BEST OF THE BIG-SCREEN WEST

other movie awards during The Year of COVID-19, we’ve had to make some adjustments to our voting process. Because we traditionally limit the list of qualified films to those that receive at least limited theatrical and/or festival exposure — and to be honest, during 2020, some of that limited — we have four nominations in each category instead of the usual five. On the other hand, we have added a brand-new category this year: Best Documentary. That’s where you’ll find four exceptional nonfiction features that focus on the first wife of the legendary Johnny Cash (Matt Riddlehoover’s ), the creative processes of Music City tunesmiths (), the challenging lives of contemporary cowboys (Bud Force and John Langmore’s ), and the musical tastes of our 39th U.S. president (Mary Wharton’s — which, despite its title, also includes testimonials from country artists like Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, and Garth Brooks).