Save the Dates: The 2019-2020 Film Awards Calendar Is Shorter, Tighter, and Stressful
When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences threw down the gauntlet with a new show date of February 9, 2020, a full two weeks earlier than this year, they hoped to improve ratings and to shorten what has become a very long road to the Oscars. The ratings will remain to be seen, but already we know that the new date is creating a red-carpet traffic jam worthy of the 405.
The schedule is now so short that the Academy pushed the Scientific and Technical Awards out of the awards season altogether, to June 2020. (They figure these awards aren’t tied to achievements in any specific awards year.)
The Santa Barbara Film Festival, which features conversations and panels with Oscar contenders, is now in the middle of January, rather than February. It will overlap with the Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 23-February 2. To give the Oscars room, the Berlinale is moving later (February 20-March 1, 2020).
As they have for the past two years, the Golden Globes awards will air on the first Sunday in January. The BAFTAs, which are usually two weeks ahead of the Oscars, are now only one week apart.
Breathing room will be at a premium. This shortened schedule means that Academy members, who often catch up on screeners during the holiday vacation, have less time to watch films before the five-day nomination period begins January 2.
The real impact of this crowded calendar is on indie films, which historically gain momentum at the box office between nominations and Oscars. Now that those dates are less than a month apart, many will be forced to play in the saturated and expensive peak awards-release corridor of November and December. Maybe the battle for screen space could inspire what’s so far seemed nearly impossible: getting awards-worthy movies to consider release dates during the rest of the year.
Here’s the what the awards calendar looks like so far:
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
International Documentary Association Documentary Awards nominees announced
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Gotham Awards nominations announced
Friday, October 25, 2019
BAFTA Britannia Awards
Deadline for Golden Globe motion picture and TV entry forms
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Academy’s 11th Governors Awards
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
British Independent Film Awards nominations announced
Friday, November 1, 2019
ACE Eddie Awards nominations due
Deadline for Annie Awards submissions
WGA Awards preliminary series online voting begins
Monday, November 4, 2019
International Documentary Association Documentary Awards voting opens
Cinema Audio Society Awards entry submissions due
Deadline for submissions for DGA documentary and first-time feature film director nominations for films released October 1 – December 31
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Documentary Critics Choice Awards
European Film Awards nominees announced
Monday, November 11, 2019
Costume Designers Guild Awards nomination ballot voting opens online at 6:00 a.m. PST
Thursday, November 14, 2019
SAG Awards nominations begin
Deadline for television nomination ballots to be mailed to all HFPA members
Friday, November 15, 2019
WGA Awards deadline for screenplay submissions
Academy Awards submissions due for original score, original song, and general entry categories
British Independent Film Awards craft winners announced
Monday, November 18, 2019
Art Directors Guild Awards nomination voting begins
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Documentary Producers Guild Awards nominees announced
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Cinema Audio Society Awards nomination ballot voting begins online
Film Independent Spirit Awards press conference
BAFTA stage-two entry submissions due
Friday, November 22, 2019
ASC spotlight award entries due
Monday, November 25, 2019
ASC Awards TV and documentary nominations announced
Deadline for receipt of Golden Globe television nomination ballots
WGA Awards deadline for preliminary series online voting
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Deadline to submit DGA Award TV and commercials entries
ASC Awards TV and documentary ballots mailed
Golden Globe motion picture nomination ballots mailed to all HFPA members
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Screen Awards
Sunday, December 1, 2019
British Independent Film Awards ceremony
Monday, December 2, 2019
International Documentary Association Documentary Awards voting closes
Annie Awards nominations announced
Online voting for DGA theatrical feature film nominations opens
Gotham Awards
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
National Board of Review winners announced
Costume Designers Guild Awards nomination ballots voting closes at 5:00 p.m. PST
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Cinema Audio Society Awards nomination ballot voting ends online
Final Golden Globes screening
AFI Awards honorees announced
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Final Golden Globes motion picture press conference
WGA Awards nominations announced for television, new media, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation
Friday, December 6, 2019
Deadline for receipt of Motion Picture Golden Globe nomination ballots by Ernst & Young, at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Producers Guild Awards nominations for sports, children’s, and short-form programs open
Online voting begins for DGA Awards TV nominations
Art Directors Guild awards nomination voting ends
Preliminary Academy Awards voting begins
Saturday, December 7, 2019
European Film Awards
International Documentary Association Awards
Sunday, December 8, 2019
SAG Awards nominations voting closes
Monday, December 9, 2019
Golden Globes nominations announced
WGA Awards preliminary screenplay online voting begins
Art Directors Guild Awards nominations announced
ACE Eddie Awards nomination ballot due
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Cinema Audio Society Awards nominees announced
Preliminary Academy Awards voting ends
Costume Designers Guild Awards nominees announced
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
ACE Eddie Awards nominations announced
SAG Awards nominations announced
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Producers Guild Awards nominations for theatrical, series/specials, streamed/TV movies open
BAFTA round one voting begins
Monday, December 16, 2019
Academy Awards shortlists announced
ASC Awards feature film nomination ballots mailed
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
SAG Awards final voting opens
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Producers Guild Awards nominations for sports, children’s, and short-form programs close
Art Directors Guild Awards final voting begins
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Final Golden Globe ballots mailed to HFPA members
Producers Guild Awards nominees announced, final polls open for sports, children’s, and short-form
Friday, December 20, 2019
BAFTA round one voting ends
Monday, December 30, 2019
Deadline for receipt of completed Golden Globe ballots
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Annie Awards online voting begins
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala
Oscar nominations voting begins
Cinema Audio Society Awards final voting begins online
WGA Awards deadline for preliminary screenplay online voting
ASC Awards feature film nomination polls close
Friday, January 3, 2020
AFI Awards luncheon
ASC Awards theatrical and spotlight nominations announced
Deadline to vote for DGA Awards TV nominations
Costume Designers Guild Awards final ballot voting opens online at 6:00 a.m. PST
Saturday, January 4, 2020
ASC Awards theatrical and spotlight awards ballot mailed
Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee brunch
Sunday, January 5, 2020
The Golden Globes ceremony will air live coast to coast on NBC
Producers Guild Awards nomination polls close for theatrical, series/specials and streamed/TV movies
Deadline to vote for DGA theatrical feature film nominations
ACE Eddie Awards final ballots due
Monday, January 6, 2020
TV and commercial DGA Awards nominees announced
Nominations for WGA Awards for screenplay announced
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Oscar nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT
New York Film Critics Circle Awards gala
PGA Theatrical Motion Pictures and Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures nominations announced
WGA Awards final screenplay (original, adapted) and series online voting begins
DGA theatrical feature film nominees announced, online voting opens
DGA Awards first-time feature film director nominees announced
BAFTA nominations announced, round two voting beings
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
National Board of Review gala
Producers Guild Awards polls close for sports, children’s and short-form programs
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Critics Choice Awards
Deadline to vote in Annie Awards
Monday, January 13, 2020
Oscar Nominations Announcement
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Cinema Audio Society Awards final voting ends
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Launch of Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Producers Guild Awards polls close for theatrical, documentary, series/specials, and streamed/TV movies
Friday, January 17, 2020
70th Annual ACE Eddie Awards
Costume Designers Guild Awards final ballot voting closes at 5:00 p.m. PST
SAG Awards ballots due
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Producers Guild Awards
Sunday, January 19, 2020
SAG Awards ceremony
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Deadline for WGA Awards for final screenplay (original, adapted) and series online voting
ASC Awards final polls close for all categories
Friday, January 24, 2020
Deadline to vote for DGA theatrical feature film nominees
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Directors Guild Awards
Annie Awards
Cinema Audio Society Awards
ASC Awards
USC Scripter Awards
Monday, January 27, 2020
Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Costume Designers Guild Awards
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
BAFTA round two voting closes
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Final Oscar voting begins 8 a.m. PT
Art Directors Guild Awards final voting ends
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Art Directors Guild Awards
WGA Awards
Sunday, February 2, 2020
BAFTA Film Awards
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Final Oscar voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Independent Spirit Awards
Sunday, February 9, 2020
92nd Academy Awards 5 p.m. PT
