Academy Awards 2021: ‘Nomadland’ claims the coveted best director prize at an in-person Oscars The 93rd Academy Awards kicked off an in-person ceremony with a long tracking shot, serving notice that the Oscars — presented under Covid protocols — would be constructed like a movie. After the nominations made history on a variety of fronts, the awards did early on as well, Breaking with tradition, the producers chose to hand out best director early, with Chinese-born Chloé Zhao of “Nomadland” becoming only the second woman ever to claim that prize, following Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” in 2010. “Minari” co-star Yuh-jung Youn also became the first Korean actress to win an Oscar, in the process adding a more dubious footnote to Glenn Close’s illustrious career: With her eighth bid for “Hillbilly Elegy,” she ties Peter O’Toole as the actor with the most nominations without ever having won.