The drama was named Best Picture, while star Frances McDormand won Best Actress in a Leading Role and Chloé Zhao went home with Best Director. Zhao is the first woman of color to win the award, and only the second woman in the Academy's 92-year history, after Kathryn Bigelow for 2008's The Hurt Locker.
Anthony Hopkins, who didn't appear at the ceremony, was named Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Father, beating out favorite Chadwick Boseman. Hopkins became the oldest Oscars acting winner at age 83.
Daniel Kaluuya went home with Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Judas and the Black Messiah and Yuh-Jung Youn was Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Minari. She's the first Korean win in that category.
Best Original Song went to H.E.R. for "Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah, while Best Original Score went to Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste for Soul.
Soul also picked up Best Animated Feature Film.
Tyler Perry received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award honor.
Regina King opened the host-less show by referring to the George Floyd trial. Last year's Best Supporting Actress winner said, "It has been quite a year, and we're still smack dab in the middle of it. I have to be honest: If things had gone differently this past week in Minneapolis, I might have traded in my heels for marching boots. I know many of you want to reach for your remote when you feel Hollywood is preaching to you, but as the mother of a Black son who fears for his safety, no fame or fortune changes that."
She also explained why attendees weren't wearing masks, saying, "We're doing it maskless. Think of this as a movie set, with a cast of over 200 nominees. We are following all of the rigorous protocols that got us back to work safely." Those protocols include wearing a mask when the cameras aren't rolling, but taking them off while filming.
Presenters include Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and Renée Zellweger.
Here is the full list of 2021 Oscar winners:
Best Picture: Nomadland
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Yuh-Jung Youn - Minari
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Director: Chloé Zhao - Nomadland
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Father - Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Best Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman - Emerald Fennell
Best Original Song: "Fight for You” - Judas and the Black Messiah. Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
Best Original Score: Soul - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
Best Film Editing: Sound of Metal, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
Best Cinematography: Mank - Erik Messerschmidt
Best Production Design: Mank - Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
Best Visual Effects: Tenet - Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
Best Documentary Feature: My Octopus Teacher - Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
Best Documentary Short Subject: Colette - Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
Best Animated Feature Film: Soul - Pixar
Best Animated Short Film: If Anything Happens I Love You
Best Live-Action Short Film: Two Distant Strangers
Best Sound: Sound of Metal - Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
Best Costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - Ann Roth
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
Best International Feature Film: Another Round (Denmark)