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Arts

Best of 2021

Highlights

  1. Photo
    CreditRuven Afanador for The New York Times

    The Great Performers Issue

    The Best Actors of 2021

    Our annual celebration of the performances that stayed with us — including Kristen Stewart, Will Smith, Ruth Negga and Benedict Cumberbatch.

    By A.O. Scott

  2. PhotoLizzo, Lil Baby and Cardi B made some of our critics’ top songs of the year.
    CreditFrom left: NDZ/Star Max, via Getty Images; Rose Marie Cromwell for The New York Times; Francois Durand/Getty Images

    Best Songs of 2021

    Sixty-six tracks that tell the story of the year: a posthumous political statement, a hyperpop star finding his footing, an emerging force’s debut smash and a superstar’s 10-minute redo.

    By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz

    1. PhotoOutstanding art shows of 2021 offered works by Emma Amos, Jasper Johns (at two museums) and Alice Neel.
      CreditDetails from left: Emma Amos and Ryan Lee Gallery; Jasper Johns/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY, Charlie Rubin for The New York Times; Estate of Alice Neel

      Best Art Exhibitions of 2021

      Ambitious museum shows in Tulsa, Richmond, and Louisville left an imprint. Jasper Johns, Maya Lin and Latino artists shone. And the high quality of gallery shows of women was dizzying and gratifying.

      By Holland Cotter and Roberta Smith

    2. PhotoBenedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog,” left, Kristen Stewart in “Spencer” and Ariana DeBose in “West Side Story.”
      CreditFrom left: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix; Pablo Larrain/Neon; Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios

      Best Movies of 2021

      Even when a film wasn’t great, filmgoing was. But there were some truly wonderful releases, ranging from music docs and musicals to westerns and the just plain weird.

      By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

  1. Photo“The White Lotus,” Pose” and “Laetitia” (with from left, Murray Bartlett, Mj Rodriguez and Marie Colomb) were among television’s best in 2021.
    CreditFrom left: Mario Perez/HBO; Eric Liebowitz/FX; Jerome Prebois/HBO

    Best TV Shows of 2021

    From Bo Burnham to “We Are Lady Parts,” the best in television this year offered ingenuity, humor, defiance and hope.

    By James Poniewozik, Mike Hale and Margaret Lyons

  2. PhotoFrom left: Angel Blue and Will Liverman in “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” at the Metropolitan Opera, and Magdalena Kozena in “Innocence” at the Aix Festival.
    CreditFrom left: Jeenah Moon for The New York Times; Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Jean-Louis Fernandez

    Best Classical Music of 2021

    The Metropolitan Opera returned with its first work by a Black composer, the repertory slowly got richer, and other highlights of the year.

    By Anthony Tommasini, Zachary Woolfe, Joshua Barone, Seth Colter Walls and David Allen

  3. PhotoFrom left, Sharon D Clarke in “Caroline, or Change,” Adrianna Hicks in “Six” and Deirdre O’Connell in “Dana H.” Their shows are among the year’s best.
    CreditPhotographs by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

    Best Theater of 2021

    Digital innovation continued this year, but experiencing plays in isolation grew tiring. Then came an in-person season as exciting as a child’s first fireworks.

    By Jesse Green, Maya Phillips, Laura Collins-Hughes, Scott Heller, Alexis Soloski and Elisabeth Vincentelli

  4. PhotoOlivia Rodrigo, Moneybagg Yo and Allison Russell stood out in 2021.
    CreditFrom left: Grant Spanier; Noam Galai/Getty Images; Bethany Mollenkof for the New York Times

    Best Albums of 2021

    Less isolation didn’t mean a return to normalcy. Albums with big feelings and room for catharsis made the most powerful connections.

    By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz

  5. Photo
    CreditMatt Blease

    The 10 Best Books of 2021

    Editors at The Times Book Review choose the best fiction and nonfiction titles this year.

  1. The Best Graphic Novels of 2021

    This year’s crop of comics art included experimental storytelling and flights of stylistic fancy.

    By Hillary Chute and Ed Park

  2. The Best Poetry of 2021

    The Book Review’s poetry columnist, Elisa Gabbert, picks her seven favorite collections of the year.

    By Elisa Gabbert

  3. the well newsletter

    Our Favorite Healthy Habits of 2021

    From labeling your feelings to exercise snacks, here’s a roundup of some of Well’s best advice for better living.

    By Tara Parker-Pope

  4. Best Art Books of 2021

    The art critics of The Times select their favorites from this year’s crop of art books.

    By Holland Cotter, Roberta Smith, Jason Farago and Siddhartha Mitter

  5. The Best Historical Fiction of 2021

    The year’s most transporting novels have taken us to the past and around the globe.

    By Alida Becker

  6. My 10

    Meg Stalter Rejoices With Dolly Parton and a Loyal Chihuahua

    The comedian talks about banishing the worst of 2021 in Amazon’s “Yearly Departed,” while celebrating the best in real life.

    By Kathryn Shattuck

  7. 10 Works of Art That Evaded the Algorithm This Year

    Contemplation, not clicks: Our critic looks back on marble sculptures in Rome, songs of “atmospheric anxiety” and the Frick Collection in a new light.

    By Jason Farago

  8. The Year on the Red Carpet

    All that pent-up dressing up finally found an outlet. If it wasn’t a carpet per se, it was a public moment.

    By Vanessa Friedman

  9. 10 Ways I Fed My Fandom(s)

    No apologies from our critic-at-large, who found plenty of movies, plays and TV series to nourish the culture nerd within.

    By Maya Phillips

  10. The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021

    From epic voyages to haunting folk tales, here are the highlights of an otherworldly year.

    By Amal El-Mohtar