Per Matt
The Power of the Dog leads the way with 10 nominations for the Music City Film Critics’ Association’s 2022 Film Awards. Jane Campion’s Western secures the most-ever nominations for a film in the history of the MCFCA.

The Music City Film Critics’ Association is proud to announce its nominations for the MCFCA 2022 Film Awards. The association is comprised of more than 30 professional film critics working in or near Nashville, Tennessee.

The winners will be announced on January 25, 2022.

The Power of the Dog leads the way with 10 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director – Jane Campion, Best Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actress – Kirsten Dunst, Best Supporting Actor – Kodi Smit-McPhee, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Sound, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

Belfast, Dune and Licorice Pizza follow just behind with eight nominations each. West Side Story rounds out the Top Five with six nominations.

A Quiet Place Part II, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Mass and The Tragedy of Macbeth each scored four nominations.

“As the film industry continues to recover during an ongoing pandemic, the 2021 calendar was filled with a number of exceptional films from January to December,” proclaimed Sean Atkins, president of the MCFCA. “From blockbusters to indies and streamers, I couldn’t be happier with our wide variety of nominees up and down the ballot. All of this wouldn’t be possible without our members, the filmmakers, the studios behind these nominees and the healthcare workers who have done everything to combat COVID-19 and help us feel safe and comfortable in returning to theaters on a more frequent basis.”

MCFCA vice president Michael Compton added, “Once again, the nominations encapsulate a large variety of films, from blockbusters to streaming options. These nominations reflect an outstanding year in film, in terms of both quantity and quality.”

You can follow the MCFCA on Facebook at Music City Film Critics’ Association and Twitter @mcfca615.

**Personal Commentary**

As an active member of the MCFCA, part of the moviegoing process was, indeed, a rollercoaster for the second consecutive year. Almost all public screenings were canceled. A few managed to get approved in between the growth of different variants. Even private screenings for MCFCA members were tricky with COVID-19 protocols in full effect.

Online screeners grew in popularity for the second consecutive year, which were provided by the distribution companies, but very tight viewing timeframes and limited availability led to more being missed than actually watched.

As FYC season grew, physical copies of the feature films were finally provided. As a moviegoer who misses a lot of actors’ mumblings, poor theater speakers can also lose the dialogue’s intended effects. I highly appreciate the inclusion of subtitles for all movie watching and home viewings are pretty much mandatory for that, even with decent hearing ability.

I’m excited to learn which movies will receive awards by the MCFCA this year. And I hope the movie-viewing process becomes easier as the pandemic wanes.

The 2022 Music City Film Critics’ Association Film Award Nominations

Best Picture

  • Belfast
  • C’mon C’mon
  • CODA
  • Dune
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Harder They Fall
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Tick, Tick…BOOM!
  • West Side Story

Best Director

  • Denis Villeneuve – Dune
  • Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
  • Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
  • Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
  • Steven Spielberg – West Side Story

Best Actor

  • Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick…BOOM!
  • Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
  • Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Nicolas Cage – Pig
  • Simon Rex – Red Rocket
  • Will Smith – King Richard

Best Actress

  • Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
  • Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • Kristen Stewart – Spencer
  • Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
  • Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter

Best Supporting Actor

  • Bradley Cooper – Licorice Pizza
  • Colman Domingo – Zola
  • Jason Isaacs – Mass
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog
  • Troy Kotsur – CODA

Best Supporting Actress

  • Ann Dowd – Mass
  • Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
  • Caitriona Balfe – Belfast
  • Kathryn Hunter – The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog

Best Young Actor

  • Cooper Hoffman – Licorice Pizza
  • Jude Hill – Belfast
  • Noah Jupe – A Quiet Place Part II
  • Reyn Doi – Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  • Woody Norman – C’mon C’mon

Best Young Actress

  • Emilia Jones – CODA
  • McKenna Grace – Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place Part II
  • Rachel Zegler – West Side Story
  • Saniyya Sidney – King Richard

Best Acting Ensemble

  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • Don’t Look Up
  • Mass
  • The Harder They Fall

Best Music Film

  • In the Heights
  • Respect
  • Summer of Soul
  • Tick, Tick…BOOM!
  • West Side Story

Best Animated Film

  • Encanto
  • Flee
  • Luca
  • The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  • Raya and the Last Dragon

Best Documentary

  • Flee
  • Summer of Soul
  • The First Wave
  • The Rescue
  • Val

Best International Film

  • Drive My Car
  • Flee
  • The Hand of God
  • Titane
  • The Worst Person in the World

Best Screenplay

  • Belfast
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Mass
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Power of the Dog

Best Original Song

  • “Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto
  • “Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall
  • “Just Look Up” – Don’t Look Up
  • “No Time to Die” – No Time to Die
  • “So May We Start” – Annette

Best Score

  • Germaine Franco – Encanto
  • Hans Zimmer – Dune
  • Jonny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog
  • Jonny Greenwood – Spencer
  • Nicholas Britell – Don’t Look Up

Best Sound

  • A Quiet Place Part II
  • Dune
  • No Time to Die
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • The Power of the Dog

Best Cinematography

  • Belfast
  • Dune
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • West Side Story

Best Production Design

  • Dune
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Nightmare Alley
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Editing

  • Belfast
  • Dune
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Power of the Dog

Best Comedy Film

  • Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  • Don’t Look Up
  • Free Guy
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Red Rocket

Best Horror Film

  • A Quiet Place Part II
  • Lamb
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Malignant
  • The Night House

Best Action Film

  • Dune
  • No Time to Die
  • Nobody
  • Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home