Nomadland wins Best Picture at the Oscars 2021

Nomadland has won the Best Picture Oscar at the 2021 Academy Awards. The film beat The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Nomadland is directed by Chloé Zhao and follows Frances McDormand's Fern after a financial disaster leaves her living a nomadic lifestyle, traveling across Western America in her van. 

"Thank you for teaching us the power of resilience and hope and for teaching us what real kindness looks like," Zhaó said about the real-life nomads that inspired the movie in her acceptance speech. McDormand added: "Please watch our movie on the largest screen possible." She also said that the victory was for the wolf, and she howled on stage. 

Zhao also won the award for Best Director, and McDormand won Best Actress – she previously won the same award for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Fargo. Nomadland had long been the frontrunner for the evening's biggest award, with the victory coming as no surprise. The movie is available on Hulu to stream now and arrives on Disney Plus internationally on April 30.

Meanwhile, the Oscars ended with the award for Best Actor, which went to Sir Anthony Hopkins for his performance in The Father. His victory came as some surprise, with Chadwick Boseman having previously been the favorite to take home the prize.

It was certainly a night full of surprises. For more from the Oscars, check out the Oscar 2021 winners list in full.