It’s of little surprise that 2020’s pandemic prompted a radical overhaul of the film industry with cinemas closing and streaming really coming to the fore but with only 2 blockbusters seeing a theatrical release and the rest shunted off to the various streaming channels. So the 2021 awards season has also had an overhaul and here’s how the 2021 awards season countdown goes!
December 1st 2020 was the Oscars submission deadline for specialty categories (including animated feature, documentary feature, international feature)
December 14th 2020 saw the BAFTA deadline for Stage Two entry submission (confirming individual candidates for nomination) plus statements and appeals and December 2020 saw the BAFTA draft entered films list to be made available to voters and entrants
December 31st 2020 was the deadline for international feature submissions to have been screened in their country of origin.
January 4th 2021 was the deadline for SAG (Screen Actors Guild) for paying November 2020 dues and/or changing address to be eligible for final ballot
January 6th 2021 is the BAFTA deadline for requests to changes to the draft entered films list and SVFX statements
January 7th 2021 is the DGA (Directors Guild of America) entry deadline for films with planned, scheduled or actual theatrical release between January 1-December 31 2020
January 11th 2021 is when all films must be available to voters on the BAFTA View portal
AND NOW THE EXCITEMENT REALLY BEGINS…………………………….
January 11th 2021: SAG nominations balloting opens
January 12th 2021: Bafta round one voting opens at 10.00 GMT.
January 13th 2021 is the Golden Globes deadline for motion picture nomination ballots to be mailed to all members
January 15th 2021 is the submission deadline for general categories for Oscars
January 26th 2021 BAFTA round one voting closes at 18.00 GMT and is the deadline for SVFX (Special Visual Effects) reels.
January 26th 2021 is the Golden Globes final screening date for motion pictures
January 29th 2021 is the Oscars deadline for withdrawing a film from consideration (why anyone would want to withdraw their film is anyone’s guess!)
January 30th 2021 is the Golden Globes deadline for receipt of motion picture nomination ballots, 12.00 PT
Now it starts to hot up……..
February 1st 2021 : Oscars preliminary voting begins whilst SAG nominations balloting closes at 17.00 PT. DGA entry deadline for films with planned, scheduled or actual theatrical release between January 1-February 28 2021.
February 3rd 2021 : Golden Globes nominations announcement at 05.00 PT.
February 4th 2021: BAFTA longlists announcement. SAG nominations announcement
February 5th 2021 : Oscars preliminary voting ends
February 9th 2021: Oscars Shortlists Announcement
February 10th 2021: Golden Globes final ballots mailed to HFPA members. SAG final voting opens
February 17th 2021 : DGA online voting for theatrical feature film nominees opens
February 19th 2021: Bafta round two voting opens at 10.00 GMT
February 23rd 2021: Golden Globes deadline for receipt of final ballots, 17.00 PT
February 26th 2021: SAG final day to request paper final ballots in lieu of online voting
February 28th 2021: Golden Globes ceremony. Oscars films in general categories must have a release by this date!
So with the Golden Globe winners announced the campaigning starts in earnest for Oscars
March 1st 2021: Bafta round two voting closes
March 5th 2021: Oscars nominations voting begins.
March 8th 2021 : DGA deadline to vote for theatrical feature film nominations, all television and commercial nominations announced
March 9th 2021: BAFTA nominations announcement. DGA five theatrical feature film nominees, five first-time feature film director nominees announced, online voting opens
March 10th 2021: Oscars nominations voting ends! SAG final votes must be cast online or ballots received by 12.00 PT
March 14th 2021: SAG – Screen Actors Guild awards ceremony
March 15th 2021: Oscars nominations announcement
March 25th 2021: BAFTA round three voting opens at 10.00 GMT
By now the studio campaigns go into overdrive in a bid to get their films to win….
April 7th (our Deputy Editors birthay!!): Bafta round three voting closes at 18.00
April 9th 2021: BAFTA entered films must be screened to the public by this date (except for films not in the English language and documentaries). DGA deadline to vote online for theatrical feature film award
April 10th 2021 : DGA Directors Guild of America awards ceremony
April 11th 2021: BAFTA ceremony
April 15th 2021: Oscars final voting begins and nominees luncheon
April 20th 2021: Oscars final voting ends
April 25th 2021: Oscars ceremony
