It's been a big year for musical films, and now that awards season has begun, the nominations are pouring in. The Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) announced its annual round of nominees yesterday, and the theatre industry is well represented among those recognized.
In the top category, Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut tick, tick...BOOM! is up for Best Picture, and Andrew Garfield is nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of the late Jonathan Larson. Garfield will also receive the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Desert Palm achievement award for his winning role in the new Netflix film.
Tony nominee Robin de Jesús also scored a HCA Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing Larson's friend Michael, and in the Supporting Actress category Ariana DeBose earned a nomination for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story.
In the Best Direction category, Miranda and Steven Spielberg each were nominated for tick, tick...BOOM! and West Side Story, respectively. Both films were also nominated in the Best Comedy or Musical category, as was In the Heights, that film's sole nomination. Tony Award winner Steven Levenson was also recognized in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, and Encanto, a new musical film with songs by Miranda, earned three nominations: one for Best Animated Film and two for Best Animated or VSX Performance (for John Leguizamo and Stephanie Beatriz).
