On episode 162 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to give their Oscar Shortlist predictions.

Before they get into the main show, the guys break down the 2023 Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Hollywood Critics Association nominations that were announced this week, including the films and performances that got snubbed, and which films had the strongest showings. After that brief discussion, Ryan, Erik and Dan dive into their Oscar shortlist predictions, which will be announced on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. The shortlists are always a good glimpse into what the voters are considering for the overall nominations that will be revealed on January 24, 2023. The categories include Documentary Feature, International Feature, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Sound, Original Score, and Original Song.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs a zippy 1h15m. We will be off next week for the holiday but will be back at the start of the new year! Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 161 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to talk about the latest critic’s awards winners including NBR and AFI and answers some listener questions.

Another busy week within the latest phase of award season, as the National Board of Review (NBR), American Film Institute (AFI), and various critic’s voting bodies including Los Angeles Film Critics (LAFCA) announced their winners this week, with Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Banshees of Inisherin, TÁR, and RRR have very strong showings across the week. The team breakdown these wins and what they mean for the Oscar race.

After this discussion, which was recorded Sunday before Golden Globe nominations (see full noms here), the gang move on to listener questions that cover Brendan Fraser’s nomination status with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, what they would love to see nominated for Best Comedy/Musical at the Globes, and their favorite moments in Globes history. They also talk about TÁR’s Oscar chances, if Michelle Williams would’ve swept the season if she was in the Best Supporting Actress race, and the state of the race for Netflix’s Best Picture chances.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 1h17m. We will be back later this week with our reactions to the Golden Globe nominations. Till then, enjoy the show.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

This podcast is sponsored by Amazon Studios presenting Thirteen Lives from director/producer Ron Howard, and starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton. Thirteen Lives recounts the effort to rescue a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave during an unexpected storm. Vanity Fair calls it "a pulse-pounding, incredibly detailed recreation of a remarkable global event" Thirteen Lives is streaming now on Prime Video.

On episode 160 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Sophia Ciminello and Dan Bayer to talk about the first wave of awards and nominations handed out this award season and answer listener questions.

Right at the start of the show, the AW crew discuss the trailer to the horror-comedy Cocaine Bear, which looks like a new camp classic in the making. Once that discussion was over, they moved on to talking about the Gotham Award and New York Film Critic Circle winners that were announced this week, and the Independent Spirit Award nominations that were released last week. A lot of love for titles from A24, especially Everything Everywhere All at Once, which managed wins and nominations across all of these three events. The same goes for Todd Field’s TÁR, which is looking like it could become the critical darling of the year. It was a lively conversation, covering all the aspects of how the beginning of the race is playing out so far.

As that discussion wrapped up, the gang tackled some listener questions which talked about the evolving Best Actor race, film they can’t wait to show their families over the holidays, and who got a major bump from the nominations and wins over the last two weeks. They also gave some early predictions for who they think will be nominated for Best Stunt Ensemble for the SAG Awards.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 1h44m. Good to be back and we will be back next week. Till then, enjoy the show.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 159 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to discuss the Grammy nominations and Thanksgiving related topics.

The 2023 Grammy nominations were announced this past week, with some of the biggest artists in music making history with their nominations. The top nominees included Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, ABBA, Brandi Carlile. The guys talk (to the best their ability) about the nominations and who some of the Best New Artists are.

Next up, the crew speak about their favorite Thanksgiving traditions they do with their families as well as their favorite food item to eat during their Thanksgiving meal. They also discuss what movie related plans they have for the holiday and what they are most thankful for as a film critic.

Lastly, the AW gang answer some listener questions, ranging from which artist from this current Oscar season would they bring to Thanksgiving to who they think will be the next person to complete the EGOT. They also discuss the Best Picture chances for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and what are their current top 3 in their current Best Picture rankings.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 1h27m. We will be off next week due to the Thanksgiving weekend. Without further ado, enjoy the show.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 158 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Kevin L. Lee, and Nicole Ackman to discuss the latest film in the MCU, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and talk about their favorite sequels of all time.

The second to last big budget spectacle on the 2022 calendar has released with Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the 2018 Oscar winning, global sensation. Following the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, director Ryan Coogler and company had an enormous task on their hand in crafting this film, with many other obstacles other than just Boseman in their way in the process of bringing this film to screen. With all of this said, Coogler has delivered a film many critics and audiences believe to be the strongest film in Phase 4 of the MCU, and another great installment in the overall franchise. But do our hosts feel the same way? Listen and find out, it is a fascinating, well rounded discussion. After this review, do a fun segment talking about some of their favorite sequels of all time. Lots of fun variety in their choices.

Lastly, the AW gang had some time for listener questions covering their biggest annoyance so far in this award season, as well as what films they would be happy to see a sequel to. They also talked about the best costumes they’ve ever seen in a movie, if John Williams will miss a Best Original Score nomination for The Fabelmans, and what their current outlook on the Best Supporting Actor race looks like right now.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h21m. Bit on the long side but it was a lot of fun recording this one. Without further ado, enjoy the show.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 157 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor in Chief Erik Anderson to break down the films they saw at the 2022 AFI Film Festival.

Located in beautiful Los Angeles, California, the AFI Film Festival marks the end of the Fall film festival season, and has a lineup of films expected to enchant audiences as well as be real players within the awards race. Ryan and Erik break down their thoughts on titles like Bardo, Pinocchio, Devotion, "Sr.," The Fabelmans, and more, as well as give a little bit of insight in how they can see some of these titles play out above and below the line at the Oscars this year.

2022 AFI FEST reviews

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 55m. We will be back next week with the AW team as we talk about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Until then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 156 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, TV Editor Tyler Doster and AwardsWatch contributors Sophia Ciminello, Dan Bayer, Kevin L. Lee, Nicole Ackman and Josh Parham to do the Winter Movie Draft and answers some listener questions.

Back in the summer, on the first episode of the newly vamped AwardsWatch podcast, the AW gang divided up into two teams to do the Summer Movie Draft, trying to predict which team will have pick the highest grossing, best reviewed films of the summer. In doing so, Ryan’s team beat out Erik’s team thanks to Tom Cruise saving cinema with Top Gun: Maverick. Now with two months left in the film calendar, and tons of cinema left to see, Erik’s team looks for revenge in the new Fall Box Office draft while Ryan’s team looks to continue their winning ways from the summer. Lots of fun picks, including some hilarious “bomb” picks by each team.

Once the draft was over, the team moved over to some listener questions covering the above the line chances for The Whale and the overall Oscar chances for mid-budget films like The Woman King. They also discuss what are some changes to the Oscars ceremony they would make to make it more celebratory of the nominated films, which modern actors they would like to see in a rom-com, what classic, older films they would pair in a double feature with this year’s awards contenders, and more.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 1h15m. Good to be back and we should have a new episode from Ryan and Erik live at the AFI Film Festival. Till then, enjoy the show.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 155 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by TV Editor Tyler Doster and AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Sophia Ciminello and Kevin Lee to talk about their Top 5 Horror films of all time and answer some Halloween themed listener questions.

Since we have entered the month of October, the AW crew thought it would be a fun time to talk about some of the best films that have scared them over the years. The range of films mentioned within this extensive conversation span over multiple decades, directed by some of the best directors over all time, and are considered some of the best films ever made. Personal, passionate stories fill each pick by the five podcasters, making this top five conversation one of the best ones covered on the podcast so far.

Transitioning over to the listener questions, the team talk about their favorite Halloween candy and what movie themed costumes they have worn over the years, or could be wearing this year. They also talked about which films would be best to recommend for someone who isn’t into horror movies, the scariest films they have seen that aren’t in the horror genre, favorite horror creature, and the first horror movie that made each of them scared to go to sleep.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 2h23m. Lots of spooky talk on this week’s show, so without further ado, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission.

On episode 154 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, and Josh Parham to have an extensive conversation over the 2022 Best Actor and Actress races, as well as answer listener questions and play a fun new game.

Before the group get into their Oscar conversation, the results of the 2022 Summer Box Office Draft were announced, as well as the film the losing team will be watching as a ‘reward.’ There will be another draft in two weeks, as well as a review of the film selected for the losing team.

Jumping from there, Ryan, Erik, Nicole, Dan, and Josh gave their updated views on the ever-changing races for Best Actor and Actress. With a thin crop to pick from, the Best Actor race is looking to have a ton of new faces, with many surprises coming along the way. As for Actress, it is the most competitive, stacked category of the year with ten to fifteen performances vying for the five Oscar spots. These conversations were filled with tons of great insight, as we trek forward into another wild award season. [NOTE: this podcast was recording a day before the official announcement that Apple will release Emancipation, starring Oscar winner Will Smith, in December]

Moving along, the crew answered listener questions, starting with what they think Netflix should prioritize with their awards campaign. They also discuss what makes movies an important art, their early thoughts on the 2022 DGA nominees, what the Best Adapted Screenplay looks like, and what their favorite horror performances are. Lastly, they mention some contenders for the Best Original Score and Song categories for this year, as well as the influences of Golden Globes, who should host the Oscars, and many more questions.

And before they signed off, they played a new game called ‘This is NOT 40’ where they each take a turn in naming all the acting nominees that are under 40 years old. This went over really well and will be played in other iterations in the coming weeks.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 2h10m. It’s a long one but it needed to be after not having a show last week. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) used by permission

On episode 153 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, and Kevin Lee to talk about the best films from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, as well as give out their predictions for the TIFF Audience Award.

Over the past week, the Toronto International Film Festival has been shaping out the Oscar season with plenty of World premieres and North American premieres. Some of the big titles included Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion, the Viola Davis led The Woman King, and the Billy Eichner-led Bros. Other notable films included My Policeman, The Menu, The Inspection, Pearl, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Whale, The Son, Broker. These films and more were discussed by our panel, who were more than eager to discuss why many of these titles were some of the best and worst films of 2022 so far. They also gave out their predictions from the TIFF audience awards, which hadn’t been announced yet at the time of recording. Listen to see if any of them got the top three correct.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and more.

This podcast runs 1h59m. A little on the longer side this week about there was a lot of great cinema to cover. So without further ado, let’s get into it.