While some prefer the icy chill of winter or the blooming flowers of spring, I strongly favour the glamour and drama of award season. Ever since I was a little girl, I have lived for the heartfelt speeches, glitzy fashion, and heated contests over the most coveted awards. As a rapid consumer of all types of media, I throw myself into predicting winners and take it personally when my favourite artists get recognized or snubbed. Given my extensive experience and knowledge, I have nominated myself to outline a roadmap for the 2026 award season, reviewing the nominees, expected winners, key event details, and my own hopeful predictions.
This year has already had a strong kick-off with the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes. Both awards are voted on by groups of international journalists and critics, and both celebrate excellence in film and television. As these awards are the first of the season, they often tell which actors, films, and television shows will go on to succeed as the season progresses, as well as establish comeback or breakout narratives for the winners.
The biggest films of 2025 featured breakout stars and incredible directing, with the most talked-about movies including: Marty Supreme, Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Hamnet. All of these movies were awarded individually at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, but the most notable win to me was Timothee Chalamet winning Best Actor in Marty Supreme over Michael B. Jordan at both award shows. While I am as big a Timothee stan as the next person, given Michael B. Jordan’s remarkable performance in Sinners, embodying two characters, I think he should have been rewarded.
Additionally, Jessie Buckley won best actress in both awards for her astounding performance in Hamnet, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This movie is beautifully executed, and Buckley’s exceptional acting further enhances the heartbreaking narrative.
As far as TV goes, the big winners this year were The Pitt, a realistic and chaotic drama about the personal and professional lives of emergency healthcare workers, and Adolescence, a crime thriller about a 13-year-old boy, which is particularly remarkable for being shot in one continuous take. Both of these shows are exceptional, exhibiting the chaos and reality of human nature, and are very deserving of their wins.
While the Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globes are fun tone-setters for the award season, they are both an appetizer for the main course of the most coveted and prestigious award, The Oscars, set to take place on March 15th. The nominations have yet to be determined, but the battle for best actor will surely fall between Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme, and Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another. All of these performances were complex, heartfelt, and worthy of all accolades, but if I had to choose, I would pick Michael B. Jordan, as his performance stuck with me the most. As for best actress, I think there is only one correct answer: Jessie Buckley in Hamnet. This movie is the most incredible film I watched all year, and her depiction of a grieving mother and wife left me speechless from start to finish.
Best director and best picture are two of the most coveted awards given at the Oscars, and to me, both are complete toss-ups. I would love to see Marty Supreme, Hamnet, and Sinners celebrated, but I think less-discussed films like Frankenstein and Sentimental Value assume a serious chance too. These categories could go in any direction, and I will be happy with the results, though, as a longtime fan of Ryan Coogler, I would love it if he won best director for Sinners.
Taking a step back from film and TV, The Grammys –which will take place February 1st– are a celebration of the best musicians, recognizing albums, artists, songs, and music production. Many of the large awards (Record, Album, and Song of the Year) nominate the same artists including Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, and Justin Bieber. All of these artists created fantastic music, but I think the popularity of Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend will win her an award, while the production and significance of Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar’s albums will make them victors as well.
My favourite award of the night is by far Best New Artist, and this year there is fierce competition: Leon Thomas, Sombr, and Addison Rae present strong cases, but there is only one artist who deserves the Grammy in my eyes: Olivia Dean. I’ve been a fan of hers for multiple years, and her newest album, The Art of Loving, is perfection from start to finish and deserving of gold.
The Emmys are the award show that wraps up the season, making for a fun, eventful night celebrating the best of television. Since it takes place so late in the year, it makes way for new TV shows, such as the highly anticipated season three of Euphoria, which I expect will be heavily awarded, as it has been in years past. Taking influence from the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, The Pitt and Adolescence are shoe-ins to be heavily awarded, particularly the 16-year-old Owen Cooper, who shines in Adolescence. Additionally, the most recent seasons of Abbott Elementary and Stranger Things both dominated screens, and while I would love to see them awarded, I think the cultural additions comedies such as I Love LA and Overcompensating made to media deserve recognition.
From Marty Supreme to Kendrick Lamar, the past year has been marked by new and engaging media: outstanding acting performances, songs on repeat, and innovative screenplays have dominated feeds, making for a highly competitive and anticipatory award season. While there are bound to be upsets and victories among stars, I know I am going to enjoy kicking my feet back and watching them battle it out on the screen.