For the tenth year running, CJ’s Top Women in Global Cinema is back for its 2026 edition.

Over the past several months, we’ve been asked on numerous occasions when nominations would open for this year’s list. The good news is that nominations are now officially open.

Last year, we received a record number of nominations, which made selecting the final list more difficult than ever. As in recent years, we are again applying a set of simple criteria to help streamline the process, give nominators clearer guidance and ensure the selection committee has the information it needs to produce the strongest and most deserving list possible.

For those looking to nominate candidates — and we hope that’s everyone reading this — we ask that nominees meet the criteria below:

1. Candidates should have been working in the cinema exhibition industry for a minimum of two years.
2. Candidates should hold at least a management-level position.
3. Candidates should be able to demonstrate additional industry contributions, achievements, recognition or initiatives. These do not necessarily have to be directly related to exhibition, but they should be outlined in the submission form.

In order to be recognised on this year’s list, nominees should demonstrate how they have made a positive difference within their business beyond their daily work, as well as how they have contributed to the broader exhibition industry. Along with career highlights and background information, please be sure to include new and relevant accomplishments from the last 12–18 months.

These criteria will help the selection committee evaluate nominees. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure candidates are included because they are genuinely impressive — not simply because they are good at their job, which we would assume is a given.

If you’re unsure whether someone qualifies, or have any questions about the process, please get in touch with us at women@celluloidjunkie.com.

And finally, as we say every year — and cannot stress enough — we can’t compile the list without support from the industry. In other words: please get your nominations in. Submit them via this form.

If you’re interested in partnering with us on this project, please drop us a line at sponsorship@celluloidjunkie.com.

The deadline for submissions is 12 June 2026. We are currently scheduled to publish the list just prior to this year’s CineEurope, which takes place 22–25 June 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.