Drew Daniel, Waves

Best Costume Design
Ruth E Carter, Dolemite is My Name
Mark Bridges, Joker
Jacqueline Durran, Little Women
Arianne Phillips, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Julian Day, Rocketman

Best Editing
Lee Smith, 1917
Michael McCusker, Ford V. Ferrari
Thelma Schoonmaker, The Irishman
Fred Raskin, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Yang Jin-mo, Parasite

Best Hair and Makeup
Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker, Bombshell
Nicki Ledermann, Sean Flanigan, and Carla White, The Irishman
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou, Joker
Jeremy Woodhead, Judy
Lizzie Yianni Georgiou, Tapio Salmi, and Barrie Gower, Rocketman

Best Original Song
Speechless, Aladdin
Into the Unknown, Frozen 2
Catchy Song, The Lego Movie: The Second Part
(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, Rocketman
Glasgow, Wild Rose

Best Score
Thomas Newman, 1917
Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Michael Abels, Us
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Waves

Best Stunt Work
1917
Avengers: Endgame
Captain Marvel
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Best Visual Effects
Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy, 1917
Allen Maris, Jedediah Smith, Guillaume Rocheron, and Scott R. Fisher, Ad Astra
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon and Nick Epstein, Alita: Battle Angel
Dan Deleeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick, Avengers: Endgame
Pablo Herman, Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli, and Nelson Sepulveda, The Irishman

2019 American Music Award Winners

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, "Señorita"

TOUR OF THE YEAR
BTS

FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Taylor Swift, "You Need to Calm Down"

FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST - POP/ROCK 
Khalid

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST - POP/ROCK 
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP - POP/ROCK 
BTS

FAVORITE ALBUM - POP/ROCK 
Taylor Swift "Lover"

FAVORITE SONG - POP/ROCK
Halsey "Without Me"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST - COUNTRY 
Kane Brown

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST - COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE DUO or GROUP - COUNTRY
Dan + Shay

FAVORITE ALBUM - COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood "Cry Pretty"

FAVORITE SONG - COUNTRY
Dan + Shay "Speechless"

FAVORITE ARTIST - RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B

FAVORITE ALBUM - RAP/HIP-HOP
Post Malone "Hollywood's Bleeding"

FAVORITE SONG - RAP/HIP-HOP
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST - SOUL/R&B
Bruno Mars

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST - SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé

FAVORITE ALBUM - SOUL/R&B
Khalid "Free Spirit"

FAVORITE SONG - SOUL/R&B
Khalid "Talk"

FAVORITE ARTIST - ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Billie Eilish

FAVORITE ARTIST - ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE ARTIST - LATIN
J Balvin

FAVORITE ARTIST - CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Lauren Daigle

FAVORITE ARTIST - ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
Marshmello

FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
Bohemian Rhapsody

The 8th Annual Awards Psychic Music Award Winners

Album of the Year
Winner - Lizzo “Cuz I Love You”
Runners Up - Billie Eilish “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, Rapsody “Eve”, Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars”, and Tanya Tucker “While I’m Livin’”
Commentary - When I sat down and thought of the album this year that I enjoyed the most, I had on repeat the most, and encouraged the most people to listen to, I kept coming back to Lizzo. 2019 was Lizzo's year. She is not technically a new artist, but she is considered one, because her music has finally made her grow from an underground favorite, to a genuine superstar. Cuz I Love You is just such a fun album to listen to. It is a brilliant mixture of pop, soul, and hip hop. It is infectious, particularly one of my favorite songs of the year, Juice, with its 80's jazzy vibe. Lizzo herself is infectious, she encourages positive body images, lifts people up no matter who they are, and has clearly made it her mission to make people smile with her music. She is not the pop star we deserve in our current climate, but she is the pop star we need. Cuz I Love You is a masterwork, and will hopefully serve as a launchpad for a long and fun career from a truly breathtaking artist.

Single of the Year
Winner - Tanya Tucker “Bring My Flowers Now”
Runners Up - Taylor Swift "You Need to Calm Down", Lizzo "Juice", DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend “Higher”, and Brittany Howard "History Repeats"
Commentary - Tanya Tucker had not released an album in a decade, when her new effort hit. A lot had changed in that decade, not just in the music industry, but for Tucker herself. She is still that rough and tumble, outlaw, underappreciated and uncompromising country star we knew her to be. She is also a little bit softer, a lot more reflective, and has chosen to partner with amazing collaborators, in this case Brandi Carlile, to bring a humanistic, heartbreaking, and amazing style to her music. Bring My Flowers Now is reminiscent of the late work of Johnny Cast, particularly Hurt. You cannot help but get swept up in the moment listening to this beautiful,yet haunting song. She is now in her 60's, and as she looks back at her unique and prolific career in country music, we get to enjoy the ride with her. Welcome back Tanya, and don't make us wait another decade to experience your artistry.

Best New Artist
Winner - Lizzo
Runners Up - Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, and Maggie Rogers
Commentary - See Album of the Year

Best Pop Album
Winner - Billie Eilish “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
Runners Up - Lana Del Rey “Norman Fucking Rockwell”, Taylor Swift “Lover”, and Maggie Rogers “Heard It In a Past Life”
Commentary - Billie Eilish is the next generation's pop music. Her debut album When We  Fall Asleep, Where do We Go? is the next generation's launching point into music. It is a distinctly new feel for pop music, represents the confusion and angst of Gen Z, while also still being fun, rebellious, and easy to listen to. Eilish has a long career ahead of her, and she could end up being one of the artists that defines the next decade of American music.

Best Rock/Alternative Album
Winner - Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars”
Runner Up - Tool "Fear Inoculum"
Commentary - I don't know how many albums Bruce Springsteen has left in his head, but if he keeps churning out quality work like Western Stars, I hope that the magic never ends. Springsteen is a master storyteller, and on Western Stars, he tells the stories of ordinary people, tired yet energetic, broken yet fixable, down and out, yet hopeful. His musical style is a mix of rock, country, and classical orchestrations. He continues to reinvent his music, try new things, and Western Stars proves that no matter his age or length of his career, Bruce Springsteen is sill The Boss, and the best.

Best Rap Album
Winner - Rapsody “Eve”
Runners Up - Megan Thee Stallion “Fever” and Tyler the Creator “Igor”
Commentary - Female rappers are having a banner couple of years. Megan Thee Stallion is the up and coming new star in hip hop. Legends like Lil Kim and Missy Elliott are releasing new work, and folks like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are tearing up the charts. I could not be more thrilled to see these powerful and talented women taking their place among hip-hops best. One of the underrated members of this new cohort of talented female rappers is NC's own Rapsody, and she might be the best of the bunch. Her previous album, Laila's Wisdom, got some Grammy attention. I cannot for the life of me figure out how Eve didn't get more. Eve celebrates black women in history, is lyrically potent, Rapsody's flow is impeccable, and it serves as a vital entry into the hop hop canon.

Best R&B Album
Winner - Lizzo "Cuz I Love You"
Runners Up  - Anderson .Paak “Ventura”, Beyonce “Homecoming: The Live Album”, and Solange “When I Get Home”
Commentary - See Album of the Year

Best Country Album
Winner - Tanya Tucker “While I’m Livin’”
Runners Up - Rhiannon Giddens “There is No Other”, Eric Church “Desperate Man”, and Pistol Annies “Interstate Gospel”
Commentary - Mostly, see Single of the Year. But to add. If you love and are heartbroken by Bring My Flowers Now, you will love the rest of Tucker's comeback album.

Best Pop Performance
Winner - Taylor Swift “You Need to Calm Down”
Runners Up - Maggie Rogers “Light On”, Lady Gaga “Always Remember Us This Way”, Halsey “Without Me”, and Billie Eilish “Bad Guy”
Commentary - I have long given up understanding the complete love/hate relationship people have with Taylor Swift. She is criticized for not speaking out on issues, then we she does, people complain that they don't need her support. I like a lot of Swift does, personally and musically, and there are things I don't. Period. She s a human, and I feel about her the way I feel about most humans. I will say this, if you are one of those that wishes she would take a stand on something she believes in, then you should love You Need to Calm Down. Its a fun, inventive, lyrically potent song, that takes direct aim at her haters, homophobic people, and the rumor mill about her feuds with other artists. With all of the stuff she is going through with her former producer, I think we are finally starting to see Swift unfiltered. If this  song is a microcosm of that change, I hope she keeps it up.

Best Rock/Alternative Performance
Winner - Brittany Howard “History Repeats”
Runners Up - Gary Clark Jr. “This Land” and Sleater-Kinney “Hurry On Home”
Commentary - I loved Alabama Shakes, and I hope that, as a band, they have not completely broken apart. That being said, with or without her band, Brittany Howard continues to blaze a trail through modern rock music. History Repeats, her new single off of her solo debut album Jamie (which will be eligible next year for these awards), is a perfect example of Howard's talent: great guitar, inventive, and soulful, and a representation of the best of rock music

Best R&B Performance
Winner - Lizzo "Juice"
Runners Up - Solange "Stay Flow" and Anderson. Paak feat. Andre 3000 “Come Home”
Commentary - See Album of the Year

Best Rap Performance 
Winner - DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend “Higher”
Runner Up - Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign “Hot Girl Summer”
Commentary - Nipsey Hussle had such an endearing story in rap music. His rise from his days in a gang, to becoming a valued member of his community who gave back to the place that made him, is the stuff dreams were made of. He turned his pain and his journey into essential art that was vivid and timeless. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. This great song, anchored by Hussle's flow, with the help of John Legend and DJ Khaled, is a final reminder of his greatness, and why he will be missed.

Best Country Performance 
Winner - Tanya Tucker “Bring My Flowers Now”
Runners Up - Ashley McBryde “Girl Going Nowhere” and Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile “Common”, Miranda Lambert “It All Comes Out in the Wash”
Commentary - See Single of the Year

The 8th Annual Awards Psychic Music Award Nominations

Album of the Year
Beyonce “Homecoming: The Live Album”
Lana Del Rey “Norman Fucking Rockwell”
Billie Ellish “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
Rhiannon Giddens “There is No Other”
Lizzo “Cuz I Love You”
Rapsody “Eve”
Maggie Rogers “Heard It In a Past Life”
Megan Thee Stallion “Fever” 
Anderson .Paak “Ventura”
Solange “When I Get Home”
Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars”
Taylor Swift “Lover”
Tool ‘Fear Inoculum”
Tanya Tucker “While I’m Livin’”
Tyler the Creator “Igor”

Single of the Year
Billie Eilish “Bad Guy”
Lady Gaga “Always Remember Us This Way”
Halsey “Without Me”
Brittany Howard “History Repeats”
DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend “Higher”
Miranda Lambert “It All Comes Out in the Wash”
Lizzo “Juice”
Ashley McBryde “Girl Going Nowhere”
Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile “Common”
Anderson. Paak feat. Andre 3000 “Come Home”
Maggie Rogers “Light On” 
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign “Hot Girl Summer”
Solange “Stay Flow”
Taylor Swift “You Need to Calm Down”
Tanya Tucker “Bring My Flowers Now”

Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Lewis Capaldi
Tyler Childers
Billie Eilish
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion
Carly Pearce
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia

Best Pop Album
Lana Del Rey “Norman Fucking Rockwell”
Billie Ellish “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper “A Star is Born Soundtrack”
Ariana Grande “Thank U, Next”
Jonas Brothers “Happiness Begins”
Madonna “Madame X”
P!nk “Hurts 2B Human”
Robyn “Honey”
Maggie Rogers “Heard It In a Past Life” 
Taylor Swift “Lover”

Best Rock/Alternative Album
James Blake “Assume Form”
Bon Iver “I, I”
Cage the Elephant “Social Cues”
Gary Clark Jr. “This Land”
The Cranberries “In the End”
The Raconteurs “Help Us Stranger”
Sleater-Kinney “The Center Won’t Hold” 
Bruce Springsteen “Western Stars”
St. Vincent “MassEducation”
Tool ‘Fear Inoculum”
Twenty One Pilots “Trench”
Vampire Weekend “Father of the Bride”
Thom Yorke “ANIMA” 

Best Rap Album
Chance the Rapper “The Big Day”
Dreamville “Return of the Dreamers III”
Ice Cube “Everythang’s Corrupt”
Missy Elliott “Iconology”
Meek Mill “Championships”
Megan Thee Stallion “Fever”
Rapsody “Eve”
21 Savage “I Am > I Was”
2 Chainz “Rap or Go to the League”
Tyler the Creator “Igor”
YBN Cordae “The Lost Boy”

Best R&B Album
Anderson .Paak “Ventura”
Beyonce “Homecoming: The Live Album”
BJ The Chicago Kid “1123”
Mariah Carey “Caution”
Lucky Daye “Painted”
H.E.R. “I Used to Know Her”
Steve Lacy “Apollo XXI”
Lizzo “Cuz I Love You” 
Ella Mai “Ella Mai”
PJ Morton “Paul”
Solange “When I Get Home”
Mavis Staples “We Get By”

Best Country Album
Kane Brown “Experiment”
Eric Church “Desperate Man”
Rhiannon Giddens “There is No Other”
Reba McEntire “Stronger Than the Truth”
Maren Morris “Girl”
Willie Nelson “Ride Me Back Home”
Pistol Annies “Interstate Gospel”
Thomas Rhett “Center Point Road”
Tanya Tucker “While I’m Livin’”
Trisha Yearwood “Every Girl”

Best Pop Performance
Lewis Capaldi “Someone You Loved”
Lana Del Rey “Norman F***ing Rockwell”
Billie Eilish “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande “7 Rings”
Halsey “Without Me”
Jonas Brothers “Sucker”
Lady Gaga “Always Remember Us This Way”
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello “Senorita”
P!nk “Walk Me Home”
Robyn “Ever Again”
Maggie Rogers “Light On” 
Taylor Swift “You Need to Calm Down”

Best Rock/Alternative Performance
James Blake feat. Travis Scott and Metro Boomin “Mile High”
Bon Iver “Hey, Ma”
Cage the Elephant “Social Cues”
Gary Clark Jr. “This Land”
Brittany Howard “History Repeats”
Karen O and Danger Mouse “Woman”
The Raconteurs “Help Me Stranger”
Sleater-Kinney “Hurry On Home”
Bruce Springsteen “Hello Sunshine”
St. Vincent “Slow Slow Disco”
Tool ‘Fear Inoculum”
Vampire Weekend “Harmony Hall” 

Best R&B Performance
Anderson. Paak feat. Andre 3000 “Come Home”
Beyonce “Spirit”
BJ The Chicago Kid “Time Today”
Daniel Caesar feat. Brandy “Love Again”
Mariah Carey “A No No”
Lucky Daye “Roll Some Mo” ”
H.E.R. feat. Bryson Tiller “Could’ve Been”
Emily King “Look At Me Now”
Lizzo “Juice”
PJ Morton feat. Jazmine Sullivan “Built For Love”
Solange “Stay Flow”
Mavis Staples feat. Ben Harper “We Get By”

Best Rap Performance 
J. Cole “Middle Child” 
Dreamville Featuring J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy “Down Bad”
Ice Cube “Arrest the President” 
Missy Elliott feat. Sum1 “DripDemeanor” 
Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy “Racks in the Middle”
DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend “Higher”
Lizzo feat. Missy Elliot “Tempo”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign “Hot Girl Summer”
21 Savage feat. J. Cole  “A Lot” 
Tyler the Creator “Earfquake” 
YBN Cordae feat. Anderson .Paak “RNP” 
Young Thug Featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott “The London”

Best Country Performance 
Brothers Osborne “I Don’t Remember (Before You)
Tyler Childers “All Your’n”
Eric Church “Some of It”
Dan + Shay “Speechless”
Miranda Lambert “It All Comes Out in the Wash”
Ashley McBryde “Girl Going Nowhere”
Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile “Common”
Willie Nelson “Ride Me Back Home”
Dolly Parton “Girl in the Movies”
Pistol Annies “Got My Name Changed”
Thomas Rhett “Look What God Gave Her”
Tanya Tucker “Bring My Flowers Now”

35th Annual Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature
Clemency
The Farewell
A Hidden Life
Marriage Story
Uncut Gems

Best First Feature
Booksmart
The Climb
Diane
The Last Black Man in San Francicso
The Mustang
See You Yesterday

Best Director
Robert Eggers "The Lighthouse"
Alma Har’el "Honey Boy"
Julius Onah "Luce"
Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie "Uncut Gems"
Lorene Scafaria "Hustlers"

Best Screenplay
Chinonye Chukwu "Clemency"
Tarell Alvin McRaney "High Flying Bird"
Noah Baumbach "Marriage Story"
Jason Begue and Shawn Snyder "To Dust"
Ronald Bronstein and The Safdie Brothers "Uncut Gems"

Best First Screenplay
Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy "Blow the Man Down"
Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen "Driveways"
Jocelyn Deboer and Dawn Luebbe "Greener Grass"
Fredrica Bailey and Stefon Bristol "See You Yesterday"
James Montague and Craig W. Sander "The Vast of Night"

Best Female Lead
Karen Allen "Colewell"
Hong Chau "Driveways"
Elisabeth Moss "Her Smell"
Mary Kay Place "Diane"
Alfre Woodard "Clemency"
Renee Zellweger "Judy"

Best Male Lead
Chris Galust "Give Me Liberty"
Kelvin Harrison Jr "Luce"
Robert Pattinson "The Lighthouse"
Adam Sandler "Uncut Gems"
Matthias Schoenaerts "The Mustang"

Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Lopez "Hustlers"
Taylor Russell "Waves"
Zhao Shuzhen "The Farewell"
Lauren “Lolo” Spencer "Give Me Liberty"
Octavia Spencer "Luce"

Best Supporting Male
Willem Dafoe "The Lighthouse"
Noah Jupe "Honey Boy"
Shaif LaBeouf "Honey Boy"
Jonathan Majors "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
Wendell Pierce "Burning Cane"

Best Cinematography
Honey Boy
Hustlers
The Lighthouse
Midsommar
The Third Wife

Best Editing
Give Me Liberty
The Lighthouse
Sword of Trust
The Third Wife
Uncut Gems

John Cassavetes Awards
Burning Cane
Colewell
Give Me Liberty
Premature
Wild Nights with Emily

Robert Altman Award
Marriage Story

Best Documentary
American Factory
Apollo 11
For Sama
Honeyland
Island of the Hungry Ghosts

Best International Film
Invisible Life
Les Miserables
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Retablo
The Souvenir

Piaget Producers Award
Mollye Asher
Krista Parris
Ryan Zacarias

Someone to Watch Award
Rashaad Ernesto Green "Premature"
Ash Mayfair "The Third Wife"
Joe Talbot "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"

Truer Than Fiction Award
Khalik Allah "Black Mother"
Davy Rothbart "17 Blocks"
Nadia Shihab "Jaddoland"
Erick Stoll & Chase Whiteside "America"

Bonnie Award
Marielle Heller
Kelly Reichhardt
LuLu Wang

The 62nd Grammy Award Nominations

Album of the Year
Bon Iver "I,I"
Lana Del Rey "Norman F**king Rockwell"
Billie Eilish "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
Ariana Grande "thank u, next"
H.E.R. "I Used to Know Her"
Lil Nas X "7"
Lizzo "Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)"
Vampire Weekend "Father of the Bride"

Record of the Year
Bon Iver "Hey, Ma"
Billie Eilish "Bad Guy"
Ariana Grande "7 Rings"
H.E.R. "Hard Place"
Khalid "Talk"
Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Lizzo "Truth Hurts"
Post Malone and Swae Lee "Sunflower"

Song of the Year
Always Remember Us This Way (Lady Gaga)
Bad Guy (Billie Eilish)
Bring My Flowers Now (Tanya Tucker)
Hard Place (H.E.R.)
Lover (Taylor Swift)
Norman F***ing Rockwell (Lana Del Rey)
Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi)
Truth Hurts (Lizzo)

Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Best Pop Solo Performance
Beyonce "Spirit"
Billie Eilish "Bad Guy"
Ariana Grande "7 Rings"
Lizzo "Truth Hurts"
Taylor Swift "You Need to Calm Down"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ariana Grande and Social House "Boyfriend"
Jonas Brothers "Sucker"
Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Post Malone feat. Swae Lee "Sunflower"
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello "Senorita"

Best Pop Vocal Album
Beyonce "The Lion King: The Gift"
Billie Eilish "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
Ariana Grande "thank u, next"
Ed Sheeran "No. 6 Collaborations Project"
Taylor Swift "Lover"

Best Rock Performance
Bones UK "Pretty Waste"
Gary Clark Jr. "This Land"
Brittany Howard "History Repeats"
Karen O and Danger Mouse "Woman"
Rival Sons "Too Bad"

Best Rock Song
Fear Inoculum (Tool)
Give Yourself a Try (1975)
Harmony Hall (Vampire Weekend)
History Repeats (Brittany Howard)
This Land (Gary Clark Jr.)

Best Rock Album
Bring Me Home "Amo"
Cage the Elephant "Social Cues"
The Cranberries "In the End"
I Previal "Trauma"
Rival Sons "Feral Roots"

Best Alternative Music Album
Big Thief "U.F.O.F"
James Blake "Assume Form"
Bon Iver "I,I"
Vampire Weekend "Father of the Bride"
Thom Yorke "Anima"

Best R&B Performance
Daniel Caesar and Brandy "Love Again"
H.E.R. feat. Bryson Tiller "Could've Been"
Lizzo feat. Gucci Mane "Exactly How I Feel"
Lucky Daye "Roll Some Mo"
Anderson .Paak feat. Andre 3000 "Come Home"

Best Traditional R&B Performance
BJ The Chicago Kid "Time Today"
India.Arie "Steady Love"
Lizzo "Jerome"
Lucky Daye "Real Games"
PJ Morton feat. Jazmine Sullivan "Built for Love"

Best R&B Song
Could've Been (H.E.R. feat. Bryson Tiller)
Look at Me Now (Emily King)
No Guidance (Chris Brown feat. Drake)
Roll Some Mo (Lucky Daye)
Say So (PJ Morton feat. JoJo)

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Steve Lacy "Apollo XXI"
Lizzo "Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)"
Georgia Anne Muldrow "Overload"
NAO "Saturn"
Jessie Reyez "Being Human in Public"

Best R&B Album
BJ the Chicago Kid "1123"
Lucky Daye "Painted"
Ella Mai "Ella Mai"
PJ Morton "Paul"
Anderson .Paak "Ventura"

Best Rap Performance
J. Cole "Middle Child"
DaBaby "Suge"
Dreamville feat. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG and Young Nudy "Down Bad"
Nipsey Hussle feat. Roddy Rich and Hit-Boy "Racks in the Middle"
Offset feat. Cardi B "Clout"

Best Rap/Sung Performance
DJ Khaled feat. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend "Higher"
Lil Baby and Gunna "Drip Too Hard"
Lil Nas X "Panini"
Mustard feat. Roddy Ricch "Ballin"
Young Thug feat. J. Cole and Travis Scott "The London"

Best Rap Song
Bad Idea (YBN Cordae Featuring Chance The Rapper)
Gold Roses (Rick Ross feat. Drake)
A Lot (21 Savage feat. J. Cole)
Racks in the Middle (Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy)
Suge (DaBaby)

Best Rap Album
Dreamville "Revenge of the Dreamers III"
Meek Mill "Championships"
21 Savage "I Am > I Was"
Tyler, The Creator "Igor"
YBN Cordae "The Lost Boy"

Best Country Solo Performance
Tyler Childers "All Your'n"
Ashley McBride "Girl Goin' Nowhere"
Willie Nelson "Ride Me Back Home"
Blake Shelton "God's Country"
Tanya Tucker "Bring My Flowers Now"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brooks & Dunn feat. Luke Combs "Brand New Man"
Brothers Osborne "I Don't Remember Me (Before You)"
Dan + Shay "Speechless"
Little Big Town "The Daughters"
Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile "Common"

Best Country Song
Bring My Flowers Now (Tanya Tucker)
Girl Goin' Nowhere (Ashley McBride)
It All Comes Out in the Wash (Miranda Lambert)
Some Of It (Eric Church)
Speechless (Dan + Shay)

Best Country Album
Eric Church "Desperate Man"
Reba McEntire "Stronger Than the Truth"
Pistol Annies "Interstate Gospel"
Thomas Rhett "Center Point Road"
Tanya Tucker "While I'm Livin'"

Best Spoken Word Album
Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt & Dan Zitt "Beastie Boys Book"
Michelle Obama "Becoming"
Eric Alexandrakis "I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years a Two-Time Cancer Survivor"
John Waters "Mr. Know-It-All"
Sekou Andrews and The String Theory "Sekou Andrews and The String Theory"

Best Comedy Album
Jim Gaffigan "Quality Time"
Ellen DeGeneres "Relatable"
Aziz Ansari "Right Now"
Trevor Noah "Son of Patricia"
Dave Chappelle "Sticks & Stones"

Best Musical Theater Album
Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Hadestown
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
The Music of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Oklahoma!

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Lion King: The Songs
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A Star is Born

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Avengers: Endgame
Chernobyl
Game of Thrones: Season 8
The Lion King
Mary Poppins Returns

Best Song Written For Visual Media
The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy (Toy Story 4)
Girl in the Movies (Dumplin')
I'll Never Love Again (A Star is Born)
Spirit (The Lion King)
Suspirium (Suspiria)

Producers Guild of America (PGA) Documentary Nominations

The PGA announced its Documentary film nominations:

Advocate
American Factory
Apollo 11
The Cave
For Sama
Honeyland
One Child Nation

The Oscar Narrative: Pre-Critics Predictions

Starting Thursday, it begins an almost whirlwind couple of weeks, with the Indie Spirits, and then the mountain of critics awards coming our way. Here are my current predictions:

Best Picture
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Bombshell
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Best Director
Noah Baumbach "Marriage Story"
Bong Joon Ho "Parasite"
Sam Mendes "1917"
Martin Scorsese "The Irishman"
Quentin Tarantino "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Best Actor
Robert DeNiro "The Irishaman"
Leonardo DiCaprio "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Adam Driver "Marriage Story"
Eddie Murphy "Dolemite is My Name"
Joaquin Phoenix "Joker"

Best Actress
Awkwafina "The Farewell"
Scarlett Johansson "Marriage Story"
Saoirse Ronan "Little Women"
Charlize Theron "Bombshell"
Renee Zellweger "Judy"

Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown "Waves"
Willem Dafoe "The Lighthouse"
Tom Hanks "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"
Al Pacino "The Irishman"
Brad Pitt "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern "Marriage Story"
Jennifer Lopez "Hustlers"
Florence Pugh "Little Women"
Da'Vine Joy Randolph "Dolemite is My Name"
Margot Robbie "Bombshell"

Best Animated Feature
Frozen II
I Lost My Body
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Weathering With You

Best Adapted Screenplay
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"
Steve Zaillian "The Irishman"
Taika Wahiti "Jojo Rabbit"
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver "Joker"
Greta Gerwig "Little Women"

Best Original Screenplay
Charles Randolph "Bombshell"
Lulu Wang "The Farewell"
Noah Baumbach "Marriage Story"
Quentin Tarantino "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Han Jin Won and Bong Joon Ho "Parasite"

Best Cinematography
Rodrigo Prieto "The Irishman"
Lawrence Sher "Joker"
Roger Deakins "1917"
Robert Richardson "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Kyung-pyo Hung "Parasite"

Best Costume Design
Dolemite is My Name
Downton Abbey
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman

Best Film Editing
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a time in Hollywood

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Bombshell
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Original Score
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders "Ford v Ferrari"
Michael Giacchino "Jojo Rabbit"
Alexandre Desplat "Little Women"
Thomas Newman "1917"
John Williams "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Best Production Design
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Sound Editing
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Sound Mixing
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
1917
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Visual Effects
Aladdin
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The 7th Annual Makeup and Hairstyling Guild Award Nominations

I don't know why these are so early this year. I know that everything is abbreviated, but I can't help but think that Little Women, 1917, and Star Wars could be players in this category. Expect these to look a lot different from the Oscar nods.

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP
Avengers: End Game
Bombshell
Hustlers
John Wick: Parabellum
Us

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKE-UP
Dolemite is My Name
Downton Abbey
Joker
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Rocketman

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
Bombshell
Captain Marvel
The Irishman
It: Chapter 2
Rocketman

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
Bombshell
Hustlers
John Wick: Parabellum
Joker
The Laundromat

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
Downton Abbey
Dolemite is My Name
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Rocketman

TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA SERIES – BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP
Big Little Lies
Euphoria
Grace and Frankie
The Handmaid’s Tale
Russian Doll

TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA SERIES – BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKE-UP
American Horror Story: 1984
Chernobyl
Fosse/Verdon
Game of Thrones
Glow

TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA SERIES – BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
American Horror Story: 1984
Chernobyl
Fosse/Verdon
Game of Thrones
Star Trek: Discovery

TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA SERIES – BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
Big Little Lies 2
black-ish
Empire
Grace and Frankie
The Handmaid’s Tale

TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA SERIES – BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
American Horror Story: 1984
Chernobyl
Fosse/Verdon
Glow
Pose

MOTION PICTURE OR SPECIAL MADE FOR TELEVISION — BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE UP
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Saturday Night Live
So You Think You Can Dance: Season 1
World of Dance

MOTION PICTURE OR SPECIAL MADE FOR TELEVISION- BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKE-UP
Deadwood: The Movie
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jefferson’s'
Patsy & Loretta
Rent Live!
Saturday Night Live

MOTION PICTURE OR SPECIAL MADE FOR TELEVISION – BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
6 Underground
Celebrity Big Brother Season 2
MTV- 2019 Video Music Awards
Paddleton
Saturday Night Live

MOTION PICTURE OR SPECIAL MADE FOR TELEVISION- BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
America’s Got Talent
Dancing with the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
The Voice
World of Dance

MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION — BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
6 Underground
Deadwood: The Movie
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons'
Patsy & Loretta
Rent Live!

DAYTIME TELEVISION – BEST MAKE-UP
The Bold and The Beautiful
Dr. Phil
The Price is Right
The Real
The Young and The Restless

CHILDREN & TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING – BEST MAKE-UP
All That
Henry Danger
Just Add Magic
No Good Nick
A Series of Unfortunate Events

CHILDREN & TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING – BEST HAIR STYLING
All That
Fuller House
Lip Sync Battle Shorties
Malibu Recue
A Series of Unfortunate Events

COMMERCIALS & MUSIC VIDEOS – BEST MAKE-UP
All That
Botched: Season 6 Promo
GEICO: A Witch for a Third Roommate
Pose: Promo Campaign
Warehouse’ The ‘Good/Evil’ Spectrum Communications Ad Campaign

THEATRICAL PRODUCTION – BEST MAKE-UP
Cats the Musical
Into the Woods
La Boheme
Reefer Madness
Sweeney Todd

THEATRICAL PRODUCTION – BEST HAIR STYLING
Cats the Musical
Hamilton
Into the Woods
La Boheme
Sweeney Todd

2019 Peoples Choice Award Winners

People's Champion Award 
Pink

Fashion Icon Award
Gwen Stefani

People's Icon of 2019
Jennifer Aniston

Movie of 2019
Avengers: Endgame

Comedy Movie of 2019
Murder Mystery

Action Movie of 2019
Avengers: Endgame

Drama Movie of 2019
After

Family Movie of 2019
Aladdin

Male Movie Star of 2019
Robert Downey Jr. "Avengers: Endgame"

Female Movie Star of 2019
Zendaya "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Drama Movie Star of 2019
Cole Sprouse "Five Feet Apart"

Comedy Movie Star of 2019
Noah Centineo "The Perfect Date"

Action Movie Star of 2019
Tom Holland "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Animated Movie Star of 2019
Beyoncé "The Lion King"

Show of 2019
Stranger Things

Drama Show of 2019
Stranger Things

Comedy Show of 2019
The Big Bang Theory

Reality Show of 2019
Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Competition Show of 2019
America's Got Talent

Male TV Star of 2019
Cole Sprouse "Riverdale"

Female TV Star of 2019
Millie Bobby Brown "Stranger Things"

Drama TV Star of 2019
Zendaya "Euphoria"

Comedy TV Star of 2019
Kristen Bell "The Good Place"

Daytime Talk Show of 2019
The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Nighttime Talk Show of 2019
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Competition Contestant of 2019
Hannah Brown "The Bachelorette"

Reality Star of 2019
Khloé Kardashian "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"

Bingeworthy Show of 2019
Outlander

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2019
Shadowhunters

Male Artist of 2019
Shawn Mendes

Female Artist of 2019
Billie Eilish

Group of 2019
BLACKPINK

Song of 2019
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello "Señorita"

Album of 2019
Taylor Swift "Lover"

Country Artist of 2019
Blake Shelton

Latin Artist of 2019
Becky G

Music Video of 2019
BLACKPINK "Kill This Love"

Concert Tour of 2019
BLACKPINK, BLACKPINK 2019 World

Social Star of 2019
David Dobrik

Beauty Influencer of 2019
Bretman Rock

Social Celebrity of 2019
Ellen DeGeneres

Animal Star of 2019
Doug the Pug

Comedy Act of 2019
Kevin Hart

Style Star of 2019
Harry Styles

Game Changer of 2019
Simone Biles

Pop Podcast of 2019
Scrubbing In with Becca Tilley and Tanya Rad

The 4th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award Winners

Best Documentary Feature 
Apollo 11

Best Director 
(TIE) Peter Jackson "They Shall Not Grow Old" and Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar "American Factory"

Best Cinematography
The Biggest Little Farm

Best Editing
Apollo 11

Best Score
Apollo 11

Best Narration
Bruce Springsteen "Western Stars"

Best First Documentary Feature
Honeyland

Best Archival Documentary
Apollo 11

Best Biographical Documentary
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Best Music Documentary
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

Best Political Documentary
American Factory

Best Science/Nature Documentary
Apollo 11

Best Sports Documentary
Maiden

Most Innovative Documentary
They Shall Not Grow Old

Best Short Documentary
Period. End of Sentence.

The D A Pennebaker Award
Frederick Wiseman

The Landmark Award
Michael Apted

Celebrating a Decade of The Awards Psychic: Top 100 Films of 2009-2019, Part VIII

30. Fences (2016) - A straight play can often make for tedious enterprises on screen. Fences is a marvelous exception to the rule. Denzel Washington doesn't do anything fancy with his camera. He doesn't have flashy editing or special effects. All he does is focus his camera on his characters and their stories. In particular he focuses on himself, and the great Viola Davis. These two are the finest actors of this generation. They decided to try this film on stage first, as practice. They won Tony Awards for their roles. Who wins Tony Awards for practice? Denzel Washington and Viola Davis do. With the help of August Wilson's fantastic and human screenplay, they are simply mesmerizing on screen, capturing the emotion, anger, and forgiveness of their characters. When she won her Oscar for this film Viola Davis famously said, "Thank God I became an artist, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life!" As a public librarian, I would argue that there are two professions, but I appreciate the sentiment. Fences was not built for box office success, and its goal was never awards glory. It was made to do one thing, and one thing only: to "exhume and exalt" the ordinary people. It did just that, beautifully, I might add.

29. Arrival (2016) - Think piece science fiction films have had a renaissance over the last decade, and no film is a better representation of that than Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. I recently showed this to my Monday Night Move crew at my library. I was really nervous, because normally science fiction is not their favorite. I was shocked when they came out of the film love it, and praising it. Now that I am looking back, I should hot have been as shocked as I was, because at its core, Arrival is about human nature and love. Sure it is the story of a linguist who is tasked with communicating with aliens that have mysteriously landed on Earth. But even the aliens have humanity in them. Arrival succeeds because of two key components. First and foremost is Amy Adams. She was robbed of an Oscar nod for this role, as she was emotional, magnetic, mysterious, and a true star power. The other component is Denis Villeneuve. His recent career streak of well-made, human driven science fiction films is astonishing. As he prepares for Dune, we can look to Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 as examples of his mastery, and proof as to why we are so excited about his next directing adventure.

28. Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - I look back at the controversy surrounding Three Billboards, and I am still bewildered as to how it became such a specter over the 2017 Oscar race. The rub, for some folks, was that Sam Rockwell's character has a redemptive arc towards the end of the film, even though he is portrayed as a racist cop, who brutalized black citizens in his position. I get that that can be hard for some people, and I'm not unsympathetic. But the question remains, does that turn make him less racist? I don't think so. I think it shows that even the most despicable of human beings have the ability to at least attempt to do something right. Just like Mildred, the grieving mother, has the ability to cross the line into criminal activities. Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand won Oscar for their brilliant portrayals of the complex nature of human behavior. Rockwell's character is still a racist cop who abused power and brutalized his fellow man, and Mildred is still a grieving mother that deserves answers. The great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in his Hollywood Reporter article defending the film, wrote this, " Though it’s unfortunate that the highly sensitive issue of police violence is used but never fully addressed, the movie isn’t about that. It’s about the search for the ember of humanity in all of us, and fanning that ember until it burns bright, even in the darkest of us. In doing so, it reaches all people of all backgrounds and asks us to take a single step toward enlightenment. That’s what our best works of art should do." I could not agree more.

27. Moonlight (2016) - It is still such a shame that Moonlight and La La Land got caught up in that mess with that accountant on Oscar night. Both are such great films that deserved better. Moonlight's win was historic, and it was marred by stupidity. Moonlight became the first LGBTQ+ film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars. It was an incredible moment, that was made possible by the greatness of Barry Jenkins. He brought a realistic aesthetic, brilliant, yet subtle technical elements, a heart, and a quiet effectiveness to the tragic story of a young man unable to live his life as he should. He was helped out tremendously by an amazing cast, led by the likes of Mahershala Ali and Naomi Harris. Moonlight is a breathtaking, mesmerizing, emotional, and transcending film that will continue to go down as one of the best of the last decade. With this, and If Beale Street Could Talk, Jenkins has proven himself to be a young master of human emotion, and of telling the stories of those who are often forgotten. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

26. Black Panther (2018) - I completely understand where Martin Scorsese is coming from. Some of the Marvel and DC outings as of late have become tedious enterprises, and are more concerned about continuing the universe than telling a good story. However, Scorsese is not 100% right. There have been some notable exceptions to the rule, that prove that, if put in the right hands, comic book stories can been cinematic and brilliant. The best example of this is Black Panther. Marvel took a chance on Ryan Coogler, and it might have been its most successful gamble to date. Sure, it still has the breathtaking action, the connections to the bigger Marvel story line, and eye popping visuals. But Coogler was allowed some independence to vary from the Marvel brand. He was able to bring in technical masters like Ruth Carter and Rachel Morrison to create a different aesthetic. He was able to embed cultural relevance in the form of the African America plight and African culture. He was able to cast a stunning ensemble that ranged from newcomers like Letitia Wright to legends like Angela Bassett. These details took a good movie, and made it an incredible one. Black Panther became the first comic book film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. If Marvel continues to take chances on filmmakers with Coogler's level of talent, they could defy Scorsese's criticisms, and see more Oscar gold in their future.

25. Boyhood (2014) - Boyhood is a unique cinematic marvel. It took 12 years, with the same cast, to shoot the story of a young boy growing up in America. The rockstar editing, the fete of cinematic brilliance, and the daring nature of the film making, make Boyhood one of those films that will stand the test of time. But I think that the real reason that Boyhood is resonant with so many people, is that beneath that interesting story of how it was made, is a wonderful tale of family and growing up. It is a quietly effective film, with a soft and simple script, and great performances, particularly from Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke,. It has a few flash point moments, but other than that Linklater lets the story unfold with subtle brilliance. It is in its quiet, that Boyhood finds its stroke of genius. Because at the end of the day, it is one of the most honest portrayals of family life in this country, and that makes it just as unique as its process does.

24. Birdman (2014) - When Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu won his Oscar for The Revenant, I was literally huffing and puffing in anger. George Miller was robbed. However, a year earlier, I was jumping for joy at his Oscar wins for the brilliant Birdman. A lot of folks still think that Boyhood was robbed, and many cannot wrap their heads around Birdman's win. I like both films, but I have to admit that I would have voted for Birdman too. It is a loud, darkly funny, incredible entertaining cinematic experience, whose technological fetes were just as impressive and important as Boyhood's, but just didn't get the same press. It is a non-stop, breathtaking film, brilliantly constructed, constantly engaging, and led by an amazing cast of Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone. It is also a darkly honest look at fame, our superhero obsessed culture, and the often disturbing lives of artists grappling with the specter of success. It is that depth that is often missed by those who are critical of its awards success, and something that makes it an extraordinary film.

23. Bridesmaids (2011) - Dying is easy, comedy is hard. Raunchy comedy that is actually engaging and deep is even harder. So many films in the last decade have tried to capture the balance of ball-busting raunchy humor, and emotional and engaging character development, but only a few have actually succeeded. The most successful of those films was Paul Feig's surprise hit Bridesmaids. It is so damn funny, there are moments where you are about to pee your pants. It also nails the cringe-worthy horror funny that often accompanies events like weddings. So what sets it apart from say, The Hangover? Well, it is also a brilliant ensemble piece led by the talents of Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, and a star-making turn from Melissa McCarthy, which earned her her first Oscar nomination. It is also fueled by a brilliant, Oscar-nominated script, that brings so much depth to this film. This is not just a raunchy comedy about Bridemaids. It is also a heartfelt tribute to the love, humor, and sometimes pain of friendship, is a beautifully feminist take on the genre, and is a film that is just so endearing, you can't help but fall in love.

22. Manchester by the Sea (2016) - Manchester by the Sea is a film that became a solid number three in the 2016 Oscar season, one of my favorites, in terms of the number of films I loved, in recent memory. It really was, in the end, left out of the discussion, as the race became La La Land vs. Moonlight. It should not have been, because it was a fantastic film. I am not going to dive into the Casey Affleck situation, other than to say that if he did those things, I hope he gets whats coming for him. In terms of his performance, it was incredible, and the range of emotion, the heart and soul he poured into this character cannot be denied. Michelle Williams is good as always, and Lucas Hedges is the surprise of the film, in a role that set his career in motion. But I think that the bulk of the credit goes to Kenneth Lonergan. He is a masterful playwright and screenwriter, building incredible characters and really truly yanking the emotion right out of you. Manchester By the Sea is an emotional powerhouse, a quiet film of family, faith, and duty, and at times a surprisingly funny film. At moments you are drenched in its warmth, and at others you are bawling at its pain. Manchester By the Sea was a stroke of genius writing, and it is a film that still remains with me, three years later. It just has an impact that won't quit.

21. The Martian (2015) - Instead of Inarritu winning a second, and wholly undeserved second Oscar, it should have gone to George Miller. Or, if the Academy's director's branch had done the right thing, it really should have gone to the great Ridley Scott. After years of trying new genres, Scott dove back into the science fiction genre, with a fantastic adaption of Andy Weir's brilliant novel, The Martian. This film just has everything going for it. It is a technical marvel, is brilliantly executed by a master in Scott, and is a thrilling, funny, emotional, and entertaining film that is simply one of the best experiences I have had in a theater in a long time. Scott deserves a lot of credit, but so does Matt Damon. I think, as an actor, that Damon often flies under the radar. He is good in everything, he has charisma and star power, and is just one of those actors that everyone seems to like. For all of his awards attention, he has not actually gotten that many acting nominations. The Martian is his best work to date, and it showcases his talents, as he alone is left to carry the film. He is magnetic, funny, emotional, and truly shows what a talent he truly is in front of the camera.

The 32nd European Film Award Nominations

Winners announced on December 7th:

Best European Film
The Favourite
Les Miserables
An Officer and a Spy
Pain and Glory
System Crasher
The Traitor

Best European Comedy
Ditte & Louise
The Favourite
Tel Aviv onFire

European Discovery - Prix Fipresci
Aniara
Atlantics
Blind Spot
Irina
Les Miserables
Ray & Liz

Best European Documentary
The Disappearance of My Mother
For Sama
Honeyland
Putin's Witness
Selfie

Best European Animated Feature Film
Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
I Lost My Body
Marona's Fantastic Tale
The Swallows of Kabul

Best European Short
The Christmas Gift
Dogs Barking at Birds
The Marvelous Misadventures of The Stone Lady
Reconstruction
Watermelon Juice

Best European Director
Yorgos Lanthimos "The Favourite"
Roman Polanski "An Officer and a Spy"
Pedro Almodovar "Pain and Glory"
Celine Sciamma "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"
Marco Bellocchio "The Traitor"

Best European Actress
Olivia Colman "The Favourite"
Trine Dyerholm "Queen of Hearts"
Adele Haenel "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"
Noemie Merlant "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"
Viktoria Miroshnichenko "Beanpole"
Helena Zengal "System Crasher"

Best European Actor
Giordano Gederlini, Lady Ly, Alexis Manenti "Les Miserables"
Robert Harris and Roman Polanski "An Officer and a Spy"
Pedro Almodovar "Pain & Glory"
Celine Sciamma "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"
Francesco Piccolo, Marco Bellocchio, Ludovica Rampoldi, Valia Santella "The Traitor"