For Your Consideration: Possible Contenders For Awards Season 2016

It's that time of year again, folks.

For the next 3 months-ish- the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations are announced this coming Tuesday (24th November), the Academy Awards are on February 28th 2016- the blog will be littered with awards season stuff. So, apologies if you're not a fan and welcome if you are.

As usual, here's some wild prognostication about what could make a showing in this awards season.

Fresh off the back of his Academy Award win this year for The Theory Of Everything, Eddie Redmayne might get another Best Actor nod for his work as transgender pioneer Lili Elbe (born Einar Wegener) in Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl. Similarly, Hooper might get recognised for his direction and Alicia Vikander may get a Best Supporting Actress nod for her performance as Wegener's wife Gerda. 

I'm Not There director Todd Haynes reunites with Cate Blanchett for Carol, a love story based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Strangers On A Train). Blanchett plays the eponymous Carol who falls in love with a younger woman, played by Rooney Mara. Both Blanchett and Mara could get acting nods and the film may get a Best Picture nomination.

It might be another Good Showing for the Brits(TM). Maggie Smith's imperious turn in The Lady In The Van might see her get a Best Actress nod (virtually guaranteed for BAFTA, although whether the appeal will travel is not known). Similarly, Carey Mulligan's powerful performance in Suffragette should see her getting noticed as Best Actress, along with Helena Bonham Carter in the Supporting Actress category.

Two films based around the movie business might also feature. The first is Hail, Caesar!, the Coen Brothers' latest film (which stars Ralph Fiennes, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton and George Clooney). The second is Trumbo, about the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was blacklisted and imprisoned during the Communist witchhunts of the 1950s. Bryan Cranston might get a Best Actor nomination for playing Trumbo. 

Biopics tend to do well, so there should be some recognition for Johnny Depp's superbly chilling performance as mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger in Black Mass whilst several members of the cast of Steve Jobs have also been pointed out as being particularly award-worthy, namely Michael Fassbender (as Jobs) and Kate Winslet (as Joanna Hoffman). There's also been some buzz about Seth Rogen's performance as Steve Wozniak, so who knows, he might also get a mention (hell, Jonah Hill's got two Oscar nominations so anything's possible!)

On the subject of biopics, David O. Russell's latest film Joy may similarly do well. The story of Joy Mangano, who invented the Miracle Mop, it stars Jennifer Lawrence in the title role with Bradley Cooper and Robert de Niro in supporting roles. All three actors have had awards nominations- and in Lawrence's case, a win- working with Russell, so lightning might strike twice (thrice, in some cases). 

But what about Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens? Could it get a Best Picture nod? Frankly, I've no idea. The original Star Wars did- but has been the only one of them so far to get that recognition. I fully expect the technical categories to be where the film will get a mention, similarly with films like SPECTRE and the Marvel movies.


The timetable for the major awards in 2016 is as follows:

Film Independent Spirit Awards
Nominations announced: November 24th 2015
Awards ceremony: February 27th 2016

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Nominations announced: December 9th 2015
Awards ceremony: January 30th 2016

Golden Globes
Nominations announced: December 10th 2015
Awards ceremony: January 10th 2016 (hosted by Ricky Gervais)

Critics' Choice Awards
Nominations announced: December 14th 2015
Awards ceremony: January 17th 2016

Producers' Guild Of America (PGA) Award
Nominations announced: January 5th 2016
Awards ceremony: January 23rd 2016

Writers' Guild Of America (WGA) Award
Nominations announced: January 6th 2016
Awards ceremony: February 13th 2016

BAFTA Film Awards
Nominations announced: January 8th 2016
Awards ceremony: February 14th 2016

Directors' Guild Of America (DGA) Award
Nominations announced: January 12th 2016
Awards ceremony: February 6th 2016

Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies)
Nominations announced: January 13th 2016
Awards ceremony: February 27th 2016

Academy Awards (Oscars)
Nominations announced: January 14th 2016
Awards ceremony: February 28th 2016 (hosted by Chris Rock)


So, in the immortal words of Bette Davis in All About Eve...

Tez