The Music City Film Critics’ Association announced the nominees for its seventh annual awards on Friday, honoring the best in film for the 2024 calendar year.
Sci-fi blockbuster Dune: Part Two scored the highest nomination count with 10, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Ensemble.
Denis Villenueve’s latest — opening wide this week — approaches masterpiece levels of achievement. Until its third act.
The Denis Villeneuve-helmed sequel was the only movie to garner double-digit nominations, as nine films earned at least five nods — including period epic The Brutalist (nine nominations), body-horror freakout The Substance (eight), gothic chiller Nosferatu (seven) and fantasy musical Wicked (seven).
The organization also announced five nominees for this year’s Jim Ridley Award, honoring late Scene editor-in-chief and film critic Jim Ridley. The nominees were chosen by a panel of MCFCA members who knew and worked with Ridley.
The association includes 40 professional film critics working in or near Nashville, including myself and several other Scene critics. The winners will be announced Jan. 10. See the full slate of nominations below.
Sean Baker’s latest — one of the year’s best films — opens Friday at the Belcourt and AMC Thoroughbred 20
Best Picture
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
The Substance
Wicked
Best Director
The Demi Moore-starring body-horror film hits the Belcourt and Regal and AMC theaters this week
Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat - The Substance
Denis Villeneuve - Dune: Part Two
RaMell Ross - Nickel Boys
Robert Eggers - Nosferatu
Best Actor
Adrien Brody - The Brutalist
Colman Domingo - Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes - Conclave
Sebastian Stan - A Different Man
Timothée Chalamet - A Complete Unknown
Best Actress
Robert Eggers’ grotesque remake of the 1922 silent film opens wide on Christmas Day — and in 35 mm at the Belcourt
Cynthia Erivo - Wicked
Demi Moore - The Substance
Lily-Rose Depp - Nosferatu
Mikey Madison - Anora
Nicole Kidman - Babygirl
Best Supporting Actor
Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing
Denzel Washington - Gladiator 2
Guy Pearce - The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong - The Apprentice
Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress
Star Timothée Chalamet visits Nashville to discuss Bob Dylan biopic, which opens wide on Christmas Day
Ariana Grande - Wicked
Katy O’Brian - Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley - The Substance
Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
Zoe Saldana - Emilia Perez
Best Young Actor
Elliott Heffernan - Blitz
Ethan Herisse - Nickel Boys
Griffin Kramer - The People’s Joker
Ian Foreman - I Saw the TV Glow
Izaac Wang - Didi
Best Young Actress
Alisha Weir - Abigail
Alyla Brown - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Ariel Donoghue - Trap
Beatrice Schneider - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Maisy Stella - My Old Ass
Best Acting Ensemble
Jason Reitman’s new film about the premiere of ‘Saturday Night Live’ opens this week at Regal and AMC locations
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Sing Sing
Wicked
Best Music Film
A Complete Unknown
Emilia Perez
Piece by Piece
Wicked
Best Animated Film
DreamWorks’ newest feature — based on the novel by Peter Brown — comes to Regal and AMC locations this week
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best Documentary
Daughters
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper
Best International Film
Emilia Perez
Flow
I’m Still Here
Red Rooms
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Screenplay
A Real Pain
Anora
Challengers
The Brutalist
The Substance
Best Original Song
Luca Guadagnino's new Zendaya-starring feature opens wide this week
“Claw Machine” - I Saw the TV Glow
“Compress/Repress” - Challengers
“El Mal” - Emilia Perez
“Kiss the Sky” - The Wild Robot
“Like a Bird” - Sing Sing
Best Original Score
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
The Brutalist
Best Sound
Alex Garland’s near-future dystopian tale opens wide this week
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Best Cinematography
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
Best Production Design
Dune: Part Two
Hundreds of Beavers
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
Wicked
Best Editing
Edward Berger’s political thriller, starring Ralph Fiennes and based on the Robert Harris novel, opens this week at the Belcourt and Regal and AMC locations
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
The Brutalist
Best Comedy Film
Deadpool & Wolverine
Hundreds of Beavers
My Old Ass
Saturday Night
Thelma
Best Horror Film
Hugh Grant steals the show in new kidnapping thriller, opening this week at Regal and AMC locations
Late Night With the Devil
Nosferatu
Smile 2
The Substance
Best Action Film
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kill
Best Stunt Work
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator 2
Hundreds of Beavers
The Fall Guy
The Jim Ridley Award
Close Your Eyes
Eno
Hundreds of Beavers
The People’s Joker
The Substance
