CarterMatt Awards 2018: Outlander star Caitriona Balfe wins Top Actress!
Welcome to the CarterMatt Awards results! Hundreds of thousands of you have voted over the course of the past several weeks in a number of different categories; in this piece, we’re talking all about Top Actress!
Much like the Top Actor category, the criteria for this one is fairly simple — recognizing the best overall performer of the year. It doesn’t matter if they are a lead or supporting, just as it doesn’t matter if they come from a drama, a comedy, or a limited series. All that does matter is that they deliver something spectacular, and something that sticks with viewers for a rather long time.
In the end, CarterMatt readers determined for 2018 that Caitriona Balfe of Outlander is worthy, as she has taken home the title for the second straight year! Balfe again joins Alycia Debnam-Carey of The 100 and Melissa McBride of The Walking Dead as past champions, and she joins a select few who have won awards in consecutive years. Her win this year was incredibly impressive, as she received more than 75% of the total, final vote. This is not the only CarterMatt Awards victory today for Outlander, as Sam Heughan was named the winner of Top Actor; he is also one of the few to post a consecutive victory.
So why are viewers responding so much to Balfe’s performance as Claire? It largely has to do with how she consistently brings so much to the table in terms of dialogue, in terms of emotion, and also understanding even the little things like facial expressions and pauses in her words. Claire is an exceptional character who offers so much — she’s passionate, smart, capable, caring, empathetic, and unafraid of taking on authority. You want someone who doesn’t back down from a challenge, but also someone who can carry with them pain and hardship. Caitriona brings all of that to the role, and there was a fantastic evolution to the character this year as we’ve seen her as more of a leader, and at times, even a negotiator at Fraser’s Ridge. She’s learned how to adapt to this world and how to keep herself safe even when her surroundings take a turn for the worse.
Balfe’s work as Claire has deservedly scored her a number of consecutive Golden Globe nominations; here’s to hoping that this is the year that she finally wins it. For now, congratulations to both her and her fans on this CarterMatt Awards prize!
The runner-up for Top Actress this year was Sarah Rafferty of Suits, who came close to overthrowing her last year in an intense back-and-forth competition. Meanwhile, Absentia star Stana Katic was in their place.
What do you think about the Top Actress results? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments, and check back soon for more results.