Hello and welcome to the most prestigious film awards ceremony of the year: the ICONs.
The Blueprint is thrilled to be back for a third year celebrating the Incredible Cinema of Now – and what an incredible year it’s been. Deciding on nominees was hard enough, but to then whittle it down to one winner for each of our twenty seven categories was an almost impossible feat.
One of the best things about doing the ICON Awards every year is that it allow us to reflect on the last year or so in film without succumbing to the end-of-awards-season fatigue that many of us who follow it suffer from. With fresh new categories and a whole load of talent to choose from, this has been such a competitive year and we’re so excited to share our final winners.
Without further ado, ere are the winners of this year’s ICON Awards.
BEST ANIMAL
Jenny the Donkey
from The Banshees of Inisherin
2022 was unexpectedly the year of the donkey, and despite the wide range of long-eared talent on display, it’s undoubtedly Jenny that takes the crown. Obviously adorable, she also somehow possesses a perfect comic timing, which we weren’t sure was possible from a donkey. We’re happy she has proven us wrong and shown us the light of donkey talent.
MOST ELIGIBLE BOYFRIEND
Oliver Jackson-Cohen
as William Weightman in Emily
We at the Blueprint are in the business of appreciating tall, hot priests. So when Oliver Jackson-Cohen towers above Emma Mackey and has all kinds of moral crises about his love for her? Yeah, we ate that up. And, quite frankly, we wish he’d eat us up. He also speaks French, is a patient tutor, and excels in the… abandoned cottage.
MOST ELIGIBLE GIRLFRIEND
Li Jun Li
as Lady Fay Zhu in Babylon
Her introduction. The snakebite scene. The dance. That hat…need we go on?
NOT ELIGIBLE BUT REALLY HOT
Jon Bernthal
as Josh in Sharp Stick
A lot of our thoughts about Jon Bernthal in Sharp Stick have to be redacted, but we can say that Josh was not a good guy. However. He was incredibly, indecently hot and very sexually enthusiastic, so this award is perfect for him.
SCENE STEALER
Barry Keoghan
in The Banshees of Inisherin
Barry Keoghan’s been stealing scenes in every film he’s ever been in, from Eternals to The Killing of a Sacred Deer so it was really only a matter of time before he won this award. And for his sincere, affable work in The Banshees of Inisherin, there was no question that this was his year.
BEST PERFORMANCE FROM A CHILD
Frankie Corio
in Aftersun
Truly special youth performances come along every few years and really sit with you. Frankie Corio brought something truly special to her role, something so authentic and honest and it’s impossible not to be drawn in by her performance.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Meet Cute
Who would have thought that this silly romcom with Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson would be so brilliant? This is the type of film that we love to award here at the ICONs, but even we were caught off guard at how enjoyable this seemed.
BEST MOVIE PARENT
Paul Mescal
in Aftersun
Charlotte Wells’ touching tribute was ripe for this award. Calum is visibly Going Through It (trademark pending) but despite being a young dad, always puts his daughter first, and chooses here to pull out all the stops with a brave face to create an unforgettable holiday for her.
BEST CHEMISTRY
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz
in The Batman
Onscreen and off, the chemistry between Kravitz and Pattinson is palpable. As Batman and Catwoman, it was on another level, that can be proven with something as seemingly simple as checking a contact lens.
BEST KISS
Li Jun Li and Margot Robbie
in Babylon
After a brief yearning period and an intense manic sequence involving a snake, this caught in the moment, messy and passionate kiss was gorgeous and intense enough to make us consider fighting a snake in the hopes of receiving the same treatment.
ONE TO WATCH
Charlotte Wells
When you burst onto the scene with such a special, heartfelt feature debut, it’s impossible not to sit up and take notice. From her script to her brilliant directorial achievement, Charlotte Wells has talent in abundance and we’re so excited (and a little emotionally scared) to see where she heads next.
BEST USE OF SONG
Marry Me
in Marry Me
While 2022’s hasn’t been the strongest year for music in film, there have been a couple of instances of quality. Even though Marry Me came out over a year ago, the song remains trapped in our heads, along with the accompanying performance (heLLO JLo in that wedding dress). Marry Me is such a special film to us and we’re delighted to be able to award this absolute bop, even if the Flopscars were too scared to.
BEST COSTUMING
Babylon
Babylon was costume designer Mary Zophres’ third time working with Damien Chazelle, and it’s this third outing that easily her most impressive. With a reported seven thousand costumes in the film, her pieces are beautiful, memorable, and add a richness of character, all whilst spanning an extensive and pivotal part in history with great, extravagant success and ease.
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The sheer amount of fantastical looks created by department head of make-up, Michelle Chung is impressive enough, but it’s the attention to detail in the maximalism in Jobu Tupaki’s many looks that has made presenting Everything Everywhere with the win a no-brainer.
BIGGEST SNUB
Decision to Leave
Not even receiving a nomination for Best International Feature was incomprehensible, when it’s deserving of that and so much more. Where were the acting nominations for Park Hae-il and Tang Wei? Cinematography surely was obvious? Director? Editing?! One of the all-round best films of 2022 going entirely ignored by a voting body tasked with recognising the best of the best? What’s not clicking?
BEST SCENE
“Hello College”
from Babylon
There are several impressive sequences in Babylon, from the opening party scene, the subsequent day on set, and the ending, all of which could easily be winners here, but there’s something about watching Nellie and the crew navigate the transition into the talkies that’s equally hilarious and intense. The comedic timing here is second to none, and it builds and builds and builds until that shocking and grimly funny conclusion.
MOST OVERLOOKED PERFORMANCE
Danielle Deadwyler
in Till
Because what in the world was the Academy thinking for not nominating this? Danielle Deadwyler puts so much of herself into this performance and she was nothing short of stunning. Her delivery of the courtroom testimony was devastating, and so carefully controlled in one long take that for Deadwyler not to be commended for it across the board is astonishing.
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Babylon
Despite several casting changes within this film, Damien Chazelle and casting director Francine Maisler put together a pitch-perfect cast here, with some big names coming in for just a few moments and nailing them. Think Olivia Wilde or Samara Wearing, each only featured for a few minutes, all the way up to finding an absolute talent like Diego Calva and propelling him into the public eye. Everyone is great here, and they all work in tandem to make a huge, sprawling production like Babylon into the masterpiece we know it to be.
BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
Stephanie Hsu
in Everything Everywhere All at Once
While Stephanie Hsu has been quietly killing it on stage and in things like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, her turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once has brought her to new audiences. And thank the Daniels for showcasing her colossal talents.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Decision to Leave
Every single shot in this film is decided with such meticulous care and attention that it’s hard to ignore it (hear that, AMPAS?) with its beautiful compositions and camera movements that are so well-crafted that you’ll spend a long time after the film ends wondering how any of it was even possible.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
This little shell has no right to be as emotionally affecting as it is. Filled with nothing but passion and love, Marcel tells a beautiful story about family and finding the joy in the smallest things in life, whether that be dust on a tabletop or a single chocolate coated raisin.
BEST SCREENPLAY
TÁR
Right from the opening interview sequence in Todd Field’s TÁR, it’s so clear that he has such control over the writing. The slow, patient deconstruction of Lydia Tar is full of rich world-building and depth that keeps the audience invested right until the very end. It manages to feel like a character study, a ghost story, and a treatice on guilt and power all at the same time without ever sacrificing any of its interesting strands across its runtime.
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Stephanie Hsu
in Everything Everywhere All at Once
The range that Stephanie Hsu has to demonstrate in order to make this performance work is incredible. From the defeated daughter to the film’s central antagonist, Hsu is doing mesmerising work here. She is one of the emotional anchors of the film and yet also delivers some quality comedic work. She is also one of the only people to win multiple ICON Awards in one year, which is a much bigger honor than her Academy Award nomination. Kudos to you, Stephanie Hsu.
BEST DIRECTOR
Park Chan-wook
for Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook has consistently been one of the those directors who has unwavering control over his films. Decision to Leave is no exception to this. From the camera movements, transitions, editing choices, and structure, it’s truly brilliant work that steps outside of the box and pushes the boundaries of ambitious filmmaking – and yet, somehow, it’s executed so flawlessly that it seems simple.
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Paul Mescal
in Aftersun
We truly could have awarded any one of our astounding nominees here. But there’s something undeniably brilliant about Paul Mescal’s fantastically restrained performance. A lot of performances are recognised (rightly or not) for doing A Lot. What’s so impressive about Mescal here (in his first leading film role no less) is how expertly he conveys the complex inner life of his character in the subtlest of ways. The final shot of him is soul crushing, and all he is doing is simply standing still.
PICTURE OF THE YEAR
Babylon
Given the numerous awards it’s picked up here, this shouldn’t really come as a shock, but Babylon is honestly beyond comprehension at times. Most of it shouldn’t work, but yet it does. Damien Chazelle is clearly indulging in his passion for Old Hollywood and, good for him, honestly. Controlling three hours of massive set pieces, animals, loud, dynamic music sequences, and still managing to keep it engaging, fascinating, and technically out of this world is no mean feat and Chazelle pulled it off perfectly. The movie has its detractors and, understandably so, it’s not for everyone, but if it works for you then it’ll be an experience like no other. And we don’t think there is anyone currently working who can pull off an ending to a film like Damien Chazelle.
ICON OF THE YEAR
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh’s star has been continually on the rise for several years now, ever since her turn in 2016’s Lady Macbeth. She’s worked with acclaimed directors such as ICON winner Park Chan-wook in The Little Drummer Girl, Greta Gerwig, Denis Villeneuve, and Ari Aster to name a few. Her roles and projects always seem to be meticulously chosen and she always turns in remarkable work, even in projects that don’t quite live up to her performance.
2022 saw Pugh coming off the back of her appearances in the MCU in 2021, particularly her scene-stealing work in Hawkeye. She built up some considerable hype for her work in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder, and her voiceover work in the critically-acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Between these vastly different films and her striking red-carpet appearances, Florence Pugh has been a name on everybody’s lips for a while now, and we have a feeling that she’s only going to burn bigger and brighter in the future.
With upcoming appearances in 2023’s two biggest films, Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two, Pugh is going to be a consistent presence on the film circuit this year, and we’ll also see her appear as Yelena Belova in The Thunderbolts, so it’s safe to say that Florence Pugh is not going anywhere.
There we have it! Our 2022 crop of winners, so congratulations to all of you for earning the highest honours in the film industry (don’t fact check that, just trust us).
2022 was a beyond incredible year for film, so many wonderful films didn’t even make the cut here at the ICONs! We’re going to take some time to settle after this long awards season and then look ahead to bringing you even bigger and better ICON content (ICON-TENT) with next year’s awards! Until then, you can catch up with us throughout the year with our regularly scheduled programming and posting!
Here’s a breakdown of winners for all the statistics lovers out there:
Babylon – 6
Aftersun – 4
Decision to Leave – 3
Everything Everywhere All At Once – 3
The Banshees of Inisherin – 2
The Batman – 1
Emily – 1
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – 1
Marry Me – 1
Meet Cute – 1
Sharp Stick – 1
TÁR – 1
Till – 1
the blueprint. 