David Farnor | On 25, Apr 2021

The 2021 Independent Spirit Awards were unveiled this week, with Nomadland and Promising Young Woman leading the winners.

Nomadland, which arrives on Disney+ on 30th April, took home the Best Feature, Editing and Cinematography prize, as well as Best Director for Chloé Zhao. Promising Young Woman won the Best Screenplay award for Emerald Fennell, as well as Best Female Lead for Carey Mulligan.

Sound of Metal’s Riz Ahmed was named Best Male Lead, in a surprise win over the late Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Sound of Metal also took home the Best Supporting Male prize for Paul Raci, while Best Supporting Female went to Yuh-Jung Youn in Minari.

Sound of Metal also won the Best First Feature prize, while the Best First Screenplay award went to Palm Springs, available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Amazon Studios enjoyed success with One Night in Miami winning the Robert Altman Award, while Netflix’s Crip Camp was named Best Documentary.

Michaela Coel’s BBC One drama I May Destroy You won Best New Scripted Series and the Best Ensemble Cast in a scripted series prize, while Netflix’s Unorthodox was awarded for the Best Male and Female Performance in a scripted series.

The awards were unveiled, in a departure from tradition, not on the eve of the Oscars but several nights before, with SNL’s Melissa Villaseñor hosting the ceremony. You can see her opening monologue below – along with the full list of winners.

BEST FEATURE – Nomadland (PRODUCERS: Mollye Asher, Dan Javey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao)

BEST DIRECTOR – Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST FEMALE LEAD – Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST MALE LEAD – Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE – Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

BEST SUPPORTING MALE – Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

BEST SCREENPLAY – Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

BEST EDITING – Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Crip Camp (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham PRODUCER: Sara Bolder)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Joshua James Richards, Nomadland

BEST FIRST FEATURE – Sound of Metal (DIRECTOR: Darius Marder PRODUCERS: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche)

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY – Andy Siara, Palm Springs

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Residue (WRITER/DIRECTOR: Merawi Gerima)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – One Night in Miami… (DIRECTOR: Regina King CASTING DIRECTOR: Kimberly R. Hardin ENSEMBLE CAST: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM – Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina DIRECTOR Jasmila Žbanić)

PRODUCERS AWARD – Gerry Kim

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – Ekwa Msangi, Farewell Amor

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – Elegance Bratton, Pier Kids

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES – I May Destroy You (CREATOR: Michaela Coel EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Phil Clarke, Michaela Coel, Roberto Troni)

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES – Immigration Nation (EXEC PRODUCERS: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson CO-EXEC PRODUCERS: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE (SCRIPTED) – Shira Haas, Unorthodox

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE (SCRIPTED) – Amit Rahav, Unorthodox

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST (SCRIPTED) – I May Destroy You (ENSEMBLE CAST: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wight)

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