Culture Cabinet

The North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) has announced the winners of their awards for the best films of 2023. Both Nicole and Lex are members of the organization.

NCFCA is made up of 72 film critics who live in or work in North Carolina. The full nominations are listed below, with the winners marked. Four films received multiple awards, but Oppenheimer led the pack with ten. Barbie followed with five wins, and The Holdovers and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse both received two.

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
American Fiction
Barbie
Godzilla Minus One
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Past Lives
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Zone of Interest

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
American Symphony
May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story
The Mission
Silver Dollar Road
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie (WINNER)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (WINNER)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Anatomy of a Fall (WINNER)
Godzilla Minus One
Past Lives
Perfect Days
The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTOR
Celine Song – Past Lives
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Greta Gerwig – Barbie
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Barbie
John Wick: Chapter 4
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Poor Things

BEST ACTOR
Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Charles Melton – May December
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Ryan Gosling – Barbie

BEST ACTRESS
Emma Stone – Poor Things
Greta Lee – Past Lives
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon (WINNER)
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
America Ferrera – Barbie
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers (WINNER)
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Julianne Moore – May December

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Bradley Cooper – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Chloë Grace Moretz – Nimona
Daniel Kaluuya – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Hailee Steinfeld – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Shameik Moore – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (WINNER)

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Asteroid City
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie (WINNER)
The Holdovers
May December
Past Lives

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
All of Us Strangers
American Fiction
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Poor Things

BEST EDITING
Barbie
John Wick: Chapter 4
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Poor Things

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One (WINNER)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Extraction II
The Iron Claw
John Wick: Chapter 4 (WINNER)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Sisu

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie (WINNER)
The Color Purple
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

BEST HAIR & MAKE-UP
Barbie (WINNER)
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Priscilla

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Asteroid City
Barbie (WINNER)
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

BEST SCORE
The Killer
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Am I Dreaming – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Can’t Catch Me Now – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 
I’m Just Ken – Barbie (WINNER)
Peaches – The Super Mario Brothers Movie
What Was I Made For – Barbie

BEST SOUND DESIGN
John Wick: Chapter 4
The Killer
Oppenheimer (WINNER)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Celine Song – Past Lives (WINNER)
Cord Jefferson – American Fiction
Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou – Talk to Me
Mel Eslyn – Biosphere
Michael B. Jordan – Creed III

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Abby Ryder Fortson – Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
Charles Melton – May December
Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers (WINNER)
Greta Lee – Past Lives
Milo Machado Graner – Anatomy Of A Fall

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Every year, NCFCA gives a Lifetime Achievement award in a different category of filmmaking. This year’s category is Make-Up Artists.
Greg Cannom
Rick Baker (WINNER)
Stan Winston
Tom Savini
Ve Neill

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
The Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award is given to a performer or film with ties to North Carolina.
Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple (WINNER)
Hunter Schafer – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Julianne Moore – May December
May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story
Silver Dollar Road

NCFCA Winner 2023 Press Release manning-DRAFT.docx

Films with Multiple Wins:
Oppenheimer – 10
Barbie – 5
The Holdovers – 2
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – 2

For more information about NCFCA, you can visit their website.