Film and Television Awards - Explained [originally posted Sept. 26, 2022]

Since we are in the height of awards season, we thought it would be a good time to respost our blog from September 2022 that helps to explain the various film and television industry awards. We hope you enjoy.

No matter the time of year, there is no shortage of film and television awards shows to watch and news to analyze. Learn about the major awards below, and follow our blog to learn about all the nominees and winners as they are announced.

Fall

The film awards season kicks into high gear in the late fall, just as the television awards season winds down.

Two weeks ago, the 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards aired on NBC. Presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in September, the Emmys are the pinnacle of the television awards season, honoring the best made-for-TV content from June 1 of the prior year through May 31 of the current year. This year's big winners were HBO's drama "Succession" and Apple TV+'s comedy "Ted Lasso."

The award itself is a statuette of a winged woman holding an atom. According to the Emmys website, "The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron of science." Its name was originally "Immy," a term commonly used for the early image orthicon camera. The name was later modified to Emmy, which members thought was more appropriate for a female symbol.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) also takes place in September. Its top prize, the TIFF People's Choice Award, goes to the year's most popular feature-length film as chosen by festival attendees. The 47th annual festival wrapped up last week, and the top winner was Steven Spielberg's upcoming autobiographical film "The Fabelmans."

The 79th Venice International Film Festival also made headlines earlier this month. The top prize at Venice is the Golden Lion, and this year's big winner was the documentary "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed," just the second documentary ever to win this award.

In late fall, New York City hosts the Gotham Awards. Founded in 1979 as the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the Gotham Film & Media Institute is the largest non-profit organization for independent film and storytelling in the United States. The 32nd annual ceremony will take place on November 28, and we are excited that "Fire Island," which filmed scenes at our Foster Avenue facility, will win a special tribute award. This year's nominees will be announced on October 25.

Winter

Every December since 2000, the American Film Institute (AFI) has announced its Top 10 Films and Television Programs of the Year. While the AFI Awards are an announcement and not a formal ceremony, award honorees are treated to a private luncheon in January.

Also announced in early December are the winners of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards. NYFCC is an organization that includes more than 30 critics from New York-based media publications. The NYFCC Awards were first presented in 1936 and are the longest-running annual awards given by film critics in the country.

On December 12, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will announce the 2022 Golden Globe nominations. Though not as prestigious as the Academy Awards or the Emmys, the Golden Globes can be an indicator of success at future awards ceremonies. The most prized individual honor each year is the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honorary award for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." The 80th annual ceremony will air on NBC on Tuesday, January 10.

Also on January 10, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) will announce its nominees for Television, Commercial, and Documentary awards. The organization will announce feature film nominees the following day, and winners will be announced in the 75th annual ceremony on February 18. On January 11, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) will follow suit, as will the Producers Guild of America (PGA) on January 12. The 34th annual PGA Awards are scheduled to take place on February 25, and the 29th annual SAG Awards will take place the next day.

On January 15, the Critics Choice Awards will hold its 28th annual ceremony honoring achievements in both filmmaking and television programming.

On January 24, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will unveil the 2022 Academy Awards nominations. Voting ends on March 7, and the 95th annual Academy Awards ceremony will air on ABC on Sunday, March 12. The iconic statuette has a long, storied history dating back to the late 1920s. In 1927, MGM art director Cedric Gibbons designed the award as a knight gripping a sword in front of a reel of film. According to the Academy, the five spokes of the reel stood for the original five branches of the Academy – actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers. The sword symbolized protection for the welfare and advancement of the industry. Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley moved the film reel beneath the figure's feet, and in 1929 honorees began receiving these highly coveted statuettes. Historians are not 100% sure why the statuette became known as the "Oscar," but rumor has it that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar, and a nickname was born.

January wraps up with the Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the United States. Held annually in Utah since 1978, Sundance is a competitive event that issues multiple jury prizes each year. In 2021, "CODA" won the esteemed Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category, then won Best Picture at the Oscars the following year. In January of this year, the horror film "Nanny" won the coveted award. Next year's event is scheduled to run from January 19 to 29.

Every February, hundreds of thousands of film lovers attend the Berlin International Film Festival. Its top prize, the Golden Bear, is awarded to the year's best film as determined by an international jury. Another highly coveted award is the Silver Bear, given to the best director. The 73rd annual festival will take place from February 16 to 26.

On February 19, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will hold its annual film awards ceremony, which dates back to 1949. From 2009 through 2014, the BAFTA awards correctly predicted the future Best Picture winner at the Oscars. However, since 2015, the winner has matched just once, with 2020's "Nomadland" winning Best Picture on both sides of the Atlantic.

In March, the film awards season culminates with the Academy Awards, and several more casual gatherings are traditionally scheduled during the week of the main event. In 2023, the 38th annual Independent Spirit Awards will be held on March 4, eight days before the Oscars. The awards show, produced by Film Independent (a not-for-profit arts organization whose members vote to determine the winners), is held in a large tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

The day before the Oscars is the traditional date for the Golden Raspberry Awards, commonly known as the Razzies. The 43rd annual ceremony, which will celebrate the worst films of 2022, is scheduled for March 11.

Another major awards show held in the winter is the NAACP Image Awards presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding performances in film, television, music, and literature. The date of the 2023 show has not been announced just yet, but most years it takes place in February or March.

Spring and Summer

Things slow down a bit on the awards circuit after the Oscars then pick up again in May when the Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) takes place in southern France. The festival ends with one film winning the highly coveted Palme d'Or (Golden Palm). The most recent winner is the Swedish dark comedy "Triangle of Sadness," coming to U.S. theaters in October. The 76th annual festival is scheduled for May 16 to 27 next year.

Also in May, BAFTA holds its annual television awards ceremony, first celebrated in 1955.

Fast forward to June, and New York is abuzz with the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre Awards, commonly called the Tony Awards. In 2023, the 76th annual awards presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League will take place on Sunday, June 11.

Also in June, AFI presents its Life Achievement Award. This honor was established in 1973 to recognize an individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television. Julie Andrews is the most recent recipient.

June is also the month that the BET Awards take place in Los Angeles. Black Entertainment Television established the awards in 2001 to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy. The 22nd annual ceremony is scheduled for June 20, 2023 and will be hosted by Mo'Nique.

June is also when New Yorkers attend the Tribeca Festival. Unlike the non-competitive (but still prestigious) New York Film Festival held in the fall, Tribeca awards independent artists in 23 juried competitive categories. Tribeca was founded in 2002 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the September 11 attacks. The 22nd annual festival will take place June 7 to 18, 2023.

In July, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will announce its nominees for the fall Emmy Awards, and then the season will start all over again!

We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the major industry events. Be sure to tune in when your favorite show airs, and (if you're able to) seek out a local film festival near you.