The SFCS announced the first phase of their awards with the 10 Best Films of 2023 as voted on by 100% of their 37 local member critics from all the releases of the year, along with the nominations for Pacific Northwest Filmmaking, on December 19, 2023.[1][4][5] The remaining nominations were announced on January 3, 2024, with Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things leading the nominations with eleven each, followed by Oppenheimer with nine.[6][7][8]
As part of the annual awards highlighting the best in film, the SFCS added a new award to specifically honor the outstanding work of a person with local ties to the region called the John Hartl Pacific Northwest Spotlight Award. The award is named in honor of John Hartl, the late Seattle Times film critic whose legacy remains "a beacon in the region and beyond when it comes to writing about film". The SFCS Board will present the award annually to acknowledge an exceptional body of work, rather than a single film or performance, that represents the Pacific Northwest. This year, the inaugural award was presented to Lily Gladstone.[5][9][10]