Congratulations to this year’s AFI AWARDS honorees! The honorees include 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding TV programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image. Additional honorees were selected in a category for “Special Awards,” designated for works of excellence that fall outside of the Institute’s criteria of American film and television.

“AFI is honored to shine a proper light upon the most outstanding screen stories of 2021 and those who worked collaboratively to bring them to screens large and small,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “From soaring in spirit to dark and dangerous – from heartbreaking to hilarious – these are the stories that have united us in uncertain times and continue to drive culture forward.”

The honorees were scheduled to be celebrated on January 7, 2022, but in response to the rising concerns over current health conditions, AFI rescheduled the much-anticipated event for March 11, 2022.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

CODA

DON’T LOOK UP

DUNE

KING RICHARD

LICORICE PIZZA

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

THE POWER OF THE DOG

tick, tick… BOOM!

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

WEST SIDE STORY

AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

HACKS

MAID

MARE OF EASTTOWN

RESERVATION DOGS

SCHMIGADOON!

SUCCESSION

TED LASSO

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

WANDAVISION

THE WHITE LOTUS

AFI AWARDS selections are made through a jury process where AFI Trustees, artists, critics and scholars determine the year’s most outstanding achievements and provide artistic and cultural context for the selection of each honoree.

This year’s jury featured acclaimed artists including Lee Isaac Chung, Liz Hannah, Anjelica Huston and Ed Zwick; renowned film historians Annette Insdorf, L.S. Kim, Akira Mizuta Lippit, Leonard Maltin, Ellen Seiter and Robert Thompson; the AFI Board of Trustees; film critics Shawn Edwards from the African American Film Critics Association and Claudia Puig from Los Angeles Film Critics Association; and film and television critics from outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, Rolling Stone, TV Guide and The Washington Post. The jury was chaired by AFI Board of Trustees member Jeanine Basinger (Chair Emerita and Founder of the Film Studies Department, Wesleyan University) and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chair Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).

The 2021 recipients join a distinguished group of previous AFI AWARDS honorees whose works define the art form and contribute to our rich cultural legacy. View all past AFI AWARDS honorees here.

AFI relies on a community of people with passion to truly soar. People just like you, who do more than just enjoy a good story, you champion this iconic art form. Please consider becoming an AFI member today. Through your membership, we can offer you more access to the content you love, more award-worthy programming and more of the film history that has shaped our culture.

If you are already a member or would like to show your support in a different way, you can make a tax-deductible donation today to ensure AFI’s mission continues to inspire for generations to come.