Spirit Awards 2021: ‘Nomadland,’ Riz Ahmed take home the honours

Michaela Coel’s ‘I May Destroy You’ also won for best new scripted series and for best ensemble in a new scripted series

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” won best feature at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards in a ceremony that turned the annual beach soiree into a virtual, mostly pre-taped event, and, possibly, an Oscar preview. . The Spirits, usually held in a giant tent on the Southern California coast, have sometimes been a laid back dress rehearsal for the Academy Awards. “Moonlight,” “Spotlight,” “Birdman” and “12 Years a Slave” all won at the Spirits before taking best picture at the Oscars the next day, though top winners (”The Farewell” won the Spirits’ top prize in 2020) have diverged the last few years. But many of the same contenders overlapped this year, including “Minari,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Promising Young Woman” and “Sound of Metal.”