On Dec. 18, 2023, the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) announced its selections for the best in film for 2023. The voting process was conducted virtually.

The critics group is celebrating 2023’s best movies by and about women, including outstanding achievements by women, who rarely get to be honored historically in the film world. The award-winning films also emphasize WFCC’s mission statement that women’s perspectives and voices in film criticism need to be recognized fully.

WFCC is an association of 75 women film critics and scholars from around America and world, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. The group was formed in 2004 as the first women critics organization in the United States, in the belief that women’s perspectives and voices in film criticism needs to be recognized fully. WFCC also prides itself on being the most culturally and racially diverse critics group in America, and best reflects the diversity of movie audiences.

Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ released by Warner Bros. Pictures, and Celine Song’s ‘Past Lives’ and ‘Past Lives,’ distributed by A24, were WFCC’s most-honored film with two awards each.

‘Barbie’ won the group’s prize for Best Movie About Women and Best Equality of the Sexes. ‘Past Lives,’ meanwhile, was honored with the Best Movie by a Woman and Best Woman Storyteller (Screenwriting Award).

The full list of WFCC’s 2023 awards is below.

Best Movie About Women

Winner: ‘Barbie’

Runner-Up: ‘Poor Things’

Nominees: ‘A Thousand and One;’ ‘The Color Purple;’ and ‘Origin’

Best Movie by a Woman

Winner: ‘Past Lives’ – Celine Song

Song, the writer-director of ‘Past Lives,’ has released an acceptance speech for her win:

“Thank you so much to Women Film Critics Circle for these incredible honors. I share this award with the many brilliant and passionate women who made this film with me, from my producers to my lead actress to my department heads and crew members – it makes me so proud to receive this award on their behalf. I’m so grateful and honored to be a part of the incredible history of women in movies. Thank you.”

Runner-Up: ‘Saltburn’ – Emerald Fennell

Nominees: ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ – Justine Triet and ‘Origin’ – Ava DuVernay

Best Woman Storyteller (Screenwriting Award)

Winner: ‘Past Lives’ – Celine Song

Runner-Up: ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ – Kelly Fremon Craig

Nominees: ‘Origin’ – Ava DuVernay and ‘Saltburn’ – Emerald Fennell

Best Actress

Winner: Emma Stone – Poor Things’

Runner-Up: Annette Bening – ‘Nyad’

Nominees: Aunjanue Ellis – ‘Origin;’ Helen Mirren – ‘Golda;’ and Teyana Taylor – ‘A Thousand and One’

Best Actor

Winner: Cillian Murphy – ‘Oppenheimer’

Runner-Up: Charles Melton – ‘May December’

Nominees: Colman Domingo – ‘Rustin’ and Gael Garcia Bernal – ‘Cassandro’

Best Supporting Actress

Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – ‘The Holdovers’

Runner-Up: Julianne Moore – May December

Nominees: Danielle Brooks – ‘The Color Purple’ and Jodie Foster – Nyad

Best Foreign Film by or About Women

Winner: ‘Anatomy of a Fall’

Runner-Up: ‘Four Daughters’

Nominees: ‘Other People’s Children’ and ‘The Teacher’s Lounge’

Best Documentary by or About Women

Winner: ‘To Kill a Tiger’

Nisha Pahuja, the director of ‘To Kill A Tiger,’ has released an acceptance speech for her win:

“Beyond moved to receive the Best Documentary by or about Women award from The Women Film Critics Circle. Thank you for recognizing the labor of love that ‘To Kill a Tiger’ was and continues to be, and for honoring the strength of the survivor and the courage and resilience of the family at the heart of this film.

“‘To Kill a Tiger took us 8 years to make and represents the amalgamation of many people’s creative talents. On behalf of them, and on behalf of the women-led team who are getting this film out into the world, thank you!”

Runner-Up: ‘Take Care of Maya’

Nominees: ‘Beyond Utopia’ and ‘The Deepest Breath’

Best Equality of the Sexes

Winner: ‘Barbie’

Runner-Up: ‘Golda’

Nominees: ‘Nyad’ and ‘Rye Lane’

Best Animated Female

Winner: Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) – ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

Runner-Up (Tie): Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) – ‘Elemental’ and Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) – ‘Nimona’

Best Screen Couple

Winner: Annette Bening and Jodie Foster – ‘Nyad’

Runner-Up: Greta Lee and John Magaro – ‘Past Lives’

Nominees: David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah – ‘Rye Lane’ and Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy – ‘Love at First Sight’

Best TV Series

Winner: ‘Lessons in Chemistry’

Runner-Up: ‘A Small Light’

Nominees: ‘The Morning Show’ and ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’

*Adrienne Shelly Award – For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women

Winner: ‘The Color Purple’

Runner-Up: ‘The Royal Hotel’

Nominees: ‘Barbie’ and ‘Shayda’

*Josephine Baker Award – For best expressing the woman of color experience in America

Winner: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Runner-Up: ‘The Color Purple’

Nominees: ‘A Thousand and One’ and ‘Origin’

*Karen Morley Award – For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity

Winner: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Runner-Up: ‘The Color Purple’

Nominees: ‘A Thousand and One’ and ‘Barbie’

Acting and Activism Award

Lee Grant

The Academy Award-winning Grant has released an acceptance speech for her win:

“Thanks to the Women Film Critics Circle for the Acting and Activism Award. I so appreciate your recognition of my work as an actor, which was so beloved and tantalizing. I have been a documentary filmmaker for the last 40+ years. The Blacklist led me to documentaries where I could hold up a mirror and not be punished for the reflection captured – the brave people who trusted me to tell their stories on film allowed me to push political boundaries. I’m thrilled that my early work as a director is being restored and watched again with fresh eyes. I appreciate the women at Women Film Critics Circle keeping our voices strong. Thank you.”

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dolly Parton