The Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) went heavily for The Power of the Dog, lauding the film with with five top honors including Best Movie of 2021, along with Director for Jane Campion and Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch.
Other films honored included Flee won for Animated Film; Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) won for Documentary Film; Drive My Car won for Foreign Language Film and The French Dispatch won for Comedy Film.
Winners of 2021 Denver Film Critics Society Awards
Best Movie
- Belfast
- Drive My Car
- Dune
- The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Spider–Man: No Way Home
Best Director
- Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
- Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Joel Coen – The Tragedy of Macbeth
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
- Denis Villeneuve – Dune
Best Actress
- Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
- Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
- Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
- Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
- Kristen Stewart – Spencer – WINNER
Best Actor
- Nicolas Cage – Pig
- Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Peter Dinklage – Cyrano
- Will Smith – King Richard
- Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Best Supporting Actress
- Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley
- Ariana DeBose – West Side Story – WINNER
- Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
- Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
- Ruth Negga – Passing
Best Supporting Actor
- Ben Affleck – The Tender Bar
- Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
- Troy Kotsur – CODA
- J.K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos – WINNER
- Kodi Smit–McPhee – The Power of the Dog
Adapted Screenplay
- CODA
- Drive My Car
- Dune
- The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- The Tragedy of Macbeth
Original Screenplay
- Belfast
- C’mon C’mon
- King Richard
- Licorice Pizza
- Pig – WINNER
Animated Film
- Encanto
- Flee – WINNER
- Luca
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines
- Raya and the Last Dragon
Documentary Film
- The First Wave
- Flee
- Procession
- Summer of Soul – WINNER
- The Velvet Underground
Foreign Language Film
- Drive My Car – WINNER
- Flee
- A Hero
- Petite Maman
- The Worst Person in the World
Original Score
- Dune
- Encanto
- The Harder They Fall
- The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Spencer
Original Song
- “Be Alive” from King Richard
- “Dos Orugitas” from Encanto
- “Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
- “Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
- “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die – WINNER
Sci–Fi/Horror Film
- Dune – WINNER
- The Green Knight
- Last Night in Soho
- A Quiet Place Part II
- Spider–Man: No Way Home
Comedy Film
- Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar
- Don’t Look Up
- Free Guy
- The French Dispatch – WINNER
- The Suicide Squad
Visual Effects
- Dune – WINNER
- The Green Knight
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Spider–Man: No Way Home