25 Astonishingly Dumb 21st Century Film Oscar Wins

Beat: Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States Vs. Billie Holiday), Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman).

Should've Won: Vanessa Kirby.

As terrible as last year's socially distanced ceremony was, the actual winners were mostly deserved and this was largely the case with the four acting categories. Anthony Hopkins pulled off a well-earned surprise win for his career-best turn in The Father, and Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-Jung also got the Oscars they deserved. Unfortunately, they didn't quite pick the right one for Best Actress.

Frances McDormand is an amazing actress and she was absolutely excellent in Nomadland, but it just so happened that she was outshone by three of the other performers in that category.

Vanessa Kirby and Carey Mulligan both gave absolutely exceptional lead performances in their respective movies and even though Viola Davis' role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was really more of a supporting turn than a lead turn, she was completely and utterly wonderful as the titular character.

In such an unbelievable line-up full of diverse, interesting performances it was undeniably disappointing to see the Academy go for the safe choice. Really, this Oscar should've been Kirby's to lose and it would've been great to see the Academy award go to a less well-known performer, rather than someone who won her second Oscar only three years earlier.