Performer of the Year - Final Round - Amy Acker vs Sam Heughan *UPDATE: Staff & Reader's Choice Winners Announced*

Update: The poll has now closed! The final results of who won the title of SpoilerTV's 2016 Reader's Choice Performer of the Year are revealed below where the poll was located. Also below you will find the announcement of who was chosen by the staff as the 2016 SpoilerTV Performer of the Year.

After a long year of recognizing outstanding performer after performer, it has come down to two final contenders for the title of Reader's Choice Performer of the Year. To help choose here is a little bit about the work each performer did in 2016 as their respective characters.

Most Outstanding Actress of 2016 - Amy Acker (Samantha “Root” Groves) - Person of Interest

Amy Acker played Samantha “Root” Groves on the dearly departed CBS series Person of Interest. Throughout a fifth and final season of the show, she took Root on a journey that started with her trying desperately to find the woman she loved, Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi), and ended with her as the voice of the God-like entity known as The Machine. She covered the acting gamut from a woman in love willing to do anything to get back the woman she loved, to a badass warrior to a machine, and did all of this impeccably. The physical character of Root left the show, in a devastating loss for the team and the fans, but that wasn’t the end of Acker on the series as she gave vivid life to The Machine. All of these big acting moments gave Acker a lot to do and she took the opportunity and delivered one intense performance after another. She turned simple moments of dialogue into scenes that will forever leave a lasting impression on those who saw them. In fact, even her non-verbal moments were just as impactful. Fans got to see Root and Shaw intimate in a simulated reality and even though they never had that chance in the real world it didn’t matter because the way Acker’s Root looked at Shaw told the sort of love story that not even words could have conveyed. She was a standout in Person of Interest, an impressive statement given the extreme caliber of her co-stars. Her hard work and dedication to her character will live on in the hearts of fans for a very long time. She is beloved by her fans because of her dedication to bringing awareness to the causes close to her heart while also taking the time to engage with her fans despite a very busy schedule.

Most Outstanding Actor of 2016 - Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) - Outlander

Sam Heughan plays Jamie Fraser on the hit Starz series Outlander, based off of the best-selling series of books by Diana Gabaldon. He plays a fierce, stubborn, loving, big-hearted Scots warrior who falls madly in love with his time-traveling wife, Claire Randall Fraser (Caitriona Balfe). Together their epic romance gives them the strength to overcome some impossible situations. In Season 2, Heughan, as Jamie, brought to life any number of extremely difficult situations. His work spanned from a proud man desperately trying to find a way to recover from a horrific rape, to a man on a mission to create a better future for his people. He went from being a husband torn between love for his wife and an overwhelming need for vengeance against his rapist to heartbroken father mourning the loss of a child he never got to meet. In the end, he was a Scot with a duty to his people as well as a husband and father who had to make a heartbreaking sacrifice to send the love of his life away to give her and their unborn child a chance at a better future. All of that, and so much more, happened throughout one short season, yet Heughan never missed a beat bringing so much emotion to each intense situation. Jamie’s pain was palpable. His performances made the audience cheer Jamie on through his great accomplishments and cry with him through his great losses. He is beloved by his fans because he is every bit as chivalrous, kind, and brave as the character he portrays. Heughan even started a peak challenge to try and foster positive change in the world.

Both Amy Acker and Sam Heughan share a lot of similarities in terms of their dedication to their craft, their audience, and the causes close to their hearts. They are both not just the most outstanding actress and actor of 2016, but they are also both extraordinary people. Both are extremely deserving of SpoilerTV’s Reader’s Choice 2016 Performer of the Year title, but unfortunately only one of them can carry the title.

The winner of this poll will receive a special article looking back at some of their best work from 2016. They will also be mentioned in every Performers of the Month nominations and polls posts throughout all of 2017. This poll will run through 6 PM ET on Sunday, January 22nd. This poll is strictly 1 vote per person and requires a valid social media account to vote. The results will not be revealed until after the poll has concluded and the votes have been certified. Cheating will not be tolerated and duplicate votes will be made null and void. The winner of this poll will be determined by true honest voting.

Please note that SpoilerTV has decided to name two Performer of the Year winners. One will be chosen by the fans through this poll and that winner will carry the title of SpoilerTV’s Reader’s Choice 2016 Performer of the Year. The other will be chosen by the staff through a vote and will carry the title of SpoilerTV’s 2016 Performer of the Year. Both winners will be prominently recognized throughout 2017.

Now, comes the hard part, picking only 1 to carry this fan-given title for the next year. Who will prevail? This will be a fierce battle between two very deserving performers. Place your vote then head down to the comments to convince others why they should be voting for the performer you voted for.

Update: Here are the final results!

Amy Acker (Samantha "Root" Groves) from Person of Interest has earned the fan-given title of SpoilerTV's 2016 Reader's Choice Performer of the Year. Here are the final results for her battle against Sam Heughan.

Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers) from Supergirl was named as SpoilerTV's 2016 Performer of the Year by the staff. She earned this title after members of the staff nominated one actress and one actor who they thought delivered the best performances in 2016 which garnered us a list of 32 top performers. Those performers were then placed into a ranking system where each member of the staff ranked their Top 5 favorite performers from 2016. Chyler got the highest number earning the win. For those curious regarding who her competition was, I've placed the final results of the staff vote below.

Amy Acker and Chyler Leigh will each receive an article looking back at some of their best work from 2016. Each of them will be recognized in every Performers of the Month nominations and polls post in 2017. Expect their articles sometime in early to mid-February hopefully prior to the announcement of the first 2017 winners.

Special thanks to Donna Cromeans, freelance editor/proofreader (@DJRiter on Twitter) for editing this article.