2026 Oscars calendar: Key dates for awards shows, nominations announcements

The 2026 Oscars will be here before you know it, and Gold Derby has you covered on all of the key dates for awards shows and nominations announcements in the lead-up to the big event. ABC's broadcast of the 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, with comedian Conan O'Brien back as host for the second consecutive time.

Important televised precursors to watch out for in the weeks before the Academy Awards are the Golden Globes on Jan. 4, Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 11, BAFTAs on Feb. 22, and Screen Actors Guild Awards on March 1. These influential events can sometimes tip Oscar races one way or another, particularly if a contender wows the audience with their winning speech.

On April 21, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made several rule changes, including most notably that members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round. AMPAS will monitor viewing activity for its members through the Academy Screening Room streaming platform. In addition, the names of all designated nominees will now be included on the final ballot, including in categories like Best Song, where the songwriters and musicians were never previously named. And important language about Generative Artificial Intelligence was added to the rulebook, as recommended by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council.

Here is the current 2026 Oscars calendar (more dates will be added as they become available). Note that awards ceremonies are in bold, and nominations announcements are in italics.

2025

April 29 — Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony

Oct. 6 — Student Academy Awards Ceremony

Nov. 16 — Governors Awards Ceremony

Dec. 9 — Producers Guild of America (PGA) Nominations Announcement for Documentary Motion Pictures

Dec. 12 — Producers Guild of America (PGA) Nominations Announcement for Sports, Children’s, and Short Form

Dec. 16 — Oscars Shortlists Announcement

2026

Jan. 2 — Palm Springs International Film Awards

Jan. 4 — Golden Globes Awards Ceremony

Jan. 7 — Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Nominations Announcement

Jan. 9 — Producers Guild of America (PGA) Nominations Announcement for Film and Television (major categories)

Jan. 11 — Critics Choice Awards (CCA) Awards Ceremony

Jan. 22 — Oscars Nominations Announcement

Feb. 10 — Oscars Nominees Luncheon

Feb. 22 — British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards Ceremony

Feb. 28 — Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards Ceremony

March 1 — Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Ceremony

March 15 — Oscars Ceremony

TBA

We are still waiting on 2026 date announcements for the following events:

• AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
• Advanced Imaging Society (Lumiere) Awards
• African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards
• American Cinema Editors (ACE) Awards
• American Film Institute (AFI) Awards
• American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)
• Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards
• Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
• BAFTA Tea Party
• Casting Society of America (CSA) Awards
• Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards
• Costume Designers Guild (CDG) Awards
• Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards
• Dorian Awards
• Film Independent Spirit Awards
• ICG Publicists Awards
• Makeup and Hairstyling (MUAHS) Awards
• Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Awards
• NAACP Image Awards
• Santa Barbara International Film Awards
• Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards
• Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards

Updated April 22, 2025

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