Road to the Oscars 2024: What award ceremonies take place before the Oscars and do they influence the results?

Awards Season kicks off early in 2024, as the road to the 96th Annual Awards begins officially with the first ceremony of the season taking place on January 7 2024: the Golden Globe Awards. Some speculate that a good showing at the Golden Globes is an earlier indicator of how things may pan out come the Oscar announcements, as Jimmy Kimmel is once again set to present next year’s proceedings.

It has been a watershed year for cinema, thanks to the incredible successes of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helping cinemas fill their seats after the malaise many felt due to pandemic issues - both films have been viewed as turning points in terms of stimulating the cinema business, and not surprisingly, both films are considered favourites to earn awards during the awards season. 

But nothing is guaranteed after a mere (sic) Golden Globe win; just because a film picked up the “Best Picture” gong at one ceremony, doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily guaranteed to win at the Academy Awards. Just ask Austin Butler - he still has time for his flowers, however.

So what are the award ceremonies that are considered the path to the Academy Awards in previous years, when are the Oscars taking place and is there a chance we finally get to see the event free-to-air in the United Kingdom after Sky’s domination of coverage for almost two decades? 

What award ceremonies take place that are considered on the road to the Oscars?

Though several smaller ceremonies take place ahead of the Oscars, for many five key ceremonies are considered part of the road to the Academy Awards: the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the Emmy Awards, the BAFTAs and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. These ceremonies are generally considered to be an indicator of how the results may pan out at the Academy Awards

• Golden Globe Awards - January 7 2024
• Critics Choice Awards - January 14 2024
• Emmy Awards - January 16 2024
• Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) - February 24 2024
• BAFTA Awards - February 18 2024

Do wins at these award ceremonies influence the Academy Awards?

Not directly, however the buzz that surrounds the early winners of such awards as “Best Picture” and “Best Actor/Best Actress” is normally a good indication that someone might pick up the coveted Oscar in their particular field. A notable example of this is Leonard DiCaprio’s performance in “The Revenant”, which saw him first pick up the “Best Actor” award at the Golden Globes, and then went on to pick up the BAFTA and SAG Awards for “Best Actor” before finally earning the hallowed Oscar win in 2016. 

Though sometimes a dominating performance in the run to the Oscars is not a guaranteed win: Austin Butler picked up a host of “Best Actor” awards in 2023 for his performance in “Elvis,” but ultimately it was Brendan Frasier who earned the Oscar for “Best Actor” for his role in “The Whale.” It’s an indicator of what could happen at the Academy Awards rather than a set of spoilers. 

Who is currently the favourite to win Oscars in 2024?

According to Gold Derby, the current favourites to take home awards at the 2024 Academy Awards are as follows (correct as of writing):

• Best Film: “Oppenheimer” - Christopher Nolan (13/2)
• Best Director: Christopher Nolan (17/5)
• Best Actress: Emma Stone - “Poor Things” (18/5)
• Best Actor: Cillian Murphy - “Oppenheimer” (37/10)
• Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph - “The Holdovers” (69/20)
• Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. - “Oppenheimer” (69/20)

When do the Academy Awards take place in 2024?

The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10 2024 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles. 

How can I watch the 2024 Academy Awards?

The 2024 Academy Awards will return to free-tv this year after Sky’s 20-year broadcast deal finished in 2023. ITV will now be the official home of the Oscars in the UK, with full details of their broadcasting schedule, including if they will cover the red carpet, available in the New Year.