by Nathaniel R
As we mentioned yesterday when we tackled our favourite movies of 2021 (THUS FAR) we like to jot down lists of favourites all year long so that when it comes time for the annual prizes we aren't just drawing from thing released in the last two months of the year the way Oscar voters tend to; cinema is a year-long love affair for us. So let's talk about the performances that sparkled the most thus far into 2021...
LEAD ACTRESS
- Andra Day as "Billie Holiday" in United States vs Billie Holiday
- Riley Keough as "Stefani" in Zola
- Taylour Paige as "Zola" in Zola
- Rosamund Pike as "Marla Grayson" in I Care a Lot
- Zendaya as "Marie" in Malcolm & Marie
LEAD ACTOR
- Idris Elba as "Harp" in Concrete Cowboy
- Adarsh Gourav as "Balram" in The White Tiger
- Daniel Kaluuya as "Fred" in Judas and the Black Messiah
- Anthony Ramos as "Usnavi" in In the Heights
- Alec Utgoff as "Zenia" in Never Gonna Snow Again
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Mabel Cadena as "Amada" in Dance of the 41
- Polly Draper as "Debbie" in Shiva Baby
- Dominique Fishback as "Deborah Johnson" in Judas and the Black Messiah
- Maja Ostaszewska as "Maria" in Never Gonna Snow Again
- Dianne Wiest as "Jennifer Peterson" in I Care a Lot
SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Colman Domingo as "X" in Zola
- David Harbour as "Red Guardian" in Black Widow
- Corey Hawkins as "Benny" in In the Heights
- Fred Melamed as "Joel" in Shiva Baby
- Emiliano Zurita as "Evaristo Rivas" in Dance of the 41
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
JUVENILE PERFORMANCE (UNDER 18)
- Ever Anderson as "Young Natasha" in Black Widow
- Gregory Diaz as "Sonny" in In the Heights
- Reyn Doi as "Yoyo" in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
- Finn Little as "Connor" in Those Who Wish Me Dead
- Millicent Simmonds as "Regan" in A Quiet Place Part II
LIMITED OR CAMEO OR VOICE PERFORMANCE, ACTRESS
- Vanessa Bayer as "Debbie" in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
- Olivia Colman as "Pal" in Mitchells vs the Machines
- Sophie Hall as "Baybe" in Zola
- Ts Madison as "Hollywood" in Zola
- Phyllis Smith as "Delores" in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
LIMITED OR CAMEO OR VOICE PERFORMANCE, ACTOR
- Jacob Dylan Grazer as "Alberto" in Luca
- Michael Hitchcock as "Gary the Concierge" in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
- Chris Messina as "Dean Ericson" in I Care a Lot
- Mike Rianda as "Aaron/Furbies/Talking Dog" in Mitchells vs the Machines
- Jacob Tremblay as "Luca" in Luca
HERO
- Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) Judas and the Black Messiah
- Katie Michell (Abbi Jacobson) Mitchells vs the Machines
- Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) Black Widow
- Regan (Millicent Simmonds) A Quiet Place Part II
- Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) In the Heights
VILLAIN
- The Occultist (Eugenie Bondurant) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
- Pal (Olivia Colman) Mitchells vs the Machines
- Sharon Gordon Fisherman (Kristen Wiig) Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
- Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) Mortal Kombat
- Task Master (?) Black Widow
DIVA
- Baroness (Emma Thompson) in Cruella
- Cruella (Emma Stone) in Cruella
- Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega) in In the Heights
- Billie Holliday (Andra Day) in United States vs Billie Holiday
- Malcolm (John David Washington) in Malcolm & Marie
SEXPOT
- Edgar Paget (Jamie Dornan) in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
- Ignacio (Alfonso Herrera) in Dance of the 41
- Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) in In the Heights
- Zenia (Alec Utgoff) in Never Gonna Snow Again
- Zola (Taylour Paige) in Zola
Finis.
Still unseen for various reasons: Breaking News in Yuba County, Chaos Walking, Dream Horse, Killing of Two Lovers, False Positive, Map of Tiny Perfect Things, The Mauritanian, Moffie, Oxygen, Port Authority, Queen Bees, Stowaway, Undine, Without Remorse, World to Come.