CMBA Awards


The Classic Movie Blog Association established the annual CMBA Awards in 2010 as a means of honoring and promoting excellence in classic film blogging within the group. There are currently six categories: Best Review/Drama, Best Review/Comedy or Musical, Best Profile, Best Article, Best Series, and Best Blog Event. Each year members submit their own work for consideration at the end of August. Two votes by the full CMBA membership are then held, the first to select five finalists in each category, the second to select a winner in each category.

Below is a listing of winners from 2010 through the current awards year.

2023 CMBA Award Winners

Best Film Review - Drama
Dracula (1931): A Film Study by Outspoken & Freckled 

Best Film Review - Comedy or Musical
Fred and Ginger in Technicolor: The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) by Filmland Follies

Best Profile
An Interview with Sunset Blvd.'s Nancy Olson Livingston by Classic Film & TV Cafe

Best Classic Film Article - Three-way tie
Buster Keaton Blogathon - Buster Keaton's Influence on Lucille Ball by Whimsically Classic

Air Conditioning at the Movies: Staying Cool at a Theater Near You by Once Upon a Screen

How 'Murder, She Wrote' kept the spotlight shining bright on classic films and their stars by Watching Forever

Best Classic Movie Series
31 Flavors of Noir on the Fringe to Lure You In! (Parts 1-4) by The Last Drive In

Best Classic Movie Blog Event
The 2023 Classic Literature on Film Blogathon by Silver Screen Classics

2022 CMBA Award Winners


Best Film Review - Drama

To Be or Not to Be by Lady Eve's Reel Life

http://www.ladyevesreellife.com/2021/10/to-be-or-not-to-be-1942-daring-mixed.html

 

Best Film Review - Comedy or Musical (three-way tie)

Sun, Sand & Screen Teams: Flying Down to Rio (1933) by  Filmland Follies

https://filmlandfollies.blogspot.com/2022/05/sun-sand-screen-teams-flying-down-to.html?m=1

 

Fun in the Sun: Excitement on the French Riviera in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" (1955) by Lady Eve's Reel Life

https://www.ladyevesreellife.com/2022/05/fun-in-sun-excitement-on-french-riviera.html

 

Hold That Ghost! (1941) by Silver Scenes

https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/hold-that-ghost-1941.html

 

Best Profile

Beyond Tara: Hattie McDaniel by Vienna's Classic Hollywood

https://viennasclassichollywood.com/2021/12/27/beyond-tara-hattie-mcdaniel/

 

Best Classic Film Article

The Great Dispute: Bette Davis Versus Warner Bros. by In the Good Old Days of Hollywood

https://crystalkalyana.wordpress.com/2022/05/06/the-great-dispute-bette-davis-versus-warner-brothers/

 

Best Classic Movie Series

Really Old Films Month by Silent-ology

https://silentology.wordpress.com/tag/really-old-films-month/

 

Best Classic Movie Blog Event

The Caftan Woman Blogathon - Honoring Patricia Nolan-Hall by Lady Eve's Reel Life and Another Old Movie Blog

http://www.ladyevesreellife.com/2022/05/the-caftan-woman-blogathon.html

 


2021 CMBA Award Winners

Best Classic Film Review/Drama
Best Classic Film Review/Comedy or Musical 
Best Profile 
Lucille Ball: Fashion Icon by Hometowns to Hollywood
 
Best Classic Film Article 
Best Classic Film Series 
Old Hollywood Haunts by Lady Eve’s Reel Life
 
Best Classic Film Event 

2020 CMBA Award Winners

Best Classic Film Review/Drama
Mrs. Danvers, the Menace of Manderlay by Once Upon A Screen
 
Best Classic Film Review/Comedy or Musical 
Best Profile 
Agnes Moorehead – A Bewitching Life by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood
 
Best Classic Film Article 
Rochester and Jack: Breaking Racial Barriers by Hometowns to Hollywood
 
Best Classic Film Series 
TCM 2020 Summer Under the Stars by Shadows and Satin
 
Best Classic Film Event 
The 4th Alfred Hitchcock Blogathon Begins hosted by Maddy Loves Her Classic Films
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon hosted by Critica Retro and Spellbound By Movies

2019 CMBA Award Winners

Best Classic Film Review/Drama
Thoughts on the Son of the Sheik (1926) by Silent-ology
 
Best Classic Film Review/Comedy or Musical 
His Girl Friday (1940) by Cinema Essentials
 
Best Profile 
Best Classic Film Article 
Irving Berlin at the Oscars by Caftan Woman
 
Best Classic Film Series 
Sheik Month by Silent-ology
 
Best Classic Film Event 
Vive la France! Blogathon hosted by Lady Eve's Reel Life and Silver Screen Modes

In addition, in 2019 the CMBA Board of Governors chose to present a special award to the group's founding member and first Board Chair, Rick Armstrong of The Classic Film & TV Cafe. Rick founded the CMBA 10 years earlier, on October 31, 2009. He developed the group's organizational structure as well as its charter and was instrumental in launching CMBA activities that have continued on, including annual blogathons and the CMBA Awards. Rick has continued to support and advise the Board whenever asked. And so, in the CMBA's 10th anniversary year, the Board honored Rick Armstrong with a special 2019 Board of Governors Award in recognition and appreciation of his efforts on behalf of the Classic Movie Blog Association and classic film blogging.
 
2018 CMBA AWARD WINNERS

Best Film Review/Drama -The Beautiful Refugees of Casablanca - Silver Screenings

Best Film Review/Musical or Comedy "On the Town," in Celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s Centenary - Lady Eve’s Reel Life

Best Profile of a Performer - A Mesmerizing Talent: The Life and Career of Conrad Veidt - Silent-ology

Best Classic Movie Article -Fascism, Nationalism and the Banned Films of Marlene Dietrich - Lady Eve’s Reel Life

Best Classic Movie Blog Event -The Food in Film Blogathon - Silver Screenings and Speakeasy

Best Blog Design - Silver Scenes 

Best Classic Movie Series - Olivia de Havilland vs. FX: Backlots at the Courthouse - Backlots

2017 CMBA AWARD WINNERS

Best Film Review ( Drama )
Self-Plagiarism is Style: Hitchcock, Grant and North by Northwest (1959) - Once Upon a Screen

Best Film Review ( Musical/Comedy )
Me and My Pal (1933) - Caftan Woman

Best Classic Movie Article
A Government by Classic Movie Characters - Once Upon a Screen

Best Classic Movie Series
Crime Does Not Pay - Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer
Louise Fazenda, Comic Venus -Silentology

Best Classic Movie Event
What a Character! Blogathon - Once Upon a Screen

Best Blog Design
The Blonde at the Film

2016 CMBA AWARD WINNERS

Best Film Review (Drama) 
Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) - Caftan Woman

  Best Film Review ( Musical )
The Gang's All Here (1943) - Second Sight Cinema

Best Classic Movie Article
Hal Roach and the "Lot" of Fun - Caftan Woman

Best Classic Movie Series
History Through Hollywood - The Blonde at the Film

Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer or Filmmaker
Harry Carey and Harry Carey, Jr. - Caftan Woman

Best Blog Event
The 2016 TCM Summer Under the Stars Blogathon - Journeys in Classic Film

Best Classic Movie Blog Design
Cinema Crossroads

 2015 CMBA AWARD WINNERS  

BEST FILM REVIEW: DRAMA
Queen Christina - Pre-Code.com

BEST FILM REVIEW: MUSICAL/COMEDY
In Defense of Lina Lamont - The Vintage Cameo

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE ARTICLE
Real Life Society Honor Slaying Inspires Two 1932 Films - Immortal Ephemera

MOVIE SERIES 
History Through Hollywood - The Blonde at the Film

BEST PROFILE 
Eddie Cantor - Once Upon a Screen

MOVIE EVENT 
The Great Villain Blogathon - Speakeasy

BLOG DESIGN 
Silver Scenes

2014 CiMBA AWARD Winners

BEST FILM REVIEW: DRAMA
Roman à Clef: All About Eve (1950) - LADY EVE'S REEL LIFE

BEST FILM REVIEW: MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Meet Me in St. Louis - ONCE UPON A SCREEN 

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE ARTICLE
ClassicMovie History Project blogathon: 1945: CAFTAN WOMAN
  
BEST CLASSIC MOVIE SERIES
The Year of Ann Blyth: ANOTHER OLD MOVIE BLOG 

BEST PROFILE OF A CLASSIC MOVIE PERFORMER OR FILMMAKER
A Q&A with Joan Fontaine in Honor of Her 96th Birthday: BACKLOTS 

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE BLOG EVENT
The Classic Movie History Project Blogathon: co-hosted by MOVIES SILENTLY 

BEST BLOG DESIGN
The Blonde at the Film 


2013 CiMBA Awards

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW: DRAMA
Scarface: The Shame of a Nation - Once Upon a Screen

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW: MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Search for Beauty (1934) -  Pre-Code.Com

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE ARTICLE
Top 10 Oscar-Less Dames and Their Oscar-Worthy Roles - Shadows and Satin

BEST PROFILE OF A CLASSIC MOVIE PERFORMER OR FILMMAKER
Cagney - Lady Eve’s Reel Life

BEST BLOG DESIGN
Pre-Code.com

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE SERIES
TCM Pre-Code Pick of the Month - Shadows and Satin

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE BLOG EVENT
James Cagney Blogathon - The Movie Projector


2012 CiMBA AWARD WINNERS


BEST FILM REVIEW (DRAMA)
Movie Review: The Gunfighter - The Girl with the White Parasol

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE ARTICLE
Minority Opinion: The Magnificent Ambersons - Jim Lane’s Cinedrome 

BEST BLOG EVENT
A Month of Vertigo - Lady Eve’s Reel Life

BEST FILM REVIEW, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Grift Tips from the Lady Eve (1941) - 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

BEST PROFILE OF A CLASSIC MOVIE PERFORMER OR FILMMAKER
Thelma Todd Profile - My Love of Old Hollywood,

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE BLOG DESIGN
Sittin' On a Backyard Fence

BEST CLASSIC MOVIE DISCUSSION
Interview with Stunt Double Martha Crawford Cantarini - Twenty Four Frames

2011 CiMBA AWARD WINNERS
Best Film Review (Drama) 
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex - Lady Eve's Reel Life

Best Classic Movie Article 
Mobsters, Pals and Skirts - ClassicBecky’s Brain Food
Best Classic Movie Blog Event 
The Loving Lucy Blogathon - True Classics
Best Film Review (Musical or Comedy) 
The Women (1939) - My Love of Old Hollywood
Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer or Filmmaker 
Celebrating Women in Film: The Silent Directors - True Classics
Best Classic Movie Discussion: Tie
The Final Scene of "The Heiress" - Backlots 

and
3 on 3 Panel Discussions - Classic Film & TV Café
Best Classic Movie Blog Design
Via Margutta 51

2010 CiMBA AWARD WINNERS

Best Film Review (Drama)
“You know what they call my films today? Camp! High camp!” (A review of Targets) - Ivan G. Shreve, Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Best Film Review (Musical or Comedy)
Love Me Tonight (1932) -  R.D. Finch, The Movie Projector

Best Classic Movie Article
The Best Fred Astaire Musicals Without Ginger Rogers - R.D. Finch, The Movie Projector

Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer or Filmmaker
About John Gilbert: An Interview with Leatrice Gilbert Fountain - by The Lady Eve, Classic Film & TV Cafe

Best Classic Movie Blog Event
Trivia Time - by Paul2, Classic Film & TV Cafe

Best Classic Movie Discussion
10 Questions with John Stangeland, author of Warren William: Magnificent Scoundrel of Pre-Code Hollywood - Cliff Aliperti, Warren-William.com

Best Classic Movie Blog Design
Brian Kleeman, Classicfilmboy’s Movie Paradise