Nomadland wins big in socially distanced Oscars

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No crowds gathered to watch celebrities parade down the red carpet at the 93rd Academy Awards Sunday. No audience, other than the nominees themselves, stood to cheer for the winners. For the first time, movies didn’t need a theatrical run to score a nomination. Top honors went to Nomadland, a drama about itinerant life in the American West. It won best picture and director Chloé Zhao made history for winning the best director award. She is only the second woman to win in that category as well as the first woman of color. The film’s lead, Frances McDormand, also won best actress.

Which other films took home the golden statuette? Anthony Hopkins won best actor for his role in The Father. Yuh-Jung Youn became the first Korean actress to win an Academy Award. She was named best supporting actress for her role in Minari. Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for Judas and the Black Messiah. And Pixar scored its 11th best animated feature Oscar for Soul.

Dig deeper: Read Jim Hill’s review of best picture winner Nomadland.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.