“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” Leads Sundance-Supported Independent Spirit Award Nominees

Earlier today, nominees for the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards were unveiled, and we want to congratulate all of the projects with ties to the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival for being recognized.

Eliza Hittman’s masterful drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always led the pack, notching seven nominations, including Best Feature and Best Director, while Lee Isaac Chung’s gorgeous, delicate family tale Minari (soon to enter wide release!) racked up six, including Best Male Lead and Best Screenplay.

Channing Godfrey Peoples’s Miss Juneteenth, Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, and Kitty Green’s The Assistant also received multiple nods, and in the Best Documentary category, all of the nominated films premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival.

See the full list of Sundance-supported nominees below, and tune in to the Independent Spirit Awards on IFC and AMC+ at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 22.

BEST FEATURE

First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland

BEST DIRECTOR

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

BEST FIRST FEATURE

I Carry You With Me
The 40-Year-Old Version
The Sound of Metal
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner, The Assistant
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST MALE LEAD

Riz Ahmed, The Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Rob Morgan, Bull
Steven Yeun, Minari
Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han, Minari
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit
Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn, Minari

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee, First Cow
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Glynn Turmann, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong, Nine Days

BEST SCREENPLAY

Bad Education
Minari
The Half of It
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Promising Young Woman

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jay Keitel, She Dies Tomorrow
Shabier Kirchner, Bull
Michael Latham, The Assistant
Hélène Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards, Nomadland

BEST EDITING

I Carry You With Me
The Invisible Man
Residue
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Collective
Crip Camp
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Time
The Mole Agent

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Bacurau
The Disciple
Night of the Kings
Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Quo Vadis, Aida?

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Kara Durrett (Save Yourselves!)
Lucas Joaquin (The Evening Hour)
Gerry Kim (I’m No Longer Here)

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

David Midell, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Ekwa Msangi, Farewell Amor
Annie Silverstein, Bull

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

Cecilia Aldarondo, Landfall
Elegance Bratton, Pier Kids
Elizabeth Lo, Stray

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue
Saint Frances

BEST NEW NONSCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
City So Real
Immigration Nation
Love Fraud
We’re Here