The Japan Academy Film prize is an award presented by the Nippon Academy-Sho Association to award excellence in filmmaking. This year, the 44th, was held at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, Tokyo, Japan on March 19th 2021. You can find the nominees here.
Midnight Swan
Best Picture
Best Actor: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi
Best New Actress: Hattori Misaki
Best New Actor: Okudaira Daiken
Tags: Neglected By Parent, Student, Dance, Transgender Character, Ballet
MOTHER
Best Actress: Nagasawa Masami
Tags: Homeless, Single Mother, Abusive Mother, Domestic Abuse, Child Neglect, Slow Burn Story, Poor Family, Mother-Son Relationship, Sexual Content, Nudity
Best Animation: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train
True Mothers (Asa ga Kuru)
Best New Actress Makita Aju
Tags: Married Couple, Teen Pregnancy, Mother-Son Relationship, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Adoption, Family Pressure, Adapted From A Novel
Last Letter
Best New Actress Mori Nana
Tags: Novelist, Mistaken Identity, Death, Sisterhood, Misunderstanding, First Love, Unrequited Love, Suicide
Nozomi and The Legacy of Dr. Death: Black File
Best New Actor: Okada Kenshi
Nozomi Tags: Shusuke Shizukui, Architect, Injury, Missing Person, Married Couple, Death, Sibling, Student, Murder, Adapted From A Novel
The Legacy of Dr. DeathTags: Shichiri Nakayama, Victim, Euthanasia, Death, Adapted From A Novel, Serial Killer, Crime
Yowamushi Pedal
Best New Actor: Nagase Ren
Tags: King & Prince, Johnnys, Cycling, Naive Male Lead, High School, Strong Friendship, Otaku, Student, Nice Male Lead, Character Development
The Asadas!
Best Supporting Actress: Kuroki Haru
Tags: Photographer, Family Relationship, Photography, Arashi, Earthquake, Brothers, Sibling, Disaster, Idol Actor
Fukushima 50
Best Supporting Actor: Watanabe Ken
Tags: Volunteer, Aftermath, Radiation, Nuclear Disaster, Tsunami, Earthquake, Adapted From A Novel, Based On True Story, Disaster
Did any of these award winning titles wind up on your plan to watch list? I personally sat through MOTHER. and the performance was good even if the subject matter made me furious. Just like previous years, I will probably get around to watching them at some point.
Source: ハズキ on twitter and Wikipedia