The Golden Tomato awards feature some surprising winners
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Image via Rotten Tomatoes

The Golden Tomato awards feature some surprising winners

The winners of the 23rd Golden Tomato awards may surprise you, as some unexpected shows and films came out on top.

The winners of the 23rd Golden Tomato awards have been announced. These awards, run by film review website Rotten Tomatoes, honor the best-reviewed movies and TV shows of the past year. These awards rank shows based on their reviews on the popular review aggregator site, meaning that they reflect the views of many critics from all over the globe. 

Recommended Videos

With 2021 being the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, movie and TV releases have been messy, with many films trying new release models or postponing their premieres. However, despite this, the awards feature both expected and unexpected results.

Most notably, it was a banner year for Marvel with Spider-Man: No Way Home taking Best Movie and Best Comicbook Movie. The Disney+ series WandaVision swept up the TV categories, netting Best TV, Best Limited Series, and Best Superhero series. 

However, Disney’s success doesn’t stop with Marvel as Raya and the Last Dragon won the award for Best Animated Movie. And Searchlight Pictures, another Disney subsidiary, won Best Documentary for their highly praised Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) documentary.

However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of variety in the awards as Nicolas Cage’s unique drama Pig won Best Limited Release Movie and Best Drama. The critically acclaimed psychological Western The Power Of Dog also netted an award, winning Best Streaming movie. 

One of the biggest surprises is the lack of an award for Squid Game. Despite the series being a pop-culture phenomenon, it came 15th in the Best New Series category, losing to the Steve Martin-fronted Only Murders in the Building. It just goes to show how many great shows have been released this year. 

The Golden Tomato awards show that, while big superhero blockbusters still dominate the public consciousness, people enjoyed a wide variety of movies and shows in 2021. It also shows that streaming and social media can lead to lesser-promoted releases getting a big audience. 

The main winners are: 

  • Best Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • Best Wide Release Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • Best Limited Release Movie: Pig
  • Best Streaming Release Movie: The Power Of Dog 
  • Best TV Series: WandaVision
  • Best New Series: Only Murders in the Building
  • Best Returning Series: Ted Lasso 
  • Best Limited Series: WandaVision

We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Jonathon Greenall
Jonathon Greenall
Jonathon Greenall is a news and SEO writer for We Got This Covered. Jonathon has been a freelance media writer for several years and has appeared on several sites, including CBR and Enbylife. They're also an experienced TTRPG designer, and their games have been featured on Gizmodo, TechRaptor, and other outlets. Jonathon is a lifelong fan of movies, comic books, and anime and has covered everything from the latest big hits to obscure forgotten media.