Much of what I wrote in last year‘s intro applies this year: There were not monthly considerations posts or shortlists this year. However, I have been tracking eligible titles I’ve seen on Letterboxd. There you’d see that my viewings of eligible titles (and films in general) dipped. It went down to about the level it was when I started making these as a high school student.
That quote is true in many ways and sometimes life happens and the releases viewed slow down by choice, circumstance or both. This year was a lot of both. Many things I prioritized highly I didn’t get to see, but as I realized a few years ago when posting these awards on my blog these awards are kind of like a yearbook. They may include many films or few, all the awards contenders or none, some I wrote on extensively and many I did not; these awards are my attempt to encapsulate what impressed me and why.
Whom I select and why will be announced on January 11th. So without further ado, here are this year’s nominees…
Avengers: Endgame
The Goldfinch
It: Chapter 2
Midsommar
Us
Not awarded.
Ari Aster Midsommar
John Crowley The Goldfinch
Andy Muschietti It: Chapter 2
Jordan Peele Us
Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Avengers: Endgame
Jessica Chastain It: Chapter 2
Lupita Nyong’o Us
Aubrey Plaza Child’s Play
Florence Pugh Midsommar
Octavia Spencer Ma
Robert Downey, Jr. Avengers: Endgame
Winston Duke Us
Taron Egerton Rocketman
Joaquin Phoenix Joker
James Ransone It: Chapter 2
Awkwafina Jumanji: The Next Level
Carrie Fisher Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Isabelle Huppert Greta
Nicole Kidman The Goldfinch
Juliette Lewis Ma
Danny Devito Jumanji: The Next Level
Angus Imrie The Kid Who Would Be King
Samuel L. Jackson Captain Marvel
Will Poulter Midsommar
Bill Skarsgård It: Chapter 2
Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evan, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly, et al. Avengers: Endgame
Oakes Fegley, Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Wilson, Sarah Paulson, Willa Fitzgerald, Finn Wolfhard, Aimee Laurence, Carly Connors, Ryan Foust, Jack DiFalco, Collin Shea Shirrmacher, Nicky Torchia, et al. The Goldfinch
Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Bill Skarsgård, Jack Dylan Grazer, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Luke Roesseler, Jackson Robert Scott, Sladen Peltier, Sophia Lillis, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, et al. It: Chapter 2
Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, Archie Medekwe, Henrik Norlén, et al. Midsommar
Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright-Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker Us
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role
Akira Akbar Captain Marvel
Beatrice Kitsos Child’s Play
Sophia Lillis It: Chapter 2
Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen The Curse of La Llorona
Shahadi Wright Joseph Us
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role
Evan Alex Us
Gabriel Bateman, Child’s Play
Oakes Fegley The Goldfinch
Jackson Robert Scott The Prodigy
Louis Ashbourne Serkis The Kid Who Would Be King
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role
Rhianna Dorris The Kid Who Would Be King
McKenna Grace Captain Marvel
Faithe Herman Shazam!
Aimee Laurence The Goldfinch
Finley Rose Slater Playing with Fire
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role
Dean Chaumoo The Kid Who Would Be King
Jack Dylan Grazer Shazam!
Marcel Ruiz Breakthrough
Jackson Robert Scott It: Chapter 2
Tom Taylor The Kid Who Would Be King
Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Izaac Wang, Millie Davis, Christian Darrel Scott, Macie Juiles Good Boys
Oakes Fegley, Finn Wolfhard, Aimee Laurence, Carly Connors, Ryan Foust, Jack DiFalco, Collin Shea Shirrmacher, Nicky Torchia, The Goldfinch
Jack Dylan Grazer, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Luke Roesseler, Jackson Robert Scott, Sladen Peltier, Sophia Lillis, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, It: Chapter 2
Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Dorris, The Kid Who Would Be King
Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Ethan Pugiotto, Landon Doak, David Kohlsmith Shazam!
Ari Aster Midsommar
Joe Cornish The Kid Who Would Be King
Lee Hall Rocketman
Jennifer Lee Frozen II
Jordan Peele Us
Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely Avengers: Endgame
Tyler Burton Smith, Don Mancini, John Lafia and Tom Holland Child’s Play
Peter Straughan and Donna Tartt The Goldfinch
Gary Dauberman and Stephen King It: Chapter 2
Christ McKenna & Erik Sommers Spider-Man: Far from Home
Michael Abels Us
Joseph Bishara The Prodigy
Trevor Gureckis The Goldfinch
Bobby Krlic Midsommar
John Williams Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Jason Ballantine It: Chapter 2
Kelley Dixon The Goldfinch
Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt Avengers: Endgame
Lucian Johnstone Midsommar
Nicholas Monsour Us
Avengers: Endgame
It: Chapter 2
Midsommar
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Us
Roger Deakins The Goldfinch
Mike Gioulakis Us
Pavel Pogorzelski Midsommar
Lawrence Sher Joker
Checco Varese It: Chapter 2
Julian Day Rocketman
Andrea Flesch Midsommar
Sanja Milkovic Hays Captain Marvel
Luis Sequeira It: Chapter 2
Jany Tamime The Kid Who Would Be King
Avengers: Endgame
The Goldfinch
It: Chapter 2
Midsommar
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
It: Chapter 2
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Us
Zombieland: Double Tap
Joker
Avengers: Endgame
Midsommar
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Happy Death Day 2U
Jumanji: The Next Level
Playing with Fire
Rocketman
Robert Downey, Jr. Entertainer(s) of the Year Award(s)
To be announced January 11th.
Ingmar Bergman Lifetime Achievement Award(s)
To be announced January 11th.
To be announced January 11th.
To be announced January 11th.
The Movie Rat 