Throughout the pandemic, few industries were impacted like the world of theater, live music and performance, and film. Sets were closed, release dates pushed out far into the future, award ceremonies shifted to digital celebrations, and theatrical releases traded for streaming debuts. Yet despite all of the setbacks, delays, and shutdowns that left directors, actors, and crews struggling to complete their films and bring their artistic vision to life, all of the perseverance, patience, and dedication has paid off. It's indisputable: 2021 was a great year for movies. From the blockbuster megahits that dominated the box office (yes, I am still recovering from Spider-Man: No Way Home) to the gentler indie and experimental arthouse flicks that further expanded our notion of cinema to the documentaries and investigative pieces that sought to amplify issues around the globe, there was no shortage of laudable filmmaking this past year.
And now, it's time to honor and celebrate the achievements of the artists who brought these treasures to the big screen. No matter who you're rooting for when the ceremony begins, these listens are all worthy of a golden statuette in our books. Here are the audiobooks that directly inspired the nominees and a few others to check out based on your own personal frontrunners.
