I know generally The Shuggie Awards generally happen at the end of the calendar year, but for 2020 I decided to delay them to see some of the Oscar nominated films from 2020 just because I didn’t see as many films from last year, what with the global pandemic and all. Anyway, here it is finally, the biggest film awards of the year, it’s the 5th Annual Shuggies.

Best Animated Film:

  • Weathering With You: Some great films in this year’s animated film category, and whilst I really adored both Soul and Wolfwalkers it was the film that didn’t score an Oscar nomination that takes home the Shuggie award. Makoto Shinkai’s follow up to Your Name was every bit as tender, beautiful, and bustling with magical energy.
  • Onward
  • Soul
  • Wolfwalkers

Best Film Not in the English Language:

  • Minari: Whilst set in America, and featuring a decent amount of English spoken in the film, the principle language in Minari is definitely Korean. The film is a beautiful look at a family dynamic, packed with wonderful performances, complex and touching character dynamics, and plenty of tears from me at the moving ending.
  • #Alive
  • Sputnik
  • Weathering With You

Best Actor:

  • Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah: A tough year in the acting stakes. Delroy Lindo was ridiculously overlooked by most major awards, and whilst I loved his performance, as well as firmly believing Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun both gave award worthy performances this year, none have resonated with me as much as Daniel Kaluuya’s powerhouse performance as Fred Hampton, which dominated the entirety of Judas and the Black Messiah.
  • Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
  • Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami…
  • Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
  • Steven Yeun – Minari

Best Actress:

  • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman: Whilst the Oscar Best Actress race is one of the closest we’ve seen in a long time, of the nominees I have a clear favourite, and that is Carey Mulligan’s exceptional leading performance in Promising Young Woman. She absolutely slams home the message of the film with her performance, walking the fine line between powerful and vulnerable that the role demands.
  • Cristin Milioti – Palm Springs
  • Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man
  • Olivia Cooke – Sound of Metal
  • Youn Yuh-jung – Minari

Best Screenplay:

  • Andy Siara and Max Barbakow – Palm Springs: Sure all the Oscar nominees have some great scripts, but Palm Springs not only consistently made me laugh, but it really got me invested in the central relationship and ideas, and moved me. Andy Siara and Max Barbakow’s screenplay is so well rounded and works on so many levels that it’s an absolute joy.
  • Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
  • Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami…
  • Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
  • Abraham Marder, Darius Marder, and Derek Cianfrance – Sound of Metal

Best Director:

  • Leigh Whannell – The Invisible Man: Legitimate tension is hard to do, and Leigh Whannell crafted some of the most unbelievably tense scenes in 2020. But he also knows exactly when to hold that back, to really up the impact of some moments where you think the character’s are safe. His Invisible Man is a masterpiece in directing a horror/thriller.
  • Brandon Cronenberg – Possessor
  • Chloe Zhao – Nomadland
  • Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
  • Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Film:

  • Palm Springs: Maybe it was the pandemic and lockdowns, but I don’t think I enjoyed watching a film last year as much as Palm Springs. Funny, moving, sweet, and simply my favourite film of the past year or so, Palm Springs is well deserving of the Best Film Shuggie Award.
  • Minari
  • One Night in Miami…
  • Sound of Metal
  • Weathering With You