The Best Films of 2013, According to the Awards Circuit

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (dir: Steve McQueen)
35 wins
-Academy Awards
-Golden Globe for Best Picture- Drama
-British Academy Film Awards
-African American Film Critics Association
-Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA
-Boston Online Film Critics Association
-Boston Society of Film Critics
-Black Film Critics Circle
-Broadcast Film Critics Association
-Chicago Film Critics Association
-Dallas-Forth Worth Film Critics Association
-Florida Film Critics Circle
-Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association
-Houston Film Critics Society
-Independent Spirit Awards
-Indiana Film Journalists Association
-Iowa Film Critics Association
-Kansas City Film Critics Circle
-Las Vegas Film Critics Society
-London Critics' Circle
-New York Film Critics Online
-Nevada Film Critics Society
-North Carolina Film Critics Association
-Online Film Critics Society
-Phoenix Film Critics Society
-Producers Guild of America(tie)
-San Francisco Film Critics Circle
-Satellite Awards
-Southeastern Film Critics Association
-St. Louis Film Critics
-UK Regional Film Critics
-USC Scripter Awards
-Vancouver Film Critics Circle
-Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
-Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

2. GRAVITY (dir: Alfonso Cuaron)
10 wins
-Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
-Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture
-Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture
-Dublin Film Critics Circle
-Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director
-Empire Awards
-Los Angeles Film Critics Association (tie)
-North Texas Film Critics Association
-Producers Guild of America for Best Picture (tie)
-Utah Film Critics Association

3. HER (dir: Spike Jonze)
8 wins
-Austin Film Critics Association
-Detroit Film Critics Society
-Georgia Film Critics Association
-Los Angeles Film Critics Association (tie)
-National Board of Review
-Oklahoma Film Critics Circle
-San Diego Film Critics Society
-Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay

4(tie). AMERICAN HUSTLE (dir: David O'Russell)
3 wins
-Golden Globe for Best Picture- Comedy or Musical
-New York Film Critics Circle
-Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble

4(tie). INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (dir: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)
3 wins
-Gotham Independent Film Awards for Best Picture
-National Society of Film Critics
-Toronto Film Critics Association

6. IRON MAN 3 (dir: Shane Black)
1 win
-People's Choice Awards

So, not only was Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave the top film of the year according to this website's aggregate critics list, it was also the top film when it came to the awards circuit as well. This news comes with no surprise, to be honest. For starters, most of the awards circuit consisted of awards handed out by critics, so seeing the most beloved movie by critics also receiving the most hardware from critics was expected. Secondly, the film came out on top during most of the major awards, including at the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

What was pretty surprising was just how much 12 Years a Slave blew the rest of the competition away. In the end, I counted at least 35 major awards show giving McQueen's film their highest honor. The closest after that was the film that also placed runner-up in the aggregate critics list: Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, at a mere 10 major awards. Overall, it makes you wonder why Gravity was considered a co-favorite to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards when 12 Years a Slave clearly came into the awards show with most of the major precursors, including the Golden Globe Award and the Producers Guild of America Award. Meanwhile, Spike Jonze's Her finished not far behind from Gravity, with 9 major awards, followed by a tie for fourth between American Hustle and Inside Llewyn Davis and Iron Man 3 bringing up the rear with the lone major award it received, which was the People's Choice Award for Favorite Film.