Things are officially heating up as we inch closer to the first major wave of awards nominations. Astra Award nominations arrive on November 25, followed closely by the Spirit Awards on December 3, NBR on December 4, Critics Choice on December 5, and the Golden Globes on December 8. As expected, studios and PR firms are now working overtime, flooding the schedule with screenings, receptions, and hyper-curated voter experiences, all geared to keep their contenders top of mind as award voting begins.
Among the breakout trends of the season so far: the rise of the campaign brunch. The Bugonia brunch drew a notable turnout from talent, while Ed Sheeran headlined not one but two spotlight brunches to promote his original song from F1, marking one of the more music-centric pushes of the season.
Meanwhile, A24 launched its official awards campaign for Marty Supreme with three packed Los Angeles screenings from Thursday through Saturday. The rollout began at the DGA, continued at the Academy Museum, and wrapped at the Crescent Screening Room. I attended Thursday’s DGA screening, where dozens were turned away including some notable talent. Several friends attended Friday’s Academy Museum screening which I heard was quite similar, despite the larger room. One thing is certain: voters have MARTY fever, and demand for the film is only continuing to rise.
To amplify that momentum, A24 followed the screenings up with a press conference that ended with two viral moments: Timothée Chalamet bowling and posing with a Wheaties cereal box. A24 also released a video online with Chalamet poking fun at marketing campaigns over a zoom call. Within hours, the images and video dominated film-Twitter feeds and became one of the weekend’s most memorable campaign swings. If that wasn’t enough, Netflix also capitalized on the Chalamet buzz by hosting a Fairfax High School conversation featuring Adam Sandler and Chalamet together, which was another headline-making event as the two shared their love for one another.
Not to be outdone, NEON delivered one of the weekend’s most talked-about receptions with an immersive Studio City event for Arco, complete with a generous food spread and some FaceTime with Natalie Portman. Focus Features also stayed highly visible, supplementing their Bugonia brunch with a Song Sung Blue event featuring Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, and director Craig Brewer. The studio also had several preview screenings of Hamnet on Sunday during the day.
Elsewhere, one of the many Deadline Contenders showcases took place, though it drew noticeably less momentum than in previous years. With Apple, Netflix and HBO opting for standalone events this season, the awards-ecosystem may be entering a shift away from traditional multi-studio showcases.
Netflix’s new event series, The Line-Up, made an impressive debut at the Egyptian Theatre. Hosted by Scott Mantz, the day highlighted Netflix’s Film awards slate with panels for A House of Dynamite, Frankenstein, Train Dreams, Kpop Demon Hunters, and more, signaling a confident in-house strategy aimed directly at voter engagement.
While all of these screenings, receptions, and campaign stops were likely planned weeks, if not months, in advance, they ultimately served as the runway to one of the season’s most beloved events: the Academy Governors Awards, which took place last night in Hollywood. The star-studded ceremony was full of major industry players and awards season hopefuls.
One moment that quickly lit up social media featured Tom Cruise delivering high praise to Sydney Sweeney for her performance in Christy. It was a boost the film could certainly use and, in my opinion, very much deserves. Sweeney appeared both stunned and deeply moved by the conversation, which I could only imagine had to be a pretty surreal moment for her. Later in the evening, Cruise was spotted on the dance floor celebrating well into the night with several other icons of the industry. Hollywood always knows how to party, but when Tom Cruise shows up, he becomes the star of the party.
The ceremony also paid tribute to this year’s Governors Awards honorees: Debbie Allen, Wynn Thomas, and Dolly Parton. Each was recognized for their extraordinary body of work and a legacy that continues to shape entertainment. The night featured several standing ovations, emotional speeches, and lots of moviegoing support from those in attendance, especially Mr. Box Office himself, Tom Cruise.
And this is only the beginning of the award season festivities. With the NYC premiere of Wicked: For Good and the LA premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery set for tonight, plus an endless number of receptions, Q&As, and screenings this week and next, studios are clearly pushing harder than ever for top-of-ballot consideration.
If this past weekend was any indication, the road to nominations will be crowded, strategic, and packed with several noteworthy campaign swings as voters prepare to submit their ballots. Expect updated predictions from me within the next few days but for right now, I am here in NYC so I am getting ready to explore the city before heading to the premiere of Wicked: For Good.
