Joey Magidson
Believe it or not folks, we’re here. Welcome to the end of the year! With only a few days left in 2024, it’s time to start giving out some prizes. Today, we kick off the Fifth Annual Awards Radar Awards, also known as the Joey Awards (because, as mentioned last year and the year before, when you own a site, you get to name a prize after yourself). Throughout the week, we’ll be highlighting my favorites of the year. What makes a worthy winner for me? It’s simply a gut feeling, so don’t necessarily expect just Oscar contenders on these lists. Academy hopefuls are represented, to be sure, but it’s hardly just prestige titles. After all, it’s my tastes, which are decidedly eclectic.
For the first part of this awards series, we’re again going to start by tackling the best performances of the year. Who took home the first wave of the fifth installment of the Awards Radar Awards, acquiring the clearly coveted Joey Prizes? You’re about to find out. Here we go, ladies and gentlemen…
The Best Performance by an Actor in 2024 – Glen Powell in Hit Man
Ever since I saw Glen Powell turn in this charismatic performance at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, I knew I had seen something special. Not only is it the sort of star-making turn we rarely see these days, it’s also character work of the first degree. Truly, he blew me away, running the table and remaining my favorite performance by an actor throughout the entirety of 2024. My rave review of Hit Man from back at the prior TIFF here fetes him like so:
Glen Powell gives a true star-making performance here. Not only that, he makes it look easy. Charming and charismatic, Powell lights up the screen. He’s been doing that for years now, but this is the purest example yet of his A-list talent. If he’s not one of the most in demand actors in Hollywood after this, someone isn’t paying attention. He has incredible chemistry with Adria Arjona, who has her own compelling screen presence. Together, they’re one of the sexiest and most enjoyable screen couples of 2023. The supporting cast, besides the aforementioned Austin Amelio, also includes Molly Bernard, Retta, and more, but Powell is truly the star.
The Top Ten Performances by an Actor in 2024
10. Adam Sandler in Spaceman
9. Nicolas Cage in Longlegs
8. Hugh Grant in Heretic
7. Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
6. Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown
5. Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness
4. Yura Borisov in Anora
3. Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain
2. Ralph Fiennes in Conclave
1. Glen Powell in Hit Man
Honorable Mentions
David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil
Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain
Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy
John Magaro in September 5
Josh O’Connor in Challengers
Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown
The Best Performance by an Actress in 2024 – Mikey Madison in Anora
No performance in 2024 compares to Mikey Madison in Anora (interviewed here). Not only is it the tops of the year, it’s among the best performances in years. Sean Baker always draws out the best in people, without question, but Madison is on another level. In a just world, she’d walk away with the Oscar for Best Actress. Regardless of her Academy Award future, she’s got this prize now on her mantle. My rave review out of the Telluride Film Festival here had the following to say about her stunning turn:
Mikey Madison gives the performance of the year here, full of vim and vigor. You immediately fall in love with Ani and want her to be happy. You worry for her safety when things get intense, cheer when she has the upper hand, and are heartbroken when you realize how the odds are stacked against her. Madison plays all this perfectly, leaning in to not just her sexuality, but also her toughness. So much is unsaid, but you have no trouble understanding Ani’s life, which is a credit to Baker and Madison. I haven’t seen a performance like this so far in 2024. If she’s not nominated for an Academy Award in Best Actress, something is wrong.
The Top Ten Performances by an Actress in 2024
10. June Squibb in Thelma
9. Monica Barbaro in A Complete Unknown
8. Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez
7. Emma Stone in Kinds of Kindness
6. Margaret Qualley in The Substance
5. Kirsten Dunst in Civil War
4. Demi Moore in The Substance
3. Angelina Jolie in Maria
2. Zendaya in Challengers
1. Mikey Madison in Anora
Honorable Mentions
Adria Arjona in Hit Man
Danielle Deadwyler in The Piano Lesson
Elle Fanning in A Complete Unknown
Natasha Lyonne in His Three Daughters
Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding
Stay tuned for Part Two tomorrow, where you’ll see my Top Ten films of 2024!
Unfortunately, I’m still unable to see most of the major contenders for myself right now, but if The Pattern holds, I’ll be just as enthusiastic about Mikey Madison in Anora as you are while wondering what exactly you see in Glen Powell‘s Hit Man performance.
Hey, I’ll take a 50/50 split there
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