The Road to the Oscars 2025: Our guide to next year's major award ceremonies ahead of the Academy Awards

• The Road to the 97th Academy Awards officially kicks off today.
• The nominees for the first major awards ceremony, the Golden Globes, are set to be announced just after 1:15pm GMT.
• But along with the Golden Globes, what is the “road” to the Oscars and how do other ceremonies influence the Academy’s voting?

It’s officially awards season in the world of film and television, as this afternoon the nominees for the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony are set to be revealed.

The event, to be hosted by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut, is set to take place from 1:15pm GMT as we finally get a peak into what could be the leading contenders heading into the 97th Academy Awards, taking place in March 2025.

Speculation mounts as to whether this year will be a number of comebacks featured in the nominations, with the likes of Angelina Jolie and Demi Moore praised for their performances in “Maria” and “The Substance” respectively.

Could there be some nods though for ‘Wicked,’ as the Golden Globes has often seen musicals and comedies elevated through awards success compared to that of the Academy Awards.

We’ll have to wait and see (while still speculating), but with the Golden Globes set to be announced, what other award ceremonies are considered the path to the Oscars - and when will we find out who is nominated for each ceremony?

What are the award ceremonies on the road to the Oscars 2025?

With the 2025 Golden Globe nominees to be announced today, what does the Road to the Oscars look like - and what are the major award ceremonies before the big one? | Canva

The Golden Globes

The Golden Globes, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), are often seen as the unofficial kickoff to awards season. They are crucial for both the Best Picture and acting categories.

While the Oscars are highly specific about genre classifications (e.g., Drama vs. Musical or Comedy), the Golden Globes provide two distinct categories in most major categories, giving a wider range of films and performances recognition.

Historically, the winner of the Best Motion Picture (Drama) Golden Globe has been a strong indicator of an eventual Best Picture Oscar winner.

The Globes are also an important predictor for Best Actor and Best Actress categories, with performances at the Globes frequently mirrored at the Oscars. For example, in 2020, Renee Zellweger won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The Critics Choice

The Critics' Choice Awards, presented by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), are voted on by members of the American-Canadian film critics’ community. Unlike the Golden Globes, which are often seen as more influenced by the HFPA's preferences, the Critics' Choice Awards offer a more critical, industry-centric perspective on film.

The Critics' Choice are usually an excellent predictor of Best Picture and Best Director nominees for the Oscars, given their membership of film critics who have a good sense of the films most likely to be embraced by Academy voters.

Critics' Choice has a large overlap in voting members with the Academy, making it one of the most important precursors to the Oscars. For example, the Critics' Choice winners for Best Picture and Best Director (2020: 1917 and Sam Mendes) were mirrored in the Academy Awards that year.

The BAFTAs

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) are particularly important for films that perform well internationally. BAFTA often favors British talent, but it still has significant sway in the Oscar race. A win at the BAFTA Film Awards can often boost a film’s momentum, especially in categories like Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

The BAFTAs are regarded as one of the best indicators of how the Academy will vote, particularly in the Best Director category, given that both organizations often have overlapping members.

Historically, films that do well at BAFTA often continue to perform well at the Oscars, with the Best Film BAFTA winner regularly going on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. In 2020, ‘Parasite’ won both the BAFTA Best Film and Academy Award for Best Picture.

Screen Actors Guild Awards

The SAG Awards are focused specifically on performances, particularly Best Ensemble Cast, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Voted on by the SAG-AFTRA membership, this award is considered one of the most important indicators of who will win the acting Oscars.

The Best Actor and Best Actress SAG winners often go on to win the same category at the Oscars. For example, Matthew McConaughey’s win for Best Actor at the SAG Awards for his role in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ was a key moment in his path to winning the Oscar in the same category.

The SAG Ensemble Award winner is often a major contender for Best Picture, with ‘Birdman’ (2015) and ‘The Help’ (2012) both securing the SAG and Academy recognition in the same year.

Directors Guild Awards

The DGA Awards are extremely influential, particularly in determining the Best Director category at the Oscars. The DGA Award for Best Director has an incredibly high correlation with the Best Director Oscar winner.

Over the last several decades, more than 80% of the DGA winners went on to win the Oscar for Best Director.

The DGA Awards also spotlight key behind-the-scenes talent, making them an essential stop for films in the Oscar race. A DGA win often boosts a film’s profile in the Best Picture race as well, given that directors are key voters in the Academy.

When are nominees announced for each award ceremony?

While not all the award ceremonies have listed when their nominees will be announced, the majority of those we have listed do have dates worth keeping an eye on during the Oscars race:

• The Golden Globes: December 9 2024
• The Critics Choice: December 11 2024
• SAG Awards: January 8 2025
• The BAFTAs: January 16 2025
• DGA Awards: Not confirmed as of writing.

When will the Oscar nominees be announced?

The biggest awards night in the world of film will announce their nominees on January 21 2025 (correct as of writing.)

When do the Oscars take place in 2025?

The 97th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2 2025 and are presented this year by Conan O’Brien.

Who do you have on your bingo card this year for the annual Road to the Oscars? Make your predictions now by leaving a comment down below.