The Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023 full results
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It’s been quite the year in the worlds of TV, Movies and Soaps, and to celebrate we asked you to vote for your favourites in all three of these categories in the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023.
In your thousands, you told us who and what you’ve been loving this year, and the votes have been counted. So, what were your winners? The results are in.
Here’s the full rundown.
TV AWARDS
Best Actor
Joe Locke’s moving performance as Charlie in Heartstopper resonated with viewers and gave him the win for Best Actor. It’s been a very successful year for the Heartstopper bunch, as two more actors from the hit teen drama made it into the top five – last year’s Rising Star winner Kit Connor coming in second for playing Nick, and Yasmin Finney as Elle in fourth place for her role as Elle (but more on her later…)
Rounding out the top five are two powerhouse actors who led two of the biggest shows of the year – Sarah Lancashire secured third place for playing Catherine Cawood in the final series of Happy Valley, and Pedro Pascal’s portrayal of Joel in The Last of Us earned him the fifth spot.
British Rising Star
Heartstopper continues to produce Rising Star winners, with Kit Connor handing over his title to co-star Kizzy Edgell, for their performance as Darcy, with more material to get their teeth into this season.
Queen Charlotte star India Amarteifio is the runner-up this year, for her lead role in the popular Bridgerton spin-off. Ted Lasso’s compelling exploration of player Colin’s sexuality in its final season earned actor Billy Harris third place for his performance.
Completing the top five are Tamara Lawrance for her role as Abi in gritty prison drama Time, and Saffron Coomber for playing Chantrelle in ITV’s Three Little Birds.
Most Bingeable Show
Fans clearly love to binge Heartstopper and its wholesome depiction of LGBTQ+ love, with the series taking the title of Most Bingeable Show for the second year in a row. Fellow Netflix hit Sex Education had us glued to our screens for its fourth and final season and comes in second place, while BBC comedy Ghosts also captured its loyal viewers one last time – before we say a final goodbye to the inhabitants of Button House this Christmas.
Best TV Drama
The Last of Us came in strong with its first season, with the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation earning itself Best TV Drama this year. Prequel Queen Charlotte proved itself a worthy addition to the Bridgerton universe and comes in second, with HBO’s Succession bowing out on the highest of highs and taking the third spot.
Best British TV Drama
It’s been a strong year for British TV, but Heartstopper continues its success in the 2023 awards by scooping Best British TV Drama for its second season. The final outing for Happy Valley had the nation gripped each Sunday night and takes second place, while Sex Education’s final season proved popular with viewers by coming in third.
Best TV Comedy
Apple TV’s Ted Lasso said goodbye earlier this year and its farewell season earned the football show Best TV Comedy for the first time. In second place is Only Murders in the Building with its theatrical third season starring Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, with Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia coming in third, following its renewal for both a third and fourth season.
Best TV Moment
Viewers were on the edge of their seats during the incredibly tense showdown between Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce in the final episode of Happy Valley, the moment that the whole show had been building to – and this scene has been crowned Best TV Moment of 2023.
Sometimes the smallest of scenes can be the most powerful, and this is certainly true of the moment in Sex Education where Aimee responds to the builders who were catcalling her – a short scene that sparked a lot of discussion, coming in second place. Bill and Frank’s episode of The Last of Us takes the third spot, in a devastating love story that’s regarded as one of the TV episodes of the year.
Best TV Character
Heartstopper has broken new ground in lots of ways, including beautiful transgender representation in the form of Elle Argent, played by Yasmin Finney – and Elle has been voted Best TV Character this year, taking the crown from fellow Heartstopper fave Nick Nelson.
In second place is everyone’s favourite no-nonsense police officer Catherine Cawood from Happy Valley, and in third is Sex Education icon Eric Effiong. Rounding out the top five are Ellie from The Last of Us and Crowley from Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens.
Most Impactful TV Death (SPOILER WARNING!)
He was the ultimate villain who terrorised Catherine for three series, but Tommy Lee Royce’s fiery demise in the final episode of Happy Valley has been voted Most Impactful TV Death. This is perhaps thanks to James Norton’s nuanced performance of a father who just wanted to know that his son had had a good life.
The tragic deaths of brothers Henry and Sam in The Last of Us are in second place, and in third is the shock death of Succession’s Logan Roy – a twist early in the final season which created a masterful episode of television in "Connor’s Wedding".
Breakthrough TV Hit
The Last of Us had an explosive first season, earning Breakthrough TV Hit and leaving viewers desperate for the next part of the story. Queen Charlotte has been a great success and comes in at number two, while in third place is Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise, a series that reunited the show’s former stars Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.
Most Incredible TV Twist (SPOILER WARNING!)
The most disturbing moment in The Last of Us was arguably the discovery that preacher David was leading a cult of cannibals who were killing and eating people from outside the community – a shocking reveal which was voted as the Most Incredible TV Twist this year.
BBC’s The Woman in the Wall comes in second place, with the twist that despite seeing Lorna put a seemingly dead woman behind her wall, when the wall was knocked down there was no one there. And in third is the unbelievable final moments of Succession, where Shiv turns on Kendall at the last minute, refusing to vote for her brother and therefore taking the company out of the family’s hands.
Best Reality TV Show
Strictly Come Dancing continues its recent success by winning Best Reality TV Show for the second time in three years. Big Brother’s triumphant return to screens after five years away has proved popular with the ITV2 show taking second place, and The Great British Bake Off continues to be a firm favourite among viewers in the third spot this year.
Best Breakthrough Reality Star
She might have just missed out on a place in the final, but The Great British Bake Off’s Tasha Stones won the hearts of the nation as the first ever deaf contestant on the show (alongside her BSL interpreter Daryl) and you have voted her your Best Breakthrough Reality Star.
Big Brother was praised for its brilliant casting on its comeback series and this was reflected in the results, with winner Jordan Sangha and finalist Yinrun Huang claiming second and third place respectively.
Rounding out the top five are RuPaul’s Drag Race UK fan favourite Banksie, and Married at First Sight UK star Ella Morgan, who made history as the first ever transgender contestant on the show.
Best TV Documentary
Lewis Capaldi’s personal Netflix film Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now, which documented his mental health struggles and battle with Tourette’s syndrome, resonated deeply with viewers and has been voted Best TV Documentary. Also included in the top three are offerings from two much-loved Davids: David Attenborough’s latest series Planet Earth III, and David Beckham’s personal documentary series Beckham.
Best TV Presenter (s)
Big news: Alison Hammond has broken Ant and Dec’s four year winning streak in the category to win Best TV Presenter this year! Chat show king Graham Norton takes second place and the Geordie duo sit in third. Rounding out the top five are Strictly’s leading ladies Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in fourth, and Rylan in fifth.
Alison has sent us this message in response to her impressive win:
"I am honoured to end the year with winning Digital Spy’s 'Best TV Presenter' Award. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone that voted for me and continues to support me on my journey – it doesn’t go unnoticed and I will never take it for granted."
Best Axed Show That Should Come Back
A number of well-loved shows were sadly cancelled this year, leaving their loyal fans wanting more. The series that viewers are most desperate to get back is baseball comedy A League of Their Own, which was renewed by Amazon for a second season before later being cancelled. Also mentioned in the top three are two Netflix offerings, fantasy series Shadow and Bone and supernatural show Lockwood & Co.
Best British Xmas TV Special
We all have our favourite iconic Christmas TV episodes to watch each year, but The Vicar of Dibley has taken Best British Xmas TV Special, with the 1996 episode “The Christmas Lunch Incident” – who could forget all that food? There is also a lot of love for Gavin and Stacey, with second and third place going to their 2008 and 2019 Christmas episodes respectively.
Best Finale
Happy Valley had us hooked until the very end, and its dramatic final episode has been voted Best Finale of 2023, as we said goodbye to one of the best British dramas of recent times. The final ever episode of Sex Education sits in the runner up position, while season two of Loki brought the character’s story to an end (potentially forever…) with a finale that was voted into third position.
Favourite Streaming Service
The final TV award is for Favourite Streaming Service, and taking the title this year is streaming giant Netflix. Disney+ is going from strength to strength as a platform and takes second place, and in third is classic British service BBC iPlayer.
MOVIE AWARDS
Best Actor
Playing arguably the most iconic film role of the year, Margot Robbie takes the title of Best Actor this year for her performance as Barbie in the movie of the same name. Not far behind is co-star Ryan Gosling who is quite literally the Ken to her Barbie, in a supporting role that delighted audiences.
There is Oscar buzz surrounding Cillian Murphy for his captivating lead performance in Oppenheimer, and he takes third place this year. Rounding off the top five are Karen Gillan for her performance as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Halle Bailey for playing the title role in The Little Mermaid.
British Rising Star
He took audiences back to Panem after eight years away in the role of Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Tom Blyth has won Rising Star this year. Bridgerton actor Phoebe Dynevor is in second place for playing Emily in workplace thriller Fair Play, followed by Mia McKenna-Bruce for her role as Tara in independent hit How to Have Sex.
There is also recognition in the results for Archie Madekwe who starred as Jann Mardenborough in Grand Turismo, and David Jonsson for his lead role as Dom in romcom Rye Lane.
Best Movie
This summer everyone was talking about Barbie vs Oppenheimer, and while they were the most popular films this year, in the Best Movie race Greta Gerwig’s film comes out on top. Christopher Nolan’s epic about the creation of the atomic bomb is in second place, while you also loved the third instalment of Guardians of the Galaxy, putting it – fittingly – in third place.
Best Blockbuster You Had To See At The Cinema
2023 was the year where it felt like cinema was truly back post-pandemic, with audiences flocking to theatres to see the latest films in front of packed screens. Your picks for favourite cinema blockbuster are exactly the same as for Best Movie, with Barbie, Oppenheimer and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 all on the podium.
Best Comedy
Red, White & Royal Blue, the romcom about a relationship between a prince and the President’s son based on the popular novel, has won Best Comedy this year. Other films that got you laughing over the past 12 months are comedy horror Cocaine Bear and high-school flick Bottoms, starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri – both making the top three in the category.
Best Horror
You voted M3GAN as Best Horror this year – the film about a scarily lifelike doll and the danger of AI got people talking and even had a dance scene go viral. In second is the tenth instalment in the Saw franchise, Saw X, and in third position is indie horror Talk to Me, about a group of teens who use an embalmed hand to conjure spirits.
Best British Movie
This year Idris Elba returned to his role of detective John Luther for the first time since the TV series ended back in 2019, in Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun – which has won Best British Movie of 2023. In the runner-up spot is How to Have Sex, a film by first-time director Molly Manning Walker about a girls holiday gone wrong, while in third is Bank of Dave, a heart-warming true story about a self-made millionaire who tries to set up a community bank.
Best British Xmas Movie Ever
It’s celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, but Love Actually is clearly still delighting audiences each festive season, winning the title of Best British Christmas Movie. Another favourite is Nativity!, starring Martin Freeman as a primary school teacher who gets caught up in a lie that Hollywood are coming to see their Christmas show. Also making the top three is Get Santa, a film about Santa getting arrested – with an all-star cast that includes future Heartstopper star Kit Connor.
Most Mind-Blowing Movie Moment
Continuing Barbie’s sweep of awards this year, the “I’m Just Ken” musical number, complete with that iconic dance fight, has been voted your Most Mind-Blowing Movie Moment. In second place is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and a fight scene between the Guardians and the Hell Spawn, which impressively looks like it is all one-take. In the third spot is The Trinity Test from Oppenheimer, a scene which left audiences speechless in the cinema.
Most Anticipated Movie of 2024
Next year looks set to be another exciting year for film, and you have voted Deadpool 3, starring the dream combo of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, as your Most Anticipated Movie of 2024. Also getting you hyped in the next 12 months are the new musical adaptation of Mean Girls, and the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice 35 years after the original film – with Michael Keaton returning in the title role.
Most Devastating Movie Death (SPOILER WARNING!)
While none of the central characters met their end, Lylla the otter’s death at the hands of the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was voted your Most Devastating Movie Death of the year. Not far behind is Brendan Fraser’s Charlie from The Whale, the film which won the actor an Oscar in March, and this is followed by Charon from John Wick: Chapter 4, who was killed by Marquis de Gamont.
Favourite Cinema Chain
The final movie award concerns not so much what films you’re watching, but rather where you’re watching them. This year, Vue has won Favourite Cinema Chain in our poll, with Odeon in second place and Cineworld not far behind in third.
SOAP AWARDS
Best Actor
This year Danielle Harold, recently seen on I’m A Celeb, left EastEnders after her character Lola Pearce-Brown died from a brain tumour – and for her work on this devastating storyline, you have voted her Best Actor this year. This is another nod for Danielle, after she won Best Actress in last year’s awards.
Not only was this a win for EastEnders, but staggeringly, the soap has made up the entire top five in the category. In second place is Lacey Turner as Stacey Slater and in third is Jamie Borthwick as Lola’s partner Jay Brown. Rounding out the top five are Balvinder Sopal as Suki Panesar and Shona McGarty as Whitney Dean.
Rising Star
Gina Knight, alongside her sister Anna, arrived on Albert Square earlier this year and immediately made a big impression with viewers – and Francesca Henry has earned the title of Rising Star this year. In second place is fellow EastEnders actor Sophia Khan Levy who plays Priya-Nandra Hart, a character who only made her first appearance in the soap in October.
Other up-and-coming actors recognised in this category include Luana Santos, who plays Sabrina Adetiba in Coronation Street, Lewis Cope as Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale, and Naomi Rukavina as Remi Varga-Murphy in Neighbours.
Here's a message from your winner, Francesca Henry:
Best Evening Soap
It might not be much of a surprise after an excellent last 12 months but for the fourth year running, EastEnders has won Best Evening Soap in the Reader Awards. This is followed by the ITV soaps, with Coronation Street in second place, and Emmerdale in third.
Celebrating the award win on behalf of EastEnders is Harriet Thorpe, who plays Elaine Peacock in the soap:
Best Daytime Soap
Neighbours have taken back their title as Best Daytime Soap, after a year which saw the show brought back to screens by Amazon Freevee following its cancellation in 2022. Doctors takes second place in the poll in the wake of the sad news that the BBC show would be coming to an end in December 2024, while Home and Away takes third place.
Saddest Soap Moment
Viewers were left reeling when EastEnders’ Whitney and Zach terminated their pregnancy after finding out their unborn baby had a rare, life-limiting condition. The scene where they said an emotional goodbye to their daughter Peach was soap at its most raw, and has been voted Saddest Soap Moment this year.
In second place is the moment when Coronation Street's Paul Foreman was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, marking the start of a powerful storyline that is still being told now in the soap. In third spot is Juliet Nightingale's death in Hollyoaks, after the popular character battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Best Soap Storyline
In 2022, Lola’s cancer diagnosis in EastEnders was voted Best Soap Storyline, and this is clearly a story that has continued to resonate with viewers, as ‘Loving and losing Lola’ has taken the title this year – a beautiful and tragic story of the character’s final months with her family amid her terminal illness.
Just behind is another EastEnders story, within their very successful 2023. The mystery of The Six has kept viewers gripped and sharing theories since the flashforward back in February, ahead the final death reveal on Christmas Day. Also recognised is Coronation Street’s harrowing depiction of Ryan’s acid attack and the aftermath of his traumatic ordeal.
Accepting this accolade are Jamie Borthwick and Max Bowden, who both played important roles in the storyline as Lola's husband Jay and Lexi's dad Ben:
Best Soap Couple
EastEnders’ winning run continues with Best Soap Couple, an award which this year goes to last year’s runner-up Suki Panesar and Eve Unwin, better known as ‘Sukeve’ to online fans. They have managed to break fellow Albert Square couple Ben and Callum’s three year winning streak!
In second place are Jay Brown and Lola Pearce-Brown, also from EastEnders, who earned their place as a much-loved couple during Lola’s illness. Also making the top three are Karl and Susan Kennedy from Neighbours, perhaps one of the most iconic soap couples of all time.
Here's a message from Heather Peace, who plays Eve, accepting the award on behalf of herself and Balvinder Sopal, who plays Suki:
OMG Soap Moment
It’s yet more success for EastEnders, as the most shocking soap moment of the year goes to Cindy Beale’s return after 25 years away, with viewers seeing her living in Spain and reunited with Ian. There was also a surprise glimpse of returning characters Peter and Lauren in the same thrilling episode back in June.
Soap fans were also stunned by the reveal of 12-year-old Lily’s pregnancy in EastEnders, and the brutal acid attack involving Ryan and Daisy in Coronation Street.
Queen of soaps Michelle Collins has a special message for fans who loved and voted for Cindy's spectacular return to EastEnders:
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said of EastEnders' success in the awards this year:
"We’re absolutely thrilled to win eight awards including Best Evening Soap at the Digital Spy Reader Awards. It means the world to us and on behalf of the entire EastEnders family – both cast and crew – we’d love to thank everyone who voted. The genre as a whole has told some incredible stories over the past year and we’re therefore very grateful for the continued support of the viewers."
Laurence Mozafari, Editor-in-Chief at Digital Spy, said: "Heartstopper's domination at the Digital Spy Reader Awards has continued for a second year running after sweeping up a whopping six awards in 2022. The Netflix coming-of-age-drama has truly connected with our audience, and beyond. It's amazing to see LGBTQ+ love stories on screen more than ever – a mission which we've championed as a brand throughout our 24-year-history with our interview franchises like Rainbow Crew, which has featured Heartstopper stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor.
"As the BBC faces more political headwinds than ever, the cultural force of its prestige primetime drama has yet to waver, as Happy Valley's long-awaited, bleak, and brutal showdown between Tommy Lee Royce and Catherine Cawood finally played out after years of waiting. The two masterful actors captivated audiences right at the start of 2023, and those powerful scenes stayed front of mind, all the way until the end of the year.
"Perhaps unsurprisingly, Barbie trounced Oppenheimer for Best Movie, as both films begin their awards season campaigns, and we look ahead to the Oscars in March 2024.
"And finally, vintage Big Brother contestant, and joyous force of energy, Alison Hammond, landed herself the Best Presenter Award – and it's so well deserved. Her win comes after an incredibly tumultuous year for ITV, and This Morning especially, that saw them lose two flagship daytime presenters, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby."
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