On Sunday the 7th of February, the London Critics Circle held the annual awards ceremony which saw the improvised American road movie ‘Nomadland‘ win three top honours including Film of the Year.
The virtual ceremony also saw the film’s lead Frances McDormand, named Actress of the Year, while writer-director Chloé Zhao won Screenwriter of the Year. Acclaimed British dramatic horror ‘Saint Maud’ also won three awards: British/Irish Film of the Year, British/Irish Actress of the Year for Morfydd Clark, and Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker for writer-director Rose Glass.
The late Chadwick Boseman also won Actor of the Year for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’, and his award was accepted in a moving video message from costar Coleman Domingo. Maria Bakalova also appeared virtually to accept Supporting Actress of the Year for ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.’
Double winners included Sarah Gavron’s London coming-of-age drama ‘Rocks’, with lead actress Bukky Bakray named Young British/Irish Performer of the Year and Lucy Pardee given the Technical Achievement Award for casting. Steve McQueen was presented with Director of the Year for his five ‘Small Axe films’, while Shaun Parkes won Supporting Actor of the Year for the first drama in the collection, ‘Mangrove’. Riz Ahmed was named British/Irish Actor of the Year for his work in ‘Sound of Metal’ and ‘Mogul Mowgli’. The short Ahmed wrote, produced and starred in, ‘The Long Goodbye’ directed by Aniel Karia, was named British/Irish Short Film of the Year.
Also in news – Gillian Anderson to star in Marc Forster’s ‘White Bird: A Wonder Story’
Full list of winners:
FILM OF THE YEAR
Nomadland
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Another Round
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Collective
The Attenborough Award:
BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Saint Maud
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Steve McQueen – Small Axe
SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Frances McDormand – Nomadland
ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Shaun Parkes – Mangrove
BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR (for body of work)
Morfydd Clark – Eternal Beauty, Saint Maud
BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR (for body of work)
Riz Ahmed – Mogul Mowgli, Sound of Metal
The Philip French Award:
BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER
Rose Glass – Saint Maud
YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER
Bukky Bakray – Rocks
BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM
The Long Goodbye
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Rocks – Lucy Pardee, casting
NB. Small Axe is a collection of five films: Alex Wheatle; Education; Lovers Rock; Mangrove; Red, White and Blue.
