The other four finalists were Another Round (Druk) by Thomas Vinterberg, winner of the Silver Shell for Best Actor for all members of its starring quartet in San Sebastian, Best European Film Award and Academy Award for Best International Feature, among many other accolades; Quo Vadis, Aida? by Jasmila Zbanic, a competitor at the last Venice Festival and Academy Award nominee; What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? (Ras vkhedavt rodesac cas vukurebt) by Alexandre Koberidze, which competed at the last Berlin Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize, and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc ) by Radu Jude, Golden Bear at Berlin Festival in 2021.

Chloé Zhao receives this distinction with her third feature film following Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015) and The Rider (2017). The FIPRESCI Grand Prix is the latest recognition received by Nomadland (Perlak, 2020) which, after winning the Golden Lion at Venice in 2020, has gone on to reap an endless list of awards particularly including the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture in the drama category and Best Director, the BAFTAs for Best Film, Director and Leading Actress and the Academy Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Leading Actress.

Since its creation in 1999, the FIPRESCI Grand Prix has been received by hugely important filmmakers including Pedro Almodóvar, Michael Haneke, Cristian Mungiu, Jean-Luc Godard, Richard Linklater, Roman Polanski, George Miller, Maren Ade, Aki Kaurismäki, Paul Thomas Anderson and Alfonso Cuarón.

The FIPRESCI Grand Prix will be presented during the opening gala of the 69th San Sebastian Festival. In 2020 the award was left undecided due to the cancellation of festivals and releases caused by the Covid-19 crisis.