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. 

Check out the list of nominees below!

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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)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Isomi Toshihiro & Tsuyuki Emiko (Tsumi no Koe)
• Kurata Tomoko & Yoshizawa Shoko (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
• Kurokawa Michitoshi (Asadake!)
• Seshimo Yukiharu (Fukushima 50)
• Agatsuma Hiroyuki (Midnight Swan)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording

• Ito Hironori (Midnight Swan)
• Kato Hirokazu (Tsumi no Koe)
• Kishida Kazumi (Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
• Shibazaki Kenji & Tsurumaki Hitoshi (Fukushima 50)
• Roman Dymny & Mori Eiji (Asa ga Kuru)

Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing

• Ishiii Iwao & Ishijima Kazuhide - "Otoko wa Tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san)
• Ueno Soichi (Asadake!)
• Kong Chi Leung (Fukushima 50)
• Tina Baz & Shibuya Yoichi (Asa ga Kuru)
• Hogaki Junnosuke (Tsumi no Koe)

Outstanding Foreign Language Film

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX)
• Parasite
• Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans '66)
• 1917
• Tenet

Newcomer of the Year

• Hattori Misaki (Midnight Swan)
• Makita Aju (Asa ga Kuru)
• Mori Nana (Last Letter)
• Okada Kenshi (Nozomi; Doctor Death no Isan -BLACK FILE-; Yayoi, Sangatsu: Kimi wo Ai Shita 30nen)
• Okudaira Daiken (MOTHER)
• Nagase Ren (Yowamushi Pedal)

Special Award from the Association

(Lifetime achievement awards, technical fields)

• Ikehata Matsuo (scenic artist)
• Yasuhiko Yoshikazu (animator and character designer)
• Notomi Kikuo (gun effects)

Award for Distinguished Service from the Chairman
(Lifetime achievement awards, creatives)

• Ishihara Makiko (head of Ishihara International Productions, Inc., former actress)
• Koyama Akiko (actress)
• Suzuki Tatsuo (cinematographer)
• Maeda Yonezo (cinematographer)
• Yoshiyuki Kazuko (actress)

Special Award from the Chairman

(Lifetime achievement award presented to members of the film industry who passed away during 2020)

• Shishido Jo (actor)
• Obayashi Nobuhiko (director)
• Watari Tetsuya (actor)

Award of Honor from the Association

• Okada Yusuke (chairman of Toei who passed away on Nov. 18, age 71)