OUTSTANDING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Colman Domingo (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, Rustin, The Color Purple)

Ayo Edebiri (Bottoms, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Theater Camp)

Alden Ehrenreich (Fair Play, Cocaine Bear, Oppenheimer)

Issa Rae (American Fiction, Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

Jeffrey Wright (Asteroid City, Rustin, American Fiction)

AND THE WINNER:

AYO EDEBIRI (BOTTOMS, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM, THEATER CAMP)

No performer has been as influential or as exposed in 2023 as Ayo Edebiri. You would say her major break through can be traced back to the first season release of FX's The Bear where any instantly fell in love with her Sydney role. We are here to discuss her film work and yes having the highly acclaimed second season of The Bear also premiered helps to showcase how stunning she was. Edebiri had a lot of great work to come out this year with a standout leading role, multiple voiceover parts and a great supporting turn in a great feeling comedy.

Ayo Edebiri provided some standout voiceover work in both Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in the former she voice Glory Grant and the later she played a version of April O'Neil. She was so fun in both regardless of the size of the role she had. In Theater Camp she played Molly a woman who lied her way into a job at the performing summer camp and I certainly found her joyous whenever the film chose to return and focus in on her characters side plot. Bottoms was the major film starring her to come out this year where she was front and centre as one of the two great leads. It didn't matter whether it was a scripted moment or something she improved during the filming it was impressive to experience the brilliance of Edebiri.

With all the great projects she's been involved with this year as well as her continued success on television I see no signs of Edebiri slowing down and with her recent television awards success it is certainly a pleasure to see her get her flowers. We are all just living in Ayo Edebiri's world and what a great one it is.