This past week, The Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced. The Spirit Awards are, in essence, the beginning and end of Precursor Season. They are the first group to announce anything and they are the last group to announce prior to the Oscars (the night before specifically). For the next three months, we’ll be posting almost daily updates with precursor winners and nominees from across all organizations, critics groups and guilds. Below is a calendar of events that should help you identify when your favorite precursor announces. Please note that several dates are marked as “Unconfirmed.” These estimates are conjecture based on the announcement window from last year (and in some cases, years prior). It’s reasonable to believe that the vast majority of the estimated dates will be accurate; however, as the last few years have proven, date ranges are always subject to change.

In addition to the crystal ball clarifications that will come up, 8 groups will be celebrating a milestone anniversary this year, including some of the biggest names in the precursor business. Let’s congratulate these groups on their achievements.

80 Years

New York Film Critics Circle

40 Years

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

35 Years

Boston Society of Film Critics
London Film Critics Circle

30 Years

Spirit Awards

20 Years

Broadcast Film Critics Association

15 Years

Vancouver Film Critics Circle

10 Years

Austin Film Critics Association

Awards Season Calendar

Indicates a Nominations Announcement
Indicates an Awards Announcement
Indicates an Academy Awards Event

November

Week #1

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Spirit Awards (Nominations) (Official)

December

Week #2

Monday, Dec. 1

Annie Awards (Nominations) (Official)
PGA Documentary (Nominations) (Official)
Satellites (Nominations) (Official)

Tuesday, Dec. 2

National Board of Review (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
New York Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Friday, Dec. 5

Grammy Awards (Nominations) (Official)

Saturday, Dec. 6

Boston Online Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Sunday, Dec. 7

Boston Critics (Awards) (Official)
Los Angeles Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
NY Online Critics (Awards) (Official)
DC Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Week #3

Monday, Dec. 8

American Film Institute (Awards) (Official)
DC Critics (Awards) (Official)
Detroit Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)
Online Critics (Nominations) (Official)
Phoenix Film Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)
St. Louis Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Tuesday, Dec. 9

San Diego Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Wednesday, Dec. 10

San Diego Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Screen Actors (Nominations) (Official)

Thursday, Dec. 11

Golden Globes (Nominations) (Official)

Friday, Dec. 12

Detroit Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Chicago Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Week #4

Monday, Dec. 15

Chicago Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Dallas Area Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Online Critics (Awards) (Official)
Southeastern Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
St. Louis Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Broadcast Critics (Nominations) (Official)

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Austin Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Houston Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Indiana Film Journalists (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Phoenix Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
San Francisco Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Toronto Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
London Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Florida Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Friday, Dec. 19

Las Vegas Critics (Awards) (Official)
Utah Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Sunday, Dec. 21

Vancouver Critics (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)

Week #5

Nothing

Week #6

Monday, Dec. 29

Academy Awards Voting Begins (Oscars) (Official)

January

Week #6, cont.

Friday, Jan. 2

Cinema Editors (Nominations) (Official)

Saturday, Jan. 3

National Society Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Week #7

Monday, Jan. 5

Art Directors (Nominations) (Official)
Producers Guild (Nominations) (Official)

Tuesday, Jan. 6

Oklahoma Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Toronto Critics – Canadian Film (Awards) (Unconfirmed)

Wednesday, Jan. 7

Vancouver Critics (Awards) (Unconfirmed)
Cinematographers (Nominations) (Official)
Costume Designers (Nominations) (Unconfirmed)
Writers Guild (Nominations) (Official)

Thursday, Jan. 8

Academy Awards Voting Ends (Oscars) (Official)
Make-Up Artists Guild (Nominations) (Official)
USC Scripter (Nominations) (Official)

Friday, Jan. 9

British Academy (Nominations) (Official)

Sunday, Jan. 11

Golden Globes (Awards) (Official)

Week #8

Tuesday, Jan. 13

Audio Society (Nominations) (Official)
Directors Guild (Nominations) (Official)

Wednesday, Jan. 14

Sound Editors (Nominations) (Official)
Visual Effects Society (Nominations) (Official)

Thursday, Jan. 15

Broadcast Critics (Awards) (Official)
Academy Awards (Oscars) (Official)

Sunday, Jan. 18

London Critics (Awards) (Official)

Week #9

Saturday, Jan. 24

Producers Guild (Awards) (Official)

Sunday, Jan. 25

Screen Actors (Awards) (Official)
Online Film & TV Association (Nominations) (Official)

Week #10

Friday, Jan. 30

Cinema Editors (Awards) (Official)

Saturday, Jan. 31

Annie Awards (Awards) (Official)
Art Directors (Awards) (Official)
USC Scripter (Awards) (Official)

February

Week #10, Cont.

Sunday, Feb. 1

Week #11

Monday, Feb. 2

Nominees Lunch (Oscars) (Official)

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Visual Effects Society (Awards) (Official)

Friday, Feb. 6

Academy Awards Voting Begins (Oscars) (Official)

Saturday, Feb. 7

Directors Guild (Awards) (Official)
Sci-Tech Awards (Oscars) (Official)

Sunday, Feb. 8

British Academy (Awards) (Official)
Grammy Awards (Awards) (Official)
Online Film & TV Association (Awards) (Official)

Week #12

Saturday, Feb. 14

Audio Society (Awards) (Official)
Make-Up Artists Guild (Awards) (Official)
Writers Guild (Awards) (Official)

Sunday, Feb. 15

Cinematographers (Awards) (Official)
Satellites (Awards) (Official)
Sound Editors (Awards) (Official)

Week #13

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Academy Award Voting Ends (Oscars) (Official)
Costume Designers (Awards) (Official)

Saturday, Feb. 21

Spirit Awards (Awards) (Official)

Sunday, Feb. 22

Academy Awards (Oscars) (Official)