Jon M. Chu’s In The Heights takes home top prize at the 4th Annual HCA Midseason Awards 

Thursday, July 1, 2021 (Los Angeles, CA) — The Hollywood Critics Association announced the winners for the 4th Annual HCA Midseason Awards. The Midseason Awards were created to highlight and honor films released during the first half of the calendar year. This year, the selected nominees were released between March 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021. Unlike previous years, films released in January and February were not included due to 2020’s extended awards season eligibility period.

Jon M. Chu’s In The Heights won a total of three awards including Best Picture, Best Filmmaker, and Best Actor for Anthony Ramos. Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II took home two acting awards, one for Best Actress for Millicent Simmonds and the other for Best Supporting Actor for Cillian Murphy. 

“A lot of the films released in 2021 have been very well-received by our members,” notes HCA Founder Scott Menzel. In fact, several of the nominees and winners won by a single vote. Given the quality of films that have been released so far this year, I sincerely hope that many of the films that were nominated continue to stay in the conversation as we move into the second half of the year. 

Below is the full list of nominated films along with the winners:

Best Picture:

Raya and The Last Dragon

Nobody 

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Cruella

A Quiet Place 2

In The Heights – WINNER 

Luca

Shiva Baby 

The Spark Brothers

The Killing of Two Lovers

Best Actress:

Emma Stone – Cruella 

Melissa Barrera – In the Heights

Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place Part II – WINNER

Niamh Algar – Censor

Rachel Sennott – Shiva Baby

Best Actor:

Anthony Ramos – In The Heights – WINNER

Bob Odenkirk – Nobody

Armando Espitia – I Carry You With Me

Mads Mikkelsen – Riders of Justice

Clayne Crawford- The Killing of Two Lovers 

Best Supporting Actress:

Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place Part II

Emma Thompson – Cruella – WINNER

Olga Merediz – In the Heights 

Tig Notaro – Army of the Dead

Leslie Grace – In The Heights 

Best Supporting Actor:

Corey Hawkins – In the Heights

Jimmy Smits – In The Heights

Cillian Murphy – A Quiet Place Part II – WINNER

Paul Walter Hauser – Cruella

Christian Vásquez – I Carry You With Me

Best Filmmaker:

John Krasinski – A Quiet Place 2

Jon M. Chu – In the Heights – WINNER 

Michael Rianda – The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Prano Bailey-Bond – Censor

Emma Seligman – Shiva Baby

Best Screenplay:

A Quiet Place II

Cruella

In The Heights

The Mitchells vs. The Machines – WINNER 

Shiva Baby 

Best Indie Film:

The Killing of Two Lovers

Shiva Baby 

Censor

Werewolves Within – WINNER

Zola

Most Anticipated Film For The Rest of 2021:

Candyman

Last Night in Soho – WINNER

The Green Knight

The French Dispatch 

No Time To Die