Awards Season Will Look Very Different In 2021 – Here's What You Can Expect

From the Brits and the Baftas to the Grammys and the Globes, there have been major changes across the board.

The last year saw film and TV production shut down for months, cinemas closed, many music releases pushed back and live events called off altogether, so it’s of little surprise that Awards Season is going to look very different in 2021.

By now, the stars are usually out in force on various red carpets either side of the pond, but the live ceremonies are now mirroring the creative industries they celebrate, thanks to a raft of postponements and changes. 

So if you were wondering what exactly is supposed to be going on with the likes of the Brits, Baftas and Oscars, here’s a handy guide of what to expect over the coming months – further changes permitting...

Golden Globes

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If you’re an awards season fan, you’ll know that the Golden Globes would have usually taken place by now, as they always kick off the season in early January. 

At present, they are set to take place on Sunday 28 February – the original date that was set for this year’s Oscars. 

The live ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton and will be hosted for the fourth time by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. 

The deadline for Globes-eligible TV shows remained unchanged at 31 December 2020, while the eligibility period for films has been extended to cover the period of 1 January 2020 to 28 February 2021. 

SAG Awards 

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Likewise, the Screen Actors Guild Awards – which usually give us the strongest indication of what will do well at the Oscars – would have also been upon us by now. 

However, the SAGs were initially delayed to Sunday 14 March in response to the pandemic, and they have since been pushed back for a second time to Sunday 4 April

Instead of the usual ceremony, organisers have confirmed the 2021 event will take the form of a one-hour special that “highlights and expands on our signature I am an actor opening and honours the outstanding performances of the past year”.

The eligibility period has been extended to match that of the Globes and Oscars, and nominations are expected to be announced on 4 February. 

NTAs

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NTAs

The National Television Awards will return to their traditional autumn slot this year, after initially being delayed until April. They have taken place every January since the ceremony was revamped in 2010. 

Organisers are planning for a full live ceremony from the usual venue of London’s O2 Arena on Thursday 9 September

Viewers have also been promised there will be some “exciting new categories” introduced for the 26th annual event, while it is yet to be confirmed who will host after reports David Walliams will not return, having taken over from Dermot O’Leary in 2020. 

Grammys

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Until early January, it looked as if the Grammys might go ahead as originally scheduled on 31 January, but just five days into the new year, bosses pulled the plug due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles. 

It is now scheduled to take place on Sunday 14 March.

As a result of the last-minute nature of the postponement, the eligibility period remains unchanged, as the nominations had already been previously announced. 

Baftas

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Empics Entertainment

The British Academy Film Awards has pushed back its ceremony from Sunday 14 February to Sunday 11 April, in line with the postponement of the Oscars, which always concludes cinema’s main awards season. 

It has also been announced that films going straight to on demand services – rather than waiting for a theatrical release when cinemas reopen – will still be eligible for prizes. The period in which films can be eligible for awards has also been extended from  1 January 2020 to 9 April 2021.

It is also revamping its voting methods in all major categories following the lack of diversity the 2020 event had across the board. 

Brits Awards 

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The biggest night in the British music calendar is now slated to take place on Tuesday 11 May, instead of its usual date in February. 

The Brit Awards’ chief executive, Geoff Taylor, explained the shift in date is to ensure they can put on the ceremony viewers have come to expect. 

He said: “We want to make sure that The Brits delivers the outstanding production levels, superstar performances and live excitement that make it the biggest night in music.

“We believe that the best way to achieve this in 2021 is to move the show back a few months to May, and we are already at work planning a spectacular event that will remind us how important music has been in getting us all through these difficult times.”

Oscars  

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The Oscars was the first of the major US awards ceremonies to move its date in response to the pandemic last year, with the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled to take place on Sunday 25 April, instead of 28 February. 

The ceremony will be held at its usual home of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with a host still to be confirmed. 

An Academy representative also told Variety in December that an in-person ceremony “will happen”, ruling out a fully remote or hybrid format.

Along with the extended eligibility period for feature films, the criteria has also been modified to account for films originally intended to have a theatrical release that ultimately were released directly to streaming platforms. 

It will also be the first time since the sixth Oscars in 1934 that films released in two different calendar years will be eligible for awards at the same ceremony. 

TV Baftas

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PA

Last year’s TV Baftas were pushed back two months from May to the end of July, eventually taking the form of a live TV broadcast where nominees and winners appeared virtually. 

In 2021, the ceremony is set to take place on Sunday 6 June, and will also include a number of changes. 

The eligibility period for nominees has been extended for the Soap and Continuing Drama category to reflect the impact of Covid-19 which forced filming to halt, while the Sport and Live Events categories will be merged given the lack of both over the past year. 

There will also be a new Daytime category, while there has been the introduction of new initiatives behind the scenes to better promote diversity among the nominees. 

Emmys

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Like the UK TV Baftas, its US equivalent played with a mix of live elements and remote appearances for its 2020 ceremony, which took place in its usual September slot in the calendar. 

Bosses are now ploughing ahead with plans for this year’s Emmys, which is on track for its original date of Sunday 19 September.