This award is one I will present annually to the actor, writer, director or any combination thereof who has in my estimation the best year. The only real criteria is that they have multiple credits. The credits can be two responsibilities on the same film or more than one film. The idea came to me based on Robert Downey, Jr.’s incredible 2008. He was the first winner and the name stuck.

The entertainer of the year award is not always a matter of being in three movies well spaced out during a year, though achieving that formula does help. 

Ryan Reynolds has been a favorite of mine for some time in large part because he finds projects and roles that play to his strengths. Within those roles he’s grown but in ways that were part and parcel of the narrative and not a distraction. 

His year began with The Adam Project which had plenty of heart, laughs, and cool sci-fi elements (as can be expected from a Sean Levy directed project). What worked best here was Reynolds’ chemistry with Walker Scobell. Reynolds having started acting as a kid surely helped the rapport and they indeed felt like they were the same person. 

A bonus to this project was their working together on this commercial.

Then he popped up uncredited and announced (as he tends to do sometimes to great effect) in one of the summer’s best movies Bullet Train. 

Finally, his pairing alongside Will Ferrell in Spirited could not have been more inspired and it feels like they are now part of what might be a staple for years to come. 

Top Gun: Maverick

The verisimilitude achieved in Top Gun: Maverick the camera in the cockpit and the amount of real flying by the actors that was done is its greatest achievement and deserving of special recognition.

1996 BAM Award – Best Actress – Sharon Stone Last Dance

This one is a bit of housekeeping and righting a wrong. I’ve written many times the BAM Awards are like a yearbook of my year at the movies. A while back in a brief bout of revisionism (before I ever posted these online) I changed the Best Actress winner. The only real reason I did it was that film was too reminscent of Dead Man Walking. Even though I’ve long chosen these awards in a highly compartmentalized way that decision was incongruous to what I normally do. So, in light of that and the exceptional work Sharon Stone did in this film that deserves recognition she’s restored as a winner for Best Actress in 1996.

I’m committed to not being the olympics, Resse Witherspoon will not have to forfeit her award. On a related note, if you haven’t seen Freeway you should do so.

A neutron star is one that glows more brightly after it “death,” similarly these filmmakers and actors do. It’s a counterpart to the Lifetime Achievement Award which is intended for filmmakers and actors who are very much alive and kicking.

Jean Painlevé

Jean Painlevé was a pioneer of science documentary and I saw many of his films this past year at last. In most cases they stand up and there’s a hypnotic quality to many of them that people seek to emulate to this very day. His works are known to most now after having been distributed by The Criterion Collection. I’ve seen most of his oeuvre over the course of the last year streaming them on The Criterion Channel. They have also a new feature-length compilation that was just created that includes new music. It’s a testament to the staying power of his work. 

Not many songwriters become iconic to the musical layman. Burt Bacharach did just that. Despite the fact that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was released 12 years before my birth Burt Bacharach’s music imprinted itself on my childhood through the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” via B.J. Thomas’s rendition.

“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head”

Later, he made another pair of impressions on me becoming a surprise mandatory ingredient of the first two Austin Powers films. His cameo amused me and I knew of him by name already. The appearances made him even more indelible.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Austin Powers in The Spy Who Shagged Me

Nominations are complete. Follow-up posts to come. Awards announced on March 11th.

Best Picture

Armageddon Time 

Avatar: The Way of Water

Crimes of the Future

The Cursed

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Prey

Smile

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Woman King

Best Director

James Cameron Avatar: The Way of Water

David Cronenberg Crimes of the Future

Jame Gray Armageddon Time

Steven Spielberg The Fabelmans

Dan Trachtenberg Prey

Most Overlooked Picture

Armageddon Time 

Brian and Charles

The Cursed

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile

Mad God

Best Foreign Film

Not awarded.

Best Editing 

David Brenner, James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen E. Rivkin Avatar: The Way of Water

Sarah Broshar, Michael Kahn The Fabelmans

Christopher Donaldson Crimes of the Future

Elliot Greenberg Smile

Yorgos Mavropsaridis The Cursed

Best Actress

Jamie Lee Curtis Halloween Ends

Viola Davis The Woman King

Amber Midthunder Prey

Michelle Williams The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Actor

Kevin Bacon They/Them

Austin Butler Elvis

Nicolas Cage The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Daniel Craig Glass Onion

Viggo Mortensen Crimes of the Future

Best Supporting Actress

Asia Argento Dark Glasses 

Angela Bassett Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Jamie Lee Curtis Everything Everywhere All At Once

Stephanie Hsu Everything Everywhere All At Once

Thuso Mbedu The Woman King

Best Supporting Actor

Anthony Hopkins Armageddon Time 

Judd Hirsch The Fabelmans 

Pedro Pascal The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 

Ke Huy Quan Eveything Everywhere All At Once 

Donald Sutherland Mr. Harrigan’s Phone

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role

Madalen Mills Tiger Rising 

Ryan Kiera Armstrong Firestarter

Rakel Lenora Fløttum The Innocents

Violet McGraw A Christmas Mystery

Momona Tamada Secret Headquarters

Gabriella Uhl 13: The Musical 

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role

Winslow Fegley Lyle, Lyle Crocodile

Eli Golden 13: The Musical 

Brooks Repeta Armageddon Time

Walker Scobell The Adam Project

Mason Thames The Black Phone

Rueby Wood Better Nate Than Ever

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role

Aria Brooks Better Nate Than Ever

Alma Brynsmo Ramstad The Innocents

Julia Butters The Fabelmans

Mykal-Michelle Harris Cheaper by the Dozen

Millie Kiss The Cursed

Madeleine McGraw The Black Phone

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role

Jack Champion Avatar: The Way of Water

Max Mackintosh The Cursed

Daniel Ranieri The Tender Bar

Javon ‘Wanna’ Walker Samaritan

Jaylin Webb Armageddon Time

Xinyu Zhang Dark Glasses

Best Youth Ensemble

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton, Bailey Bass, Duane Evns, Jr. Avatar: The Way of Water

Kylie Rodgers, Andre Robinson, Kaylee Blosenski, Aryan Simhadri, Leo Abelo Perry, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote, Alijah Francis Cheaper by the Dozen

Max Mackintosh, Tommy Rodger, Millie Kiss, Tom Sweet, Áine Rose Daley The Cursed

Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord, Keeley Karsten, Alina Bruce, Julia Butters, Birdie Borria, Sophia Kopera, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Isabelle Kusman, Chandler Lovelle The Fabelmans

Walker Scobell, Keith L. Williams, Momona Tamada, Abby Jane Witherspoon, Kezii Curtis Secret Headquarters

Mason Thames, Madeline McGraw, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Rebecca Clarke, J. Gaven Wilde, Spencer Fitzgerald, Jordan Isaiah White, Brady Ryan, Tristan Pravong, Jacob Moran, Brandy Hepner, Banks Repeta The Black Phone

Best Cast

Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie, Roxane Duran, Nigel Betts, Stuart Bowman, Simon Kunz, Amelia Crouch, Max Mackintosh, Tommy Rodger, Áine Rose Daly, Millie Kiss, Tom Sweet, et al. The Cursed

Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate, Biff Wiff, et al. Everything Everywhere All At Once

Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel Labelle, Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord, Keeley Karsten, Alina Bruce, Julia Butters, Birdie Borria, Judd Hirsch, Sophia Kopera, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Isabelle Kusman, Chandler Lovelle, et al. The Fabelmans

Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr.,Kate Hudosn, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Madeline Cline, Noah Segan, Jackie Hoffman, Dallas Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant et al. Glass Onion

Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Jimmy Odukoya, Masali Baduza, Jayme Lawson, Adrienne Warren, Chioma Umeala,  et al. The Woman King

Best Original Screenplay

Sean Ellis The Cursed

Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Daniel Kwan, Dan Scheiner Everything Everywhere All at Once

Jordan Peele Nope 

Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner The Fabelmans

Best Adapted Screenplay

Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg, Jim Thomas Prey

David Cronenberg Crimes of the Future

Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill and Joe Hill The Black Phone

James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson Scream

Rian Johnson Glass Onion

Best Cinematography

Bruno Delbonnel The Tragedy of MacBeth

Janusz Kaminski The Fabelmans 

Charlie Sarroff Smile

Larkin Seiple Everything Everywhere All At Once

Mandy Walker Elvis

Best Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Nope

Prey

Best Score

Terence Blanchard The Woman King

Cody Carpenter, John Carpenter, Daniel A. Davies Firestarter 

Howard Shore Crimes of the Future

Cristobal Tapia de Veer Smile

John Williams The Fabelmans

Best Soundtrack

The Adam Project

Elvis  

Metal Lords

Minions: The Rise of Gru Spirited

Spirited

Best Song

“The Bloodmaster” Eli Golden, Frankie McNellis, JD McCrary, Lindsey Blackwell, Shechinah Mpulwana, Nolen Debuc, & Ensemble 13: The Musical

“On Broadway (Busking Version)” Rueby Wood, Lucky Chops  Better Nate Than Ever

“Machinery of Torment” Skullflower Metal Lords

“One Way or Another” Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy Hocus Pocus 2

“Good Afternoon” Spirited Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, The Spirited Ensemble Spirited

Best Art Direction

Andrew Babbitt Glass Onion

Rossitsa Bakeva Barbarian 

Mark Beneceraff Armageddon Time

Dylan Cole, Ben Procter Avatar: The Way of Water

Paulo Gonçalves, Patrick Schmitt The Cursed

Best Costume Design 

Ruth E. Carter Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Madeline Fontaine The Cursed

Catherine Martin Elvis 

Gersha Phillips The Woman King

Stephanie Porter Prey

Best Sound Editing and Mixing 

Johnny Burn, Keith Kohn Nope

Dave Chrastka Avatar: The Way of Water

Dave Grimaldi, Angelo Palazzo The Adam Project

Dan Kenyon Smile

Gary Rydstrom, James Mather, Al Nelson Top Gun: Maverick

Best Makeup

Alexandra Anger Crimes of the Future

Mark Coulier and Shane Thomas Elvis

Clarisse Domine The Cursed

Camille Friend, Joel Harlow Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

John Russell, Natasa Krstic Hellraiser

Best Documentary

Not Awarded 

Robert Downey Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year

TBA

Ingmar Bergman Lifetime Achievement Award

TBA

Special Jury Award

TBA

Neutron Star Award

TBA