93rd Academy Awards Best Picture and Top Film Winners
Chloé Zhao's Nomadland won Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25, 2021, becoming the second film directed by a woman to claim the top prize. The ceremony was held as a virtual event with no host, and the winners were announced via prerecorded video segments from nominees' homes and locations like the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Best Director award also went to Chloé Zhao, making her only the second woman and the first woman of color to win in that category. The ceremony's production budget was significantly lower than in previous years, with organizers citing safety protocols and a streamlined format that reduced costs for sets, catering, and on-site staffing. The event was broadcast by ABC in the United States and by multiple international partners, with streaming options provided on platforms linked to the official ceremony partners, as reported by the Academy and major entertainment outlets such as Forbes. The Best Actor award went to Anthony Hopkins for The Father, making him the oldest performer to win the category at age 83, while Frances McDormand took Best Actress for her role in Nomadland.
Best Supporting Actor was awarded to Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah, and Youn Yuh-jung won Best Supporting Actress for Minari, marking the first Oscar for a Korean performer. The Best Animated Feature went to Soul, Pixar's first feature to win in that category, which was released directly on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar in many markets due to the pandemic. The Best International Feature Film award went to Denmark's Another Round, directed by Thomas Vinterberg. The ceremony's viewership dropped to 10.4 million viewers in the United States, a significant decline from the 23.6 million who watched the 2020 ceremony, according to early ratings data from Nielsen and industry analysis shared by outlets like Forbes. The reduced viewership reflected the unusual viewing environment, with many audiences watching the ceremony via delayed broadcasts or streaming replays rather than live television.
Major Wins, Box Office, and Streaming Impact
Nomadland's win was closely tied to its box office and streaming performance, as the film earned over $38 million worldwide at the box office while also being available on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ internationally through Star. The film's production budget was reported to be under $5 million, making it one of the most cost-effective Best Picture winners in recent history. The Father, which earned Anthony Hopkins his second Best Actor Oscar, was distributed by Searchlight Pictures and grossed over $44 million globally, with a significant portion of its revenue coming from digital and PVOD platforms during the pandemic. The financial performance of these films highlighted a shift in how studios balance theatrical releases with streaming and premium video on demand, a trend accelerated by the pandemic and analyzed by financial and entertainment outlets such as Forbes.
Soul's win was a milestone for Pixar and Disney, as the film became the first animated feature from a major studio to win Best Animated Feature while also being released on a streaming platform. The film's direct-to-streaming release on Disney+ was part of a broader strategy that included Premier Access pricing for select titles, a model that generated significant new revenue streams for the company. Disney reported that Disney+ subscriber growth accelerated in the fiscal quarter that included Soul's release, with the platform surpassing 100 million global subscribers. The Best Original Score award went to Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste for Soul, marking Reznor and Ross's second Oscar in the category after their win for The Social Network. The Best Original Song award went to Fight for You from Judas and the Black Messiah, performed by H.E.R., with music by H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, and Tiara Thomas.