Awards HQ Sept. 27: Explosive Emmy Producers Interview; Ratings Update; British Awards Invasion; Josh O’Connor Cover

Emmy telecast producers Ian Stewart and Reginald Hudlin are still fuming over Seth Rogen’s unplanned comedy routine at the start of Sunday’s ceremony, in which he roasted the show for a perceived lack of COVID protocols behind the scenes.

The routine was delivered a bit tongue-in-cheek, but with enough credulity to cause a stir on social media — where viewers took the cue to lambast the Emmys. Stewart confirms that Rogen went off script and surprised them in the booth.As a matter of fact, and this is new information I didn’t include in this initial story, but I am now told that Rogen specifically promised CBS and the producers that he wouldn’t go off — and then proceeded to do so anyway. Suffice to say, a week later there are still a lot of unhappy folks.

Stewart and fellow executive producer Hudlin spoke with Variety late Monday to discuss the Rogen flap, as well as one more disappointing moment — when limited series drama winner Scott Frank took on the telecast with a lengthy acceptance speech, ignoring multiple musical hints to wrap up his time. They also responded to questions over whether there was an ADA-compliant ramp on stage.

Read the full story, packed with tons of behind-the-scenes details on this year’s show — here.

Television’s British invasion was on full display at the 73rd Emmys. Netflix’s “The Crown” and Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso” — series both set in the U.K. and featuring predominantly British casts — led the competition in both the comedy and drama fields. The two shows not only won the major categories they were expected to take, but also surprised in the races where their nominees weren’t considered the frontrunners.

But the year also signaled TV’s permanent streaming invasion. For the first time in history, streamers took all three major program categories, as the comedy, drama and limited/anthology fields were all dominated by digital rather than traditional linear TV. Not only did Apple TV Plus make history by becoming the quickest ever streamer to land a series prize — in just its second year of operation — but Netflix, which came into the Emmys having not won a major series category, finally scored the big one. Actually, on Sunday night, it won two of them: “The Crown,” for drama, and “The Queen’s Gambit,” for limited or anthology series. Both of those programs were this year’s big winners, earning 11 Emmys each when both Creative Arts and the primetime ceremony are included.

Netflix ended up with 44 Emmy wins this year (including both Creative Arts and Primetime), far ahead of HBO and HBO Max, which scored a combined 18. At Sunday’s ceremony, both Netflix and HBO/HBO Max won nine.

More victorious talent hailing from across the pond: ,strong>Michaela Coel, who grabbed the win for best writing in a limited/anthology/TV movie, “Mare of Easttown” star Kate Winslet, for actress in a limited/anthology/TV movie, and “Halston’s” Ewan McGregor for actor in limited/anthology/TV movie.

But still, the evening was mostly about “The Crown” and “Ted Lasso.” “If you want an Emmy, get yourself booked on ‘Ted Lasso’ or ‘The Crown,’” said Dr. Phil McGraw, of all people, during a pre-taped sketch in the middle of the Emmy telecast. And he was mostly right.

Read my full analysis of this year’s show here.

You thought the 2021 Emmys race was stacked? That was nothing. Get ready for a 2022 awards traffic jam.

And yes, it all starts with the Roy family. “Succession,” which became a phenom during its second-season run in fall 2019, won the 2020 Emmys for drama series, writing, directing, lead actor (Jeremy Strong) and guest actress (Cherry Jones), among other prizes.

HBO knows what it’s got. The network is already having fun teasing out Season 3, releasing multiple posters that play with who might or might not be aligned with fighting father and son Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall (Strong). And the fans are eating it up, excitedly anticipating the show’s Oct. 17 return. Out of the box, “Succession” enters the 2022 Emmy season as the likely frontrunner for another drama series Emmy.

But trying to guess much beyond that is a bit foolhardy, given how unpredictable scheduling has become lately; it’s tough to handicap when shows might return versus take an extended hiatus in this conjoined era of COVID-19 and Peak TV.

Pandemic production delays pushed many of TV’s biggest Emmy contenders into next year — but others have been delayed because, in this epoch of multi-hyphenate, multi-platform stars, sometimes there will be no TV until it’s time.

I mean, we’re all fans of his hip-hop career as Childish Gambino, but it has taken far too long for another season of Donald Glover’s “Atlanta.” The show will finally be back next year, as will fellow Emmy darlings “Barry,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on the comedy side. Also expected to air new episodes are previous comedy series nominees like “Dead to Me,” “Russian Doll” and “Insecure.”

And that’s not to mention current hits that aren’t taking a year off: We’re watching Season 2 of “Ted Lasso” right now, and that may very well be the instant front-runner for 2022 on the laffer side. But many of this year’s nominees, including “Hacks,” “The Flight Attendant,” “Pen15,” “Cobra Kai” and the final season of “Black-ish,” are also likely to be back with new episodes for the next eligibility period.

Other comedies back in this new cycle include “Black Monday,” which is always good for at least a nomination for star Don Cheadle.

And speaking of Cheadle, he’s the narrator for ABC’s new take on “The Wonder Years,” which might perhaps be the next hope for the broadcast networks in grabbing more Emmy comedy series attention.

On the drama side, it’s a similar tale. Shows that took a break but will now be back, besides “Succession,” will likely include “Better Call Saul,” “Stranger Things,” “The Morning Show,” “Euphoria,” “Ozark,” “Westworld” and “Killing Eve.” There won’t be as many returnees from this year’s drama series Emmy crop, but among them will be “The Boys.” (It’s still unclear whether others, including the next seasons of “The Crown” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” will make it back in time for the next eligibility frame.)

Throw in newcomers like Showtime’s “Dexter” revival, “Dexter: New Blood”; Jeff Bridges’ “The Old Man” (FX on Hulu); and HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” with more dramas to come in the winter and spring, and the drama field is still very crowded.

Read more here.

Clayton Davis writes:

At Sunday’s Emmy Awards ceremony, the mood may have been #EmmysSoWhite, but the dearth of non-white winners this year is not the only critical issue the Television Academy needs to address.

All award shows are at a crossroads. Viewership is declining, the wants and needs of consumers are not being heard nor understood by the industry, and the push for diversity is still met with hostility and an ignorant interpretation in some quarters in Hollywood. Awards shows, for better or worse, are the forum where we see these tensions sometimes play out in public — like the look on Kerry Washington’s face when she realized that Michael K. Williams , the beloved character actor who died Sept. 6 at age 54, did not prevail in his supporting drama actor category. It wasn’t solely that POC hadn’t won any acting categories that infuriated spectators. It became clear to the viewers that voters just went “down the line” on their ballots for the same shows in every category. And with the TV Academy having a simple honor system for voters to attest that all the shows were watched in a given category, the establishment seemed to have chosen the shows they were familiar with and names they knew.

The frustration at the lack of winning actors from BIPOC backgrounds was evident on TV Twitter, especially among creatives. But the issues for the TV Academy seem to be as much wrapped up in the nitty-gritty details of who among its 20,000-plus members gets to vote for what makes it into the Emmy competition. And on top of that, there is the “Too Much TV” factor that may be overwhelming some voters with too many shows to consider. Who has the time to watch and evaluate the entirety of 133 dramas, 68 comedies, 41 limited series and 41 television movies? Those were the actual number of submissions that were made for the Emmy nomination voting round this year. With that many contenders, that helps explain the kind of sweeps we’ve seen lately, with “Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit” dominating this year and “Schitt’s Creek” last year.

Read more here.

Caroline Framke writes:

In looking at the acting winners of Sunday’s Emmy awards, it was startling and even frustrating to realize just how thoroughly three shows dominated in the three genres of comedy, drama, and limited series. Ten of 12 acting categories went to performers from “Ted Lasso,” “The Crown,” and “Mare of Easttown.” Whereas last year’s “Schitt’s Creek” sweep felt like a startling aberration at the time, the 2021 Emmys indicated that, perhaps, a frontrunner dominating its genre might well become the norm.

Every one of the winners from “Ted Lasso,” “The Crown” and “Mare of Easttown” — from breakout stars like Hannah Waddingham, Josh O’Connor and Brett Goldstein to established favorites like Kate Winslet, Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson — turned in excellent work that absolutely merited their nominations. But every time their respective theme songs swelled to signal another victory was a reminder that the Academy’s voting body had overwhelmingly defaulted to the same three shows despite nominating an impressive breadth of talent. In fact, the only categories any of these shows lost were the only categories in which none of them were nominated (outstanding comedy actress, which went to Jean Smart for “Hacks,” and outstanding actor in a limited series or movie, which went to Ewan McGregor for “Halston”). So while counting the Emmys’ “snubs and surprises” is an annual tradition, this year may represent an interesting flashpoint in how the awards function as a reflection of what TV has to offer.

Read on here.

UPDATED NUMBERS: With Live+3 data in, the 2021 Emmy Awards averaged 8.1 million viewers, and a 1.9 rating with adults 18-49. That’s still not including digital/streaming data… so, pretty good — given it bucks the trend of awards show ratings collapses.

EARLIER: The good news, via Mónica Marie Zorrilla:

The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS rebounded from last year’s all-time low ratings, reversing steady declines with a 16% gain of viewership to 7.4 million, compared to approximately 6.37 million viewers in 2020 in fast nationals.

Per the accurate Nielsen Live+Same Day time-zone adjusted fast nationals for Sunday night, the ceremony averaged the total time spent across linear and digital platforms was over 1.4 billion minutes.

Even before the pandemic, the Emmys were struggling to stay on our collective radars, plummeting to a historic viewership drop-off in 2020 of approximately 12% compared to 2019’s host-less ceremony on Fox. The 7.4 million score for Sunday night’s show does not include “out of home” viewing and CBS estimates that it will likely increase upwards to 7.9 million when final numbers are released by Nielsen. [UPDATE: The initial same day nationals were 7.8 million.]

It should be noted that the Emmys faced stiff competition yesterday evening, as the show aired against both NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and a New York Mets versus Philadelphia Phillies MLB game in the primetime window. Read more here.

The day after the Emmys is always a scramble, as we put together our annual post-awards cover. Less than 24 hours after the show, we’re conducting a full photo shoot, video interview and magazine profile for one lucky winner. This year, it just so happened that “The Crown” star Josh O’Connor was in Los Angeles, even as the rest of his castmembers were celebrating in London. Whew.

It’s a feat, but we manage to do it every year, and this year had the magazine on stands by Wednesday, just days after the show. Here’s the beginning of that story:

Josh O’Connor learned the hard way that an Emmy can be a royal pain as an unintentional weapon. Hugging someone at the end of the Sept. 19 ceremony in downtown Los Angeles while holding his new statuette, the “Crown” star — who had just prevailed for lead drama actor — accidentally knocked himself in the forehead with one of Emmy’s sharp wings.

Things got crimson for a second, but thankfully, O’Connor’s bloody Sunday moment was short-lived. Fellow drama actor nominees Regé-Jean Page and Sterling K. Brown came to his aid and had a laugh about the award season capper of a war wound.

For O’Connor, it was a memorable end to an Emmy Awards that also marked the close of his reign as Prince Charles on Netflix’s much-praised chronicle of Queen Elizabeth II and the contemporary House of Windsor. And it was quite a way to go out. A British native, who was mostly unknown to Hollywood barely two years ago, O’Connor prevailed over tough competition as part of an impressive sweep for “The Crown.” The night culminated in Netflix earning its first drama series Emmy, for the show’s breakout Season 4 revolving around Charles and his star-crossed Princess Diana.

“This might be the final interview for ‘The Crown’ I ever do,” O’Connor says the next morning after dutifully undertaking a photo shoot for Variety at a downtown Los Angeles hotel, kitty-corner from the L.A. Live Event Deck, site of his Sept. 19 triumph.

“It’s been two years of my life, cumulatively, making the show. And then the rest of my life has just been talking about it,” he says. “It’s a strange dynamic; you spend more time talking about your work than you do making it sometimes. And that just shows the success of [‘The Crown’] — that people want to hear about it and want to understand the process and the stories. I’ve had the best two years ever. But it’s also exciting, the idea that I can go off and talk about other stuff.”

Read more here. And watch the video by clicking below!

The 73rd Emmy Awards bestowed plenty of love on “The Crown” and “Ted Lasso,” as well as “The Queen’s Gambit” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” On this edition of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, it’s a mega roundtable as Danielle Turchiano, Jazz Tangcay and Clayton Davis join me to dissect the big wins, the major surprises and super snubs, as well as some ways the television academy might consider changing things to avoid these straight ticket wins next year.

Did the telecast work? What was Conan doing? And what might be some wild ways the Academy might consider for the Emmys next? Oh and we even talk about what to expect for the 2022 Emmys! Yes, television awards season is never over.

But we made it to the Emmy finish line at least for now. Our hot takes, and a lot more next on variety’s awards circuit podcast! Stay close and click here:

Fox’s and Gordon Ramsay‘s “Next Level Chef,” which premieres in 2022, is set on a huge, three-stories high set (built somewhere outside Las Vegas), with each floor containing a completely different kind of kitchen. Line cooks, home chefs, social media stars, food truck owners will compete for a $250,000 grand prize.

Fox held a virtual press event with Ramsay and chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais and a cook-along with him as well. Utilitizing cookware from HexClad, the show’s partner, we made Croissant French Toast with Butterscotch Apples and Sesame Brittle. Delicious.

Apple TV Plus’ sci-fi adventure “Foundation” premiered on Friday, and to promote its launch, shared these modern travel items. Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, “Foundation” follows a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save the fate of humanity amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.

We are digging Hulu’s comedic mystery series “Only Murders in the Building,” starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, and look forward to playing this “Clue”-like game that recently came to promote the show. Plus, just like Nathan Lane‘s business in the show, some delicious dips and pita chips.

ABC’s marketing game for “The Wonder Years” is STRONG. Truly enjoyed the first episode, and can’t wait to catch more. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can still roller skate with this fine pair.

“The Masked Singer” is back on Wednesday nights (and yes, I continue to cover it each week!). Already unmasked: Dwight Howard, Vivica A. Fox and Toni Braxton. The show enters Season 6 with the return of a studio audience for the first time since the pandemic began. This season’s costumes include Baby, Banana Split, Beach Ball, Bull, Caterpillar, Cupcake, Dalmatian, Hamster, Mallard, Mother Nature, Octopus, Pepper, Pufferfish, Queen of Hearts and Skunk.

The Season 6 contestants boast a combined 85 Grammy Nominations and 27 wins, three Academy Award nominations, 12 Emmy Nominations, 12 Razzie Award Nominations, two Super Bowl appearances and two Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Gotta love any mailer that comes with Girl Scout cookies! We recevied this goodie box to promote eOne and Netflix’s “My Little Pony: A New Generation,” which premiered Sept. 24.

“Fall TV” isn’t the end-all, be-all of the television business that it once was, but nonetheless, it’s still a good time as a natural signpost to take the industry temperature.

Normally, the press gets to do that during the Television Critics Association summer press tour— but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TCA tour has gone online. And few networks have included executive sessions, once a TCA staple, as a part of those virtual sessions. But Variety contacted several outlets to nonetheless bring back its annual network exec survey, asking the traditional questions like “what show do you covet from another network?” (credit to the once-standard HRTS network presidents lunch for that one), as well as the new show they hope we check out and a few other fun questions in the mix.

We also asked the execs to share the thing they’d most like to change about the business, and that’s where our brief mention above about the ratings comes in. Measurement is changing, and execs remain frustrated that the business isn’t keeping pace. NBCUniversal’s Frances Berwick, for example, would like to change the “commercial monetization that is limited to consumption by 18-to-54-year-olds.” CBS’ Kelly Kahl is encouraged to see the industry “beginning to move away from such narrow demo targeting in terms of sales.”

Adds TBS/TNT/TruTV’s Brett Weitz: “The internet and subscription models have changed the way people discover and stick with brands – we need to be making television that is targeting and loved by a wider swath of age groups than has been historically dictated by outdated advertising perceptions.” And ABC and Hulu’s Craig Erwich would like to see us “stop talking about the demise of broadcast television. There is a ton of opportunity for creators.”

Here’s this year’s Variety Network Presidents Fall TV survey, answered by execs from Netflix, ABC/Hulu, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW, HBO/HBO Max, Showtime, FX, AMC, A+E, Discovery, Freeform, Paramount Plus, Epix and TBS/TNT/TruTV. See all 18 execs’ answers here. Below, some of them, edited for space, in chart form:

And we move on to the winter awards season. The Critics Choice Association (CCA), which is aiming to fill the void left by the lack of a Golden Globes event in January, is gearing up for its next ceremony on Jan. 9, 2022 (at the reopened Fairmont Century Plaza). Submissions are being accepted starting Monday, September 27, for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, and will close on Monday, November 15. Here are the TV categories:

Best Drama Series
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Best Comedy Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Best Limited Series
Best Movie Made for Television
Best Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
Best Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
Best Talk Show
Best Comedy Special
Best Animated Series
Best Foreign Language Series

The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and air on The CW.

Beyond all the stories mentioned above, here’s a round up of some of Variety’s other Emmy coverage from 2021. One last trip down memory lane:

Emmy Awards 2021: The Full Winners List

2021 Emmy Awards Data Analysis: The Pendulum Swings Back to Streaming

Netflix Execs Tout ‘Historic Night for Streaming’ After Dominating Emmy Awards

‘The Take’: Emmys Overlook Diversity; Netflix and Apple Dominate for Streamers

‘WandaVision’ Completely Shut Out at Primetime Emmys — and the Six Biggest Surprise Winners

Disability Advocate James LeBrecht Blasts CBS for Not Making Accessible Ramp on Emmys Stage Easily Visible on TV

From ‘The Mandalorian’ to Michael K. Williams, the Emmys Ignored a Great Year of Genre TV

It’s High Time for the Emmys to Do Away With Time Limits for Acceptance Speeches

#EmmysSoWhite: No Actors of Color Win Despite Record Nominee Lineup

Netflix Wins Most Emmys for First Time Ever, ‘The Crown’ and ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Top 2021 Awards Haul

Bright Colors, Bold Choices Reign on the Emmys Red Carpet

Olivia Colman Wins First Emmy for Lead Actress in Drama With ‘The Crown:’ ‘I Loved Every Second of It’

Netflix Lands First Top Series Emmy Wins With ‘The Crown’ and ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

Women Take Top Comedy and Drama Series Directing Emmys for First Time

Josh O’Connor Wins Emmy for ‘The Crown,’ Praises Co-Star Emma Corrin as a ‘Force of Nature’

HBO Max Unveils ‘Peacemaker,’ ‘Euphoria’ First Look Footage During Emmys

‘Mare of Easttown’ Star Kate Winslet on Emmy Win: ‘You Made Us All Feel Validated’

In Surprise Win, Ewan McGregor Scores His First Career Emmy With ‘Halston’

RuPaul Breaks Record for the Most Emmy Wins by a Person of Color

Conan O’Brien Steals Spotlight at Emmys With Antics and Accolades From the Stage

Jean Smart Wins Lead Actress in a Comedy Emmy for ‘Hacks,’ Her Fourth Overall

Norm Macdonald Honored by Lorne Michaels, John Oliver at Emmys: ‘One of the Best We Ever Had’

Emmys Open With TV-Themed Biz Markie Tribute, Jabs at COVID Safety Protocols

Justin Hartley, Padma Lakshmi, Yvette Nicole Brown Honored by Creative Coalition Ahead of Emmys

Emmy Nominees Mj Rodriguez and Hannah Waddingham Celebrate at TV Academy Party Ahead of Awards Show

Debbie Allen Reflects on Storied Career, Being the First Black Female Recipient of the Governors Award

Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez Win Emmy for ‘WandaVision’s’ ‘Agatha All Along’

Dave Chappelle Wins Guest Comedy Actor Emmy for ‘Saturday Night Live’

Maya Rudolph Becomes Second Black Woman to Win Back-to-Back Acting Emmys in Same Category

Claire Foy Wins Guest Drama Actress Emmy for ‘The Crown’

Thanks to ‘Inside,’ Bo Burnham Wins First Emmys

Courtney B. Vance Pays Tribute to ‘Lovecraft Country’ Co-Star Michael K. Williams During Emmy Acceptance Speech

Marvel Studios Scores Its First Emmys With ‘WandaVision’

2021 Creative Arts Emmys: Full Winners List

Courtesy film awards editor Clayton Davis, here are the important dates for the next few months, up to the Oscars on March 27:

October

4: Critics Choice Awards – TV category submissions open
8: Film Independent submission deadline for awards (members only)
15: Oscars deadline submission for animation short, documentary short subject and live action short film
21: Gotham Awards nominations
22: Grammy Awards – first round voting begins

November

1: Oscars deadline submission for deadline for animated feature, documentary feature, international feature, original score, original song
5: SAG Awards submission closes at 5 p.m. PT
5: Grammy Awards – first round voting ends
11: AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards
15: Oscars deadline submission for deadline for general entry categories
15: Critics Choice Awards – TV category submissions closed
15: IDA Documentary Awards nominations
17: Critics Choice Nomination Committees begin deliberations
21: American Music Awards
23: 64th Annual Grammy Awards nominees announced
29: Gotham Awards ceremony
29: Critics Choice Awards ballots go out to film branch members
30: National Board of Review awards announcement
30: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

December

1: Critics Choice Awards – TV nominations announced
3: New York Film Critics Circle awards announcement
3: Critics Choice Awards nomination ballots for film branch due at midnight PT
6: Critics Choice Awards – Film nominations announced
6: 64th Grammy Awards final voting begins
6: SAG Awards nominations voting opens
10: Producers Guild of America Documentary Film nominations
10: BAFTA Awards round one voting begins
21: Oscars shortlist announcement
21: Annie Awards nominations
31: Oscars eligibility period ends

January

3: BAFTA Awards round one voting ends.
5: Final Grammy Awards voting ends
6: Final Critics Choice ballots emailed to all members
7: Final Critics Choice ballots deadline to be returned at 9 p.m. PT
9: SAG Awards nomination voting closes at 5:00 pm PT
9: 27th annual Critics Choice Awards presented live on The CW
11: National Board of Review awards gala
12: 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG-AFTRA) nominations announced
13: Producers Guild of America Awards (PGA) nominations announced – TV (children’s, shortform and sports)
13: Writers Guild of America Awards (WGA) nominations – TV
15: Academy Governors Awards
17: Visual Effects Society Awards (VES) nominations announced
19: Final SAG Awards voting opens
21: Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA) nominations announced – TV and commercial
24: Art Directors Guild Awards (ADG) nominations announced
25: Cinema Audio Society (CAS) nominations announced
26: Directors Guild of America (DGA) nominations announced – Documentary
27: 94th Oscar nominations voting begins at 9 a.m. PT
27: Producers Guild of America Awards nominations – Film, TV (specials and streamed)
27: Directors Guild of America (DGA) nominations announced – Feature films
27: Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations announced – Film
31: 64th Annual Grammy Awards on CBS and stream live and on-demand on Paramount Plus at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT

February

1: Oscar nomination voting ends at 5 p.m. PT
3: BAFTA Film Awards nominations announcement
5: International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards
8: 94th Oscars nominations announcement
25: SAG Awards final voting ends at 12 p.m. (noon) PT
26: Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards
26: Annie Awards
26: American Cinema Editors (ACE Eddie) Awards
27: 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards televised live on TNT and TBS at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET

March

5: 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards air on IFC at 5 p.m. PT
5: Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards
7: Oscar nominees luncheon
8: Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards
12: Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards
13: BAFTA Film Awards ceremony
17: Final Oscars voting begins at 9 a.m. PT
19: Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards
20: Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards
22: Final Oscar voting ends at 5 p.m. PT
27: 94th Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theatre and televised live on ABC

And that’s it for now! As they say in the Marvel movies…

AWARDS HQ WILL RETURN.

Meanwhile, questions, suggestions and fan letters (ha!) to mschneider@variety.com, and your hot tips as well!  Thanks for reading. See you soon.