Although other recent news may have overshadowed the 2021 Grammys celebration, there is no doubt that there were some mega-wins this year!
The Grammys Show was hosted by Trevor Noah and took place on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Right out of the gate, Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for “Folklore,” one of two surprise albums that came out in 2020. Swift also made history that night: she became the first woman to win Album of the Year three times!
Next up was Billie Eilish, winning Record of the Year for her song, “Everything I Wanted” (even while insisting that Megan Thee Stallion should have won in her acceptance speech). “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R. took Song of the Year, and Megan Thee Stallion was named Best New Artist!
A few other highlights of the Grammys included:
- Best Pop Vocal Album: Dua Lipa (“Future Nostalgia”)
- Best Pop Solo Performance: Harry Styles (“Watermelon Sugar”)
- Album Of The Year: “Folklore” By Taylor Swift
- Record Of The Year: “Everything I Wanted” By Billie Eilish
- Song Of The Year: “I Can’t Breathe” By H.E.R.
- Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion
- Best Rock Album: “The New Abnormal” The Strokes
- Best Alternative Music Album: “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” By Fiona Apple
- Best Country Album: “Wildcard” By Miranda Lambert
- Best Latin Pop Or Urban Album: “YHLQMDLG” By Bad Bunny
- Taylor Swift’s performance of “Cardigan” on top of a mountain-like structure (with her co-writers of her album, “Folklore,” playing guitar alongside Swift)
Hot on the heels of the Grammys comes the Academy Awards for 2021… nominations came out March 15, 2021, and the Oscars will air live on April 25, 2021, at 8pm EST. Due to the pandemic, the show will be airing several weeks after it normally aired in the past. There will be no host this year, taking after what the Academy Awards and other shows have done in previous years. The producer of the Oscars is Steven Soderbergh, who has been said to have “a unique directing style.”
The most-known categories include Best Picture, Actress In A Leading Role, Actor In A Leading Role, and many others … fun fact: the Academy Awards were first created in May 16, 1929, by Mayer, the founder of the Louis B. Mayer Corporation, to honor and bring together the 5 main branches of the film industry: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers.
Although not all of the categories for the 2021 Award Ceremony are listed below, these are the most popular ones with their respective nominees:
BEST PICTURE ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
“The Father” Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
“Judas and the Black Messiah” Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
“Mank” Olivia Colman, “The Father”
“Minari” Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
“Nomadland” Youn Yuh-jung, “Minari”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami” Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal” Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Lakeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah” Steven Yeun, “Minari”
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE DIRECTOR
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” David Fincher, “Mank”
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman” Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman” Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
COSTUME DESIGN INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
“Emma” “Another Round” – Denmark
“Ma Rainey’s Blackbottom” “Better Days” – Hong Kong
“Mank” “Collective” – Romania
“Mulan” “The Man Who Sold His Skin” – Tunisia
“Pinocchio” Qu Vadis, Aida? – Bosnia and Herzegovina
This year, women broke a new record: over 70 nominations for women alone! Additionally, this is the first year in the history of the show that two women are nominated in the “Director” Category: Chloe Zhao for “Nomadland” and Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman.” Best of luck, ladies — take away the award ceremony this year and for many years to come !!
Make sure to catch the 93rd Annual Oscars Ceremony live on ABC on Sunday, April 25, 2021 @ 8pm — enjoy the Academy Awards!
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