Nominees for the '44th Japan Academy Prize' announced

Misa · Jan 28, 2021

The nominees for the '44th Japan Academy Prize' have been announced.

Now in its 44th year, the 'Japan Academy Prize' is a series of awards given annually for excellence in Japanese film. Considering that theaters had been closed partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's awards honor films released between December 16, 2019 and December 31, 2020.

The awards ceremony will be held on March 19 at Grand Prince Hotel Shintakanawa. It will be hosted by Hattori Shinichi and actress Shim Eun Kyung.

Picture of the Year

Asadake! (The Asadas)
Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san (Tora-san, Wish You Were Here)
Tsumi no Koe (The Voice of Sin)
Midnight Swan
Fukushima 50

Animation of the Year

Gekijouban Violet Evergarden (Violet Evergarden: The Movie)
Eiga Entotsu Machi no Poupelle (Poupelle of Chimney Town)
Gekijouban "Kimetsu no Yaiba" Mugen Ressha-hen (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train)
Joze to Tora to Sakana-tachi (Josee, the Tiger and the Fish)
STAND BY ME Doraemon 2

Director of the Year

Uchida Eiji (Midnight Swan)
Kawase Naomi (Asa ga Kuru)
Doi Nobuhiro (Tsumi no Koe)
Nakano Ryota (Asadake!)
Wakamatsu Setsuro (Fukushima 50)

Screenplay of the Year

Uchida Eiji (Midnight Swan)
Nakano Ryota & Kanno Tomoe (Asadake!)
Nogi Akiko (Tsumi no Koe)
Maekawa Yoichi (Fukushima 50)
Yamada Yoji & Asahara Yuzo (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Oguri Shun (Tsumi no Koe)
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (Midnight Swan)
Sato Koichi (Fukushima 50)
Suda Masaki (Ito)
Ninomiya Kazunari (Asadake!)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Komatsu Nana (Ito)
Nagasaku Hiromi (Asa ga Kuru)
Nagasawa Masami (Confidence Man JP Princess-hen)
Baisho Chieko (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
Hirose Suzu (Ichido Shindemita)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Uno Shohei (Tsumi no Koe)
Tsumabuki Satoshi (Asadake!)
Narita Ryo (Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru)
Hoshino Gen (Tsumi no Koe)
Watanabe Ken (Fukushima 50)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Eguchi Noriko (Jiko Bukken Kowai Madori)
Kuroki Haru (Asadake!)
Goto Kumiko (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
Momoi Kaori (Ichido mo Uttemasen)
Yasuda Narumi (Fukushima 50)

Outstanding Achievement in Music

Iwashiro Taro (Fukushima 50)
Kajiura Yuki & Shiina Go (Gekijouban "Kimetsu no Yaiba" Mugen Ressha-hen)
Kameda Seiji (Ito)
Sato Naoki (Tsumi no Koe)
Yamamoto Junnosuke (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

Ito Maki (Midnight Swan)
Ehara Shoji (Fukushima 50)
Kawase Naomi, Tsukinaga Yuta & Sakakibara Naoki (Asa ga Kuru)
Chikamori Masashi (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
Yamamoto Hideo (Tsumi no Koe)

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction

Inoue Shingo (Midnight Swan)
Sugimoto Takashi (Fukushima 50)
Ota Yasuhiro (Asa ga Kuru)
Tsuchiyama Masato (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
Ono Akira (Tsumi no Koe)

source and more nominations here: