Press release just sent over to us from AwardsAce.com’s Erick Weber about the announcement of a brand new Critic Circle, Sunset Circle.
Check out the list of their nominees with the winners to be announced December 1st.
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE INAUGURAL
“SUNSET CIRCLE AWARDS”
HONORING 2020’S BEST IN FILM
“MINARI” & “SOUND OF METAL”
LEAD WAY WITH
SIX NOMINATIONS EACH

(Los Angeles – November 24, 2020) – The Sunset Film Circle (SFC) today announced their nominees for the inaugural “Sunset Circle Awards”, an event honoring 2020’s best in film across 13 categories. “Minari” and “Sound of Metal” lead all films with six nominations each, both landing a spot on the Sunset Circle Awards “Top Films”. “The Father” and “Nine Days” follow immediately behind with five nominations each including Top Films nods.
SFC Chair Erick Weber said, “While 2020 has been an unprecedented year for the motion picture industry, we are thrilled to honor a rich and diverse group of films and performances which proved to be extremely strong even in the face of theatrical’s current challenges. While there has been much talk of this being a down year for film, one look at this list of nominees should quiet that discussion.”
All films that were made available to screen before Sunday, November 22, 2020’s nomination deadline were considered. The Sunset Circle Awards winners will be announced Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
About the Sunset Film Circle (SFC)
The Sunset Film Circle is comprised of film journalists with special emphasis on awards coverage. Chair Erick Weber (Editor-in-Chief, AWARDS ACE) is joined by Vice Chair Scott Menzel (Editor-in-Chief, We Live Entertainment), Sasha Stone (Founder/Editor, Awards Daily), Chris Gore (Publisher/Editor, Film Threat), Rodrigo Salem (Writer, Folha de S. Paulo (Brazil)) and Simon Thompson (Writer, Forbes).
NOMINATIONS FOR THE INAUGURAL SUNSET CIRCLE AWARDS
(All nominees listed alphabetically)
BEST FILM (to be announced December 1, 2020, along with winners in all categories)
TOP FILMS
The Father
The King of Staten Island
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Minari
Nine Days
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Saint Maud
Sound of Metal
BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
David Fincher – Mank
Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
Florian Zeller – The Father
Chloe Zhao – Nomadland
BEST ACTOR
Ben Affleck – The Way Back
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Winston Duke – Nine Days
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
BEST ACTRESS
Morfydd Clark – Saint Maud
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Bill Burr – The King of Staten Island
Bill Murray – On The Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Stanley Tucci – Supernova
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy
Zazie Beetz – Nine Days
Olivia Colman – The Father
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Youn Yuh-jung – Minari
BEST ENSEMBLE
Hillbilly Elegy
The King of Staten Island
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
The Prom
BEST SCREENPLAY
The Father – Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller
Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
Nine Days – Edson Oda
Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
Sound of Metal – Derek Cianfrance & Darius Marder
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Gretel & Hansel – Galo Olivares
Mank – Erik Messerschmidt
Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
Sound of Metal – Daniël Bouquet
Tenet – Hoyte Van Hoytema
BEST SCORE
First Cow – William Tyler
Gretel & Hansel – Robin Coudert
Minari – Emile Mosseri
Soul – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Tenet – Ludwig Göransson
BEST BREAKTHROUGH
Kiera Allen – Run
Nicole Beharie – Miss Juneteenth
Joe Kerry – Spree
Orion Lee – First Cow
Jo Ellen Pellman – The Prom
SCENE STEALER
Michael Keaton – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum
Toby Wallace – Babyteeth
Wil Wheaton – Rent-A-Pal
DIRECTORS TO WATCH
Radha Blank – The 40-Year-Old Version
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Rose Glass – Saint Maud
Edson Oda – Nine Days
Jon Stevenson – Rent-A-Pal
NOMINEES BY FILM FOR THE INAUGURAL SUNSET CIRCLE AWARDS
Sound of Metal – 6
Top Films
Best Director – Darius Marder
Best Actor – Riz Ahmed
Best Supporting Actor – Paul Raci
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Minari – 6
Top Films
Best Director – Lee Isaac Chung
Best Supporting Actress – Youn Yuh-jung
Best Ensemble
Best Screenplay
Best Score
The Father – 5
Top Films
Best Director – Florian Zeller
Best Actor – Anthony Hopkins
Best Supporting Actress – Olivia Colman
Best Screenplay
Nine Days – 5
Top Films
Best Actor – Winston Duke
Best Supporting Actress – Zazie Beetz
Best Screenplay
Directors To Watch – Edson Oda
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 4
Top Films
Best Actor – Chadwick Boseman
Best Actress – Viola Davis
Best Ensemble
Mank – 4
Top Films
Best Director – David Fincher
Best Supporting Actress – Amanda Seyfried
Best Cinematography
Promising Young Woman – 4
Top Films
Best Actress – Carey Mulligan
Best Screenplay
Directors To Watch – Emerald Fennell
Hillbilly Elegy – 3
Best Actress – Glenn Close
Best Supporting Actress – Amy Adams
Best Ensemble
The King of Staten Island – 3
Top Films
Best Supporting Actor – Bill Burr
Best Ensemble
Nomadland – 3
Top Films
Best Director – Chloe Zhao
Best Cinematography
Saint Maud – 3
Top Films
Best Actress – Morfydd Clark
Directors To Watch – Rose Glass
First Cow – 2
Best Score
Best Breakthrough – Orion Lee
Gretel & Hansel – 2
Best Cinematography
Best Score
The Prom – 2
Best Ensemble
Best Breakthrough – Jo Ellen Pellman
Rent-A-Pal – 2
Scene Stealer – Wil Wheaton
Directors To Watch – Jon Stevenson
Tenet – 2
Best Cinematography
Best Score
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – 2
Scene Stealer (2) – Michael Keaton, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
The 40-Year-Old Version – 1
Directors To Watch – Radha Blank
Antebellum – 1
Scene Stealer – Gabourey Sidibe
Babyteeth – 1
Scene Stealer – Toby Wallace
Miss Juneteenth – 1
Best Breakthrough – Nicole Beharie
On The Rocks – 1
Best Supporting Actor – Bill Murray
One Night in Miami – 1
Best Supporting Actor – Leslie Odom Jr.
Pieces Of A Woman – 1
Best Actress – Vanessa Kirby
Run – 1
Best Breakthrough – Kiera Allen
Spree – 1
Best Breakthrough – Joe Kerry
Soul – 1
Best Score
Supernova – 1
Best Supporting Actor – Stanley Tucci
The Way Back – 1
Best Actor – Ben Affleck
NOMINEES BY STUDIO FOR THE INAUGURAL SUNSET CIRCLE AWARDS
Netflix – 17
A24 – 12
Sony Pictures Classics – 10
Amazon Studios – 7
Focus Features – 4
IFC Films – 3
Searchlight Pictures – 3
Universal Pictures – 3
Warner Bros Pictures – 3
Lionsgate – 2
United Artists – 2
Bleecker Street – 1
RLJE Films – 1
Vertical Entertainment – 1
Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation – 1
Follow the Sunset Film Circle online: http://sunsetcircle.com
CONTACTS:
Sunset Film Circle
Erick Weber
sunsetfilmcircle@gmail.com