The film awards season is a months-long whirlwind of glitz, glamour, and stiff competition. It kicks off in the fall as studios campaign hard for their prestige films and builds to a crescendo with the Academy Awards in late February or early March. For movie buffs and prognosticators, keeping track of the key dates and milestones is essential. When are nominations announced? When does voting take place? From the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice to the Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA awards, the road to Oscar gold has many high-profile stops.
In this article, we provide a guide to navigating awards season and the critical dates for nominations, voting, and awards ceremonies across the major shows. Whether you’re filling out your Oscar ballot or just like keeping up with the race, this breakdown will help you follow along with each step on the path to the Dolby Theatre stage. From the fall film festivals to the moments those famous envelopes are opened, we’ve got you covered on the key events in cinema’s most glamorous and hard-fought season.
All critical dates are in bold.
Check out the key dates below and bookmark the page. Other ceremonies and dates will be added over the coming weeks.
OCTOBER
Oct. 2 – Final submission deadline for Documentary Feature Film and International Feature Film categories for Academy Awards / Golden Globes submissions website opens
Oct. 4 – SAG Awards submissions open
Oct. 16 – Final submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories for Academy Awards
Oct. 24 – Gotham Awards nominations announced / Student Academy Awards
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1 – Final submission deadline for music (original score) and music (original song) categories for the Academy Awards
Nov. 6 – Golden Globes submission deadline
Nov. 8 – Country Music Awards
Nov. 10 – Grammy Awards nominations announced
Nov. 13 – Critics Choice submissions close for TV categories
Nov. 14 – Critics Choice Nominating Committees begin deliberations for TV
Nov. 15 – Final submission deadline for animated feature and general entry categories for Academy Awards
Nov. 20 – Golden Globes TV ballots sent.
Nov. 27 – 33rd Annual Gotham Awards / Golden Globes deadline for TV ballots at 5:00 pm PST
Nov. 28 – Golden Globes nomination ballots for films sent to members
DECEMBER
Dec. 1 – Critics Choice sends out film nomination ballots to branch members; Nominating Committees render recommendations for TV
Dec. 3 – Kennedy Center Honors
Dec. 5 – Critics Choice TV nominations announced at 9:00 am PST
Dec. 6 – National Board of Review / ICG Publicists Awards TV nominations / Golden Globes ballots for film due at 5:00 pm PST
Dec. 8 – Critics Choice deadline for returning film nomination ballots.
Dec. 11 – Golden Globe Awards nominations announced
Dec. 12 – Producers Guild of America Awards (PGA) nominations announced – documentary
Dec. 13 – Critics Choice Film nominations announced at 9:00 am PST.
Dec. 15 – Producers Guild of America (PGA) nominations announced – sports, childrens and short form / Golden Globes final ballots sent to voters
Dec. 15-17 – Children & Family Emmys
Dec. 18-21 – Preliminary shortlist voting for the Academy Awards (
Dec. 21 – Oscars shortlist announced
JANUARY
Jan. 2 – Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards nominations
Jan. 3 – Golden Globes ballots due at 5:00 pm PST
Jan. 4 – Palm Springs International Film Awards
Jan. 5 – Critics Choice final ballots go out to both film and TV branch members
Jan. 6-7 – Creative Arts Emmy Awards
Jan. 7 – 81st Annual Golden Globes
Jan. 9 – Academy’s Governors Awards (rescheduled from Nov. 18) / Cinema Audio Society nominations
Jan. 10 – SAG Awards nominations announced / ICG Publicists Awards film nominations announced
Jan. 11-16 – Oscar nominations voting begins for eligible members.
Jan. 11 – American Society of Cinematographers nominations announced / National Board of Review gala
Jan. 12 – Productions Guild of America Awards nominations (theatrical, animated and TV series) announced / AFI Awards / Critics Choice deadline for returning ballots for film & TV
Jan. 13 – Oscars visual effects nominating screening (bake-off)
Jan. 14 – 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards / Oscars makeup and hairstyling nominating screening and sound nominating screening (bake-off)
Jan. 15 – Primetime Emmy Awards (rescheduled from Sept. 18)
Jan. 18 – BAFTA Film Awards nominations
Jan. 23 – 96th Oscar nominations announced
FEBRUARY
Feb. 4 – 66th Grammy Awards
Feb. 12 – Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Feb. 18 – BAFTA Film Awards / Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards
Feb. 22 – Final Oscars voting begins at 9:00 am PST
Feb. 23 – Sci-Tech Oscars
Feb. 24 – SAG Awards
Feb. 25 – Film Independent Spirit Awards / Producers Guild of America Awards
Feb. 27 – Final Oscars voting ends at 5:00 pm PST
MARCH
March 2 – Cinema Audio Society Awards
March 3 – American Society of Cinematographer Awards
March 8 – ICG Publicists Awards
March 10 – 96th Oscars
