Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room (2016)

With so many talented actresses to choose from and an even more diverse lineup of characters to choose from than their male counterparts, my pick for the top Best Actress winner goes to Brie Larson, as Ma in Lenny Abrahamson’s Room. In a role that demands so much of Larson, she delivers a powerhouse performance with resilience, warmth, tenderness, and strength. This was a star-making role for the actress after impressive turns in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street, and Short Term 12 and firmly established her as an actress to watch.