When America Ferrera accepted a Best Actress award for "Ugly Betty" at this year's Emmys, it was more than just a victory for a popular first-year show. This was a coming-of-age moment for the New TV Woman, embodied by her character, Betty Suarez. Strong, talented, self-assured, and absolutely central to their shows, these characters are no one's second fiddle. Some actresses have said there's never been a better time to be a woman on TV, and even veteran movie stars, like Glenn Close and Holly Hunter, are choosing to grace the small screen. So it's high time we paid homage to the most empowering women characters on TV today.

Our criteria? We decided that a character must have strong faith in something important to her; she must have overcome or be struggling with hardships that make her a better woman; and she must empower or inspire viewers by the example of her own character. The decisions weren't easy, so check out these women who made the list.

Like Betty Suarez, I used to be an executive assistant. And like Betty, I spent more time working on my boss's personal errands than I ever did on business-related tasks. In the hands of the wrong actress, Betty could have been just another woman who helps out a man in his time of need. Instead, as portrayed by America Ferrera, Betty is the smart, strong, and ambitious girl next door. Her boss--and many others--has realized Betty's true potential, and it's safe to say that she won't be an assistant for long. There are times at work where I catch myself thinking, "What would Betty do?" The answer? Take even the smallest project and shine.

--Lilit Marcus

Imagine you're on a flight from Australia to L.A. Halfway there, somewhere way above the ocean, the plane breaks apart and hurls you and your fellow passengers onto a seemingly deserted island. Most of us would fall apart. Kate Austen, however, thrived. On this mysterious island, she hunts for food, chops down trees, and fights alongside the boys. Instead of panicking, she takes charge. Kate (the brilliant Evangeline Lilly) is a take-no-prisoners woman who, despite her imperfections, manages to kick butt. She inspires me to always take charge in situations, even when it's easier to let someone else tell me what to do.

--Lilit Marcus

Among the neurotic gang of surgical residents in "Grey's Anatomy," Dr. Miranda Bailey, perfectly played by Chandra Wilson, is the hard-talking, tough as nails (but with a soft heart) chief resident who teaches her young residents to be brilliant, ethical doctors. She demands perfection from her residents and herself, but never hesitates to go to the mat for them. And she's not perfect, struggling to balance her difficult career with motherhood. Bailey is a woman I would always want in my corner.

--Dilshad D. Ali

It's hard to be 17. It's even harder to be 17 and have exceptional powers, especially when those powers put you in the crosshairs of a mass murderer. On the hit show "Heroes," Claire Bennett (a dead-on Hayden Panettiere) is one of a group of people all over the world who discover they have unique abilities they cannot explain--in her case, it's the ability to heal almost immediately. Those abilities have endangered her life on multiple occasions and taken her away from her own family, who sacrificed themselves to protect her. Claire may still be a teenager, but her maturity and bravery are an inspiration to women twice her age.

--Lilit Marcus

Lisa Simpson, the eternal eight-year-old girl, has always felt more deeply and thought more intellectually than her peers. Misunderstood by her schoolmates and her own family, Lisa forges her own path. She becomes a vegetarian, refuses to throw the national spelling bee, and always stands up for her principles, even when everyone around her says she is crazy. Because I came of age in the 1990s, I got to grow up alongside Lisa. I aspired to be a feminist, like Lisa, even before I knew what a feminist was. And even though I was never musically inclined, she made me--and millions of other little girls--want to play the saxophone. I may have moved beyond eight years old, but thankfully, Lisa has stayed the same.

--Lilit Marcus

This feisty, strong-willed, compassionate cop in the Special Victims Unit fights each day to overcome her extremely difficult childhood--she was the child of a rape and her mother was an abusive alcoholic--yet uses her pain to empathize with the sex crimes victims she fights to help. Mariska Hargitay embodies this inspirational cop perfectly. Olivia's painful past also fuels her dedication to capturing criminals. She not only inspires me to be more caring toward others, but empowers me to be dedicated to my work, just as she is.

--Dena Ross

Tina Fey was the first-ever female head writer on "Saturday Night Live," so it's clear where she got the inspiration for her character, Liz Lemon, on the sitcom "30 Rock." Like Fey, Lemon is the head writer for a comedy-sketch show. She's also the straight woman to a host of eccentric characters, from Tracy Morgan as the histrionic new star of the show, to Alec Baldwin as the pompous network executive who tries to boss her around. It's refreshing to see a woman in her 30s on TV who is single but not obsessed with finding a man. She's working at her dream job and involved in her friends' lives without forgetting about her own. If only I could say the same for myself.

--Lilit Marcus

You have to admire a woman who manages (barely) to balance her personal demons (drinking, promiscuity) with a strong sense of justice. Grace Hanadarko, brilliantly played by Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter, is an Oklahoma City police detective who lives her life so on the edge that she is visited by a most atypical, scruffy angel named Earl (Leon Rippy), who hopes to save her from herself. Her lifestyle sure would not work for me, but her commitment to justice and the obvious love she has for her nephews and nieces make her an empowering woman to be reckoned with.

--Dilshad D. Ali

Being the first wife in a polygamous Mormon family has never been easy for Barbara Dutton Henrickson, but she takes a controversial situation and tries to make it work for everyone. In "Big Love," Barb (the fabulous Jeanne Tripplehorn) wears many hats as a wife who was her husband's sole mate for 10 years before agreeing to his taking on additional wives for a stronger family. She yearns for a higher profile in the community and has her own struggles with living in a big, joint family, but ultimately she believes in her faith and is willing to share her husband, in hopes of creating a solid, if nontraditional, family unit. I wouldn't want to be in a polygamous situation myself, but I admire her commitment to her family--her entire family.

--Dilshad D. Ali

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more fascinating, powerful female character on television today then Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a former Atlanta detective brought to Los Angles to crack high-profile cases. Kyra Sedgwick embodies Brenda perfectly, with a southern charm that masks a razor-sharp intellect and uncanny ability to reveal suspects' secrets and obtain confessions. Don't mess with Brenda. She will lock horns with anyone who gets in the way of her pursuit of justice. And sometimes she's so bull-headed that it ends up jeopardizing her own investigations. But that's what makes Brenda so human and so good at what she does.

--Dilshad D. Ali

We certainly couldn't fit every empowering female television character in this gallery. And with a whole slew of new shows coming out this fall, there will be more great women to watch out for. So here are some to keep your eye on as we get into the fall season. Some are newcomers; some are back for a second season. All are worth watching.

Michelle Ryan as Jamie Sommers on NBC's "Bionic Woman": A young woman comes through a devastating car accident with bionic powers. Now what should she do?

Glenn Close as Patty Hughes in FX's "Damages": This powerful litigator tries high-profile cases in New York. But how far will she go to win?

Angie Harmon as Lt. Lindsay Boxer in ABC's "Women's Murder Club": To circumvent the old boys' club, this detective assembles a cadre of women to help her solve homicides.

Sally Fields as Nora Walker in ABC's "Brothers and Sisters": Now in its second season, Fields just won an Emmy for her portrayal of the powerful matriarch holding her family together.

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor in NBC's "Friday Night Lights": This show, with its huge fan base, was finally awarded a second season. Watch for Britton to steal more scenes as the football coach's wife.

• Spirituality on 'The Simpsons'
• Faith in 'American Idol'
• Where Celebrities Find Spirituality
• The Top Christian Music Stars
• Beliefnet Film Award Nominees
• Top 10 Sports Miracles