On episode 184 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 to discuss the series finales for HBO’s Barry and Succession.

Before getting into the main part of the episode, the 2023 Cannes Film Festival wrapped up with the winners announced this past Saturday. For the fourth Cannes in a row, NEON took home the Palme d’Or, the top prize of the festival for Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, with the runner up Grand Prize award going to Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest from A24. Other films of notable interest included Fallen Leaves, The Pot-au-Feu, and Monster. Expect a lot of these titles and more from the festivals make the rounds at Venice, Telluride and TIFF later this fall with upcoming podcasts to anticipate and follow.

Moving on, the last two months of television have brought audiences together for two of HBO’s recent flagship programs with Barry and Succession. After weeks of speculation, and years of episodes and awards, the two shows come to an end in epic fashion with what the panel believes might be two of the best finales in years. Ryan, Erik, Tyler, and Sophia break down what they love about these episodes, the shows at large, and give a look at how the 2023 Emmy season will look like with these two final seasons included.

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

This podcast runs 1h51m. We will be back next week to discuss the latest animated superhero film, Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 183 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AW Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AW contributors Zach Laws and Catherine Gonzales to review Fast X and discuss the Fast and the Furious franchise as a whole.

Before the gang gets behind the wheel of their Fast conversation, a big trailer dropped this past week for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which will be released in theaters later in October. To put it mildly, it’s one of the best trailers of the year, and in light of the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, there was a lot to discuss.

Moving on, the team got to dive deep into the latest entry in the Vin Diesel led action packed extravaganzas, Fast X. The franchise hits the home stretch, as this film alongside the eleventh and twelfth installment look to close out the long running story for Dom and his family, and there is plenty to talk about including, a fantastic new bad guy, tons of cameos, moments of absolute nonsense, and insane, over the top set pieces. Ryan, Erik, Zach and Catherine break it all down as well as give out their rankings for the franchise as a whole, say who their favorite and least favorite characters are, what is the dumbest moment in this franchise, and more.

Shut up and drive: ‘The Fast and the Furious’ franchise ranked

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

This podcast runs 1h46m. We will be back next week to discuss the series finales of Barry and Succession, and take a look a little at the 2023 Emmys. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 182 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by TV Editor Tyler Doster and AwardsWatch contributor Sophia Ciminello to give out their Top 5 Romantic Comedies.

Coming off last week’s episode about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the groups Top 5 Comic Book Movies, the AW podcast switches over to talk about the latest entry in the romantic comedy genre, Book Club: The Next Chapter. Sophia was able to catch up with it and gave her brief thoughts on the film, which quickly turned into a side conversation on which streaming platform it would go onto and the news that Disney + and Hulu might be merging. Once off the side tangent, Ryan, Sophia, and Tyler delivered their Top 5 romantic comedies, with films ranging from About Time, Bull Durham, Roman Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give, Up in the Air, and so many more. If you love these movies just as much as they do, you aren’t going to want to miss this wonderful conversation.

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

This podcast runs 1h39m. We will be back next week to discuss the latest entry in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast X. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 181 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Sophia Ciminello and Dan Bayer to talk about the latest film in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, give out their Top 5 Comic Book Movies.

Coming off the heels of last week’s Summer Box Office Draft, a major trailer release that shifted the focus for film fans this week as the first trailer for Dune Part Two. The gang talked about it, what they liked and didn’t like about it, then shifted their focus to the Tony nominations, which were announced earlier in the week. Dan, with a little help from Sophia, broke down the nominations, their favorites of the nominees and who were the biggest snubs.

After that, Ryan and Sophia reviewed Guardians, talking about why they think it was a good time a theater, while also discussing a little why it underperformed at the box office domestically this past weekend. Once they are done talking about the film, the team gives out their Top 5 Comic Book Movies, which included not just comic book superhero films, but films that originated from graphic novels and mangas. Some of these titles included The Dark Knight, The Rocketeer, Josie and the Pussycats, Road to Perdition, X2, Edge of Tomorrow, and so many more, making for a fantastic conversation.  

Tell us in the comments and on our social media pages what you think of each team’s picks and who you think is going to win.

Don't forget to subscribe for the new AwardsWatch Newsletter, a twice a week roundup of AW reviews, interviews, news, predictions, podcasts and more. Sign up here!

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

This podcast runs 2h10m. We will be back next week to discuss our Top 5 romantic comedies, in honor of the release of Book Club: The Next Chapter (review by Sophia Ciminello here). Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 180 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, Zach Laws, Josh Parham, Nicole Ackman, and Catherine Gonzales to take part in the 2023 Summer Box Office Draft.

Returning for the second year in a row, the AW podcast team comes together to draft what they think will be the highest grossing films at the worldwide box office. Last year, Team Ryan came out on top, mostly due to the surprise box office hit that was Top Gun: Maverick. In the fall, Team Erik came back with a blowout victory in large part because of the other biggest film of 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water. With a new year comes new teams and an extra pick, along with a couple of surprises announced during the show, this summer season looks to be stacked with plenty of films for everyone to pick, as well as a lot of uncertainty in the selections.

For any first-time listeners, here is how the game goes. The two teams are comprised of our AW podcast crew – Team One: Ryan, Sophia, Zach, Josh, and Kevin (who couldn’t make it on the show) vs. Team Two: Erik, Tyler, Nicole, Dan, and Catherine. Each team built a strategy of what films we think will be the biggest summer hits of the year worldwide as well and factoring in what films will be the most critically lauded. For a fun bonus, each team presented the other with a ‘bomb’ pick; a film they think will tank and negatively impact the other team’s score.

Tell us in the comments and on our social media pages what you think of each team’s picks and who you think is going to win.

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

This podcast runs 1h28m. We will be back next week to discuss the latest film in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 179 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Zach Laws to give their thoughts Beau Is Afraid and Evil Dead Rise, as well as answer some listener questions.

Director Ari Aster has become one of the most popular directors of the last ten years, creating his own brand of horror films with hits like Hereditary and Midsommar. With his third feature, he has made an anxiety filled dark comedy that is three hours long and packed with just about anything that can come from the director’s mind. By doing this, Aster has made the most divisive film of the year, one that team dive fully into with not just a discussion of the context of the film, but the discourse that has followed since its release. Once they are done, they give their brief reactions to the latest entry into the Evil Dead franchise.

Towards the end of the episode, the team answer some listener questions, with topics including movies that they ‘hate,’ going into detail as to what point of their viewing experience did they realize that didn’t like the movie. They also talk about their favorite films about ‘nature’ and what are some of their favorite needle drops in films.

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

This podcast runs 2h03m. We will be back next week the 2023 Summer Movie Draft. Till then, enjoy the show.

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

On episode 177 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Nicole Ackman and Dan Bayer give their thoughts Ben Affleck’s latest film, Air, as well as their Top 5 films that are ‘based on a true story.’

Since its premiere at SXSW, the buzz has been building for Ben Affleck’s Air, which is the story about how Nike was able to get the deal done with Michael Jordan to get the Air Jordan shoe deal done. With being a little box office surprise as well as being a critical success, the AW crew give their thoughts on the film overall and what they think works and doesn’t work. After the review, in a Top 5 list inspired by the Affleck’s latest directorial effort, as Ryan, Nicole and Dan breakdown their favorite films that are ‘based on a true story,’ speaking about a variety of films that include Moneyball, Dog Day Afternoon, The Last Duel, Malcolm X, and more.

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

This podcast runs 2h29m. We will be back next week to do an Oscar retrospective episode covering the 76th Academy Awards, the films of 2003.

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

On episode 176 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Sophia Ciminello, Josh Parham and Zach Laws review The Big Lebowski for its 25^th anniversary, and give their Top 5 Coen brothers movies.

At the top of the episode, the AW crew welcome Zach to the team, and he shares a little bit about himself before everyone goes right into their review of the Joel and Ethan Coen's LA-based, noir inspired comedy that is considered to be one of the best film of the 90s and an influential film from its time. Turning 25 years old, the team go into what makes the film so special after all these years and why it might be on their Top 5 list. And speaking of lists, with 18 films to choose from, and being among the most popular directors of all time, Ryan, Erik, Sophia, Josh and Zach count down their choices and examine which films they think are the Coen brothers' best.

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

This podcast runs 2h05m. We will be back next week to review Ben Affleck's Air and talk about our Top 5 ‘Based on a True Story’ films.

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

On episode 175 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Sophia Ciminello and Kevin L. Lee give their thoughts on the latest film in the John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4, and discuss their Top 5 Action Movie Sequels.

After a week off due to the end of the Oscar season and SXSW, the AW podcast is back and ready to talk about the number one film in the world, John Wick: Chapter 4. In a spoiler free review, Ryan, Sophia and Kevin talk about their thoughts on the film overall, the action sequences, and where they want to see the franchise going forward.

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ review: The operatic fourth edition of the action series proves that too much is never enough

In the second half of the show, in a Top 5 list inspired by the latest action vehicle from star Keanu Reeves, the team talk about their favorite action movie sequels. Some big titles were put in the penalty for each member of the team but overall, even with some crossover picks, there were plenty of titles mentioned and a great discussion over tons of great action movie sequels.

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

This podcast runs 1h59m. Next week we'll be doing a retro review of The Big Lebowski and talk about our Top 5 Coen Brothers movies. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 171 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer break down the winners of the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards and DGA Awards and give their predictions for the upcoming SAG Awards.

With less than a month before the Oscars, the awards race has shifted its focused to the industry, where on Saturday night, The Daniels took home the top prize at the DGA and continued the storybook run for Everything Everywhere All at Once. But the Sunday came and the BAFTA chose to go a very different route, with Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front taking home seven awards including Best Feature. Alongside this came some pretty big upsets by the hands of The Banshees of Inisherin, leaving a lot of questions to be answered about what this means going forward in the race.

After a lengthy discussion on BAFTA, Ryan, Erik and Dan broke down who they think are going to win the SAG Awards next Sunday and if any of the BAFTA winners will carry over, thus placing some contenders in perfect position to win. Mix in some listener questions and you got the receipt of another jammed backed, fun show from the AW crew.

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

This podcast runs 1h47m. We will be back next week talk about some new releases and potentially another game. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 169 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham review the latest film from director M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin, and talk about their favorite twist endings.

Jumping right into things, the crew jump into Knock at the Cabin, the first film to take down Avatar: The Way of Water at the box office. The film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, and follows a gay couple and their daughter vacationing at a remote cabin, but things take a turn for the worse when they are held hostage by four strangers, who demand they sacrifice one of their own to prevent the apocalypse. In the follow up to Old, Shyamalan adapts the best-selling novel by Paul G. Tremblay, and based on the reception on the podcast and audiences around the world, the film has garnered a mixed reception, thus leading to a very detailed, SPOILER-FILLED discussion. Josh also wrote the review for the film, which you can read on the site right now.

After the review of the film, Ryan, Erik and Josh talked about some of their favorite films that featured a twist ending. They also discussed the various degrees a twist is used in a film, the various genres that use them well, directors who are known for them, and which films also had some pretty bad twists the ruined the whole experience. As they signed off the week, they gave a little prediction for next week’s Super Bowl and picked which films from the 2023 slate they would like to see a trailer drop for during the big game.

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

This podcast runs 1h16m. We will be back next week talk about the re-release of Titanic and to do a retrospective on the 1998 Oscar season. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 165 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman and Dan Bayer discuss the biggest week of the Oscar season so far with SAG, PGA, and DGA nominations released.

Before they get into the guilds, the team circle back to the beginning of the week with their reactions to the Golden Globes. Between the speeches, winners, and overall vibes of the show, the Globes were everything they said it would be, even if the winners were a little more predictable than they thought they would be.

Going to the news of the week, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced not only their 2023 nominations, but they announced that they will be streaming exclusively on Netflix for the foreseeable future, starting on their YouTube page this year before making it to the full platform next year. Ryan, Erik, Nicole and Dan break down this news, as well as the shocking misses and inclusions in their crop of nominations, as well as some interesting scenarios that could possible happen on Oscar nomination morning. They moved on to talk about the Producer Guild (PGA) and Directors Guild (DGA) nominations, and who they think might be in right now and which films or filmmakers are on the outside looking in.

This conversation serves at the appetizer to this week, as the Critics Choice winners and BAFTA nominations will be announced by the time they record next for the final episode before Oscar nominations.

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

This podcast runs 1h52m. We will be back next week to give our Oscar Nomination predictions. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 164 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Sophia Ciminello, Dan Bayer and special guest, Kevin Jacobsen (host of And the Runner Up Is) give their predictions for the 2023 Golden Globes

Before the gang get into their predictions, Ryan, Erik, Sophia and Dan give their thoughts on the first major release of 2023, the horror-comedy M3GAN. Talked about already as a new camp classic, they go through their brief reactions to this wild little film, which they all can’t wait to see the next film featuring the new horror icon.

Moving on from there, the full group talks about their Golden Globe predictions. While they are a wild, controversial bunch, this will be marked as the first big televised event of award season, and could be big for many films that need to keep up or get some momentum in the race. First up were the television categories, followed by the film categories. The group picks were a mixture of safe plays and big swings, leading to a fun conversation. Stay tuned for the end of the episode, as everyone gives their wild prediction for what might come on SAG nomination morning.

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

This podcast runs 2h31m. We will be back next week to give our reactions to the Golden Globe winners, as well as PGA and DGA nominations. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) and the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of The Banshees of Inisherin by Carter Burwell used with permission.

This podcast is sponsored by Searchlight Pictures presenting The Banshees of Inisherin – one of the best reviewed films of the year with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, a Metacritic “Must See” film, and named one of the top 10 films of the year by the National Board of Review. Now nominated for nine Critic’s Choice Awards including Best Director Martin McDonagh, Best Actor Colin Farrell, Best Screenplay, and Best Feckin’ Picture of the Year. For your consideration in all categories.

On episode 163 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 their favorites of 2022.

In the first episode of 2023, the AW crew takes a look back at their favorite movies, performances and theater going experiences of the past year. Lots of love for Aftersun, RRR, TÁR, The Fabelmans. Nope, and more as they also talked about their favorite scenes of the year, favorite opening/endings, and what it means when a movie moves you emotionally over others you see throughout the year. At the end of the conversation, they also mentioned the movies they are looking forward to seeing the most in 2023 too.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.This podcast runs 2h. We will be back next week to give our Golden Globe predictions and talk about M3GAN! Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro) and "Speak Up" by Hildur Guðnadóttir from Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Women Talking used by permission.

This podcast is sponsored by the United Artists Releasing film Women Talking. Critics hail Sarah Polley’s Women Talking as “Unlike Any Film You’ve Seen Before” and “One of the Cinematic Events of the Year,” and it is now nominated for 6 Critics’ Choice Awards including Best Picture. 

Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, Women Talking has also been named one of the 2022 AFI AWARDS Movies of the Year, one of the Top Films of the Year and winner of Best Ensemble by the National Board of Review, and is nominated for Three Independent Spirit Awards, Including Best Feature.  For Your Consideration in all categories including Best Picture.

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 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 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.

On episode 151 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor in Chief Erik Anderson for a special in-person episode over their reactions to the films they saw at the Telluride Film Festival.

The 2022 awards season has begun. Last week marked the start of the Venice International Film Festival, and this past Labor Day weekend was the annual Telluride Film Festival. Celebrating its 49^th year, Telluride has been the launching pad for many Oscar campaigns, and this year was no exception with movies like Women Talking, Empire of Light having their World Premieres at the festival, as well as the North American debuts of films like Bardo, TÁR, Bones and All, Broker, and more. Ryan and Erik covered the festival and had plenty of positive things to say about the titles they saw, as well as where they can see some of them playing out during the awards season.

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

This podcast runs 1h07m. We will be back next week with our Emmys reaction episode. Till then, let’s get into it.

On episode 148 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, and AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman and Josh Parham, who gather to talk about film festival news, answer listener questions, and discuss their thoughts on the HBO Max/Discovery + and the ongoing struggles within the streaming service landscape.

Before the main topic this week, the group talk about some positive news stories that were announced this week, like the Academy naming producer Janet Yang at the new President of the Academy, our first look of Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin in Rustin, TIFF announcing more films to their slate including WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, and NYFF will screen James Gray’s Armageddon Time and Noah Baumbach’s White Noise.

But all of that news was overshadowed by the drama with the merger of HBO and Discovery and the cancellation of the Batgirl movie that was about to wrap and head to post production with a premiere on HBO Max. This promoted the gang to talk about the good, the bad, extreme discomforts, and even confusion of this topic of the moment and what it means for the streaming services and their competitors in the business going forward.  

Next up our weekly listener questions, where they are asked if they think Babylon will play at the fall festivals or just release in theaters, as well as The Fabelmans Oscar chances going in based on how West Side Story did for Steve Spielberg last year. They also talked about if Amsterdam will be a contender this award season, if this year’s acting nominations will be more diverse given the film landscape and choices become more diverse for consideration, and what their dream cast would be for a film.

Lastly, the AW podcast team played a new game simple titled ‘The Percentages Game,’ in which Ryan throws out a prompt and the group give him their percent chance that the prompt will happen. Topics include if Top Gun: Maverick will still be the highest grossing film of the year, if the Golden Globes will happen, if a female director will win Best Director for the third year in a row, and many more. It was a fun game and we would love if you sent in your own prompts for the next round by tweeting at either Ryan (@ryanmcquade77) or Erik (@awards_watch), and they will be answered on the next show.

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

This podcast runs 1h52m. 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 147 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor and Chief Erik Anderson, TV Editor Tyler Doster and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer talk about their Top 5 favorite films in the Criterion Collection, Beyoncé’s new album, and the latest fall film festival announcements.

Ryan is back in the host chair, and right off the bat, the group discuss their thoughts on Beyoncé’s Renaissance, the long awaited follow up to her 2016 album Lemonade. They talk about their favorite songs on the album, and brief mention if it will have the momentum to get nominated for Album of the Year at next year’s Grammys.

Moving right along, the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival announcing a big chunk of their festival lineups, the table is set for a fun, chaotic fall festival slate. The group mention their observations between the two festivals and what they are looking forward to seeing the most, since Erik and Dan will be at TIFF in a little over a month from now.

On to the main topic of the show, which was supposed to be the main topic two weeks ago before Ryan got sick, which is a deep dive into their Top 5 films with the Criterion Collection. With thousands of films to choose from all around the world, the Criterion Collection has cemented itself as the go to place for film preservation and appreciation of physical media. And with the annual July Barnes and Noble sale ending, the group give out their 5 favorites within the collection, as well as a variety of stories to match each selection. Tons of great cinema was discussed, with even a running theme from Tyler that was absolutely delightful. 

Last up this week are our weekly listener questions, and continuing with the theme of the show, the panel was asked what was their favorite non-Criterion Collection piece of physical media, as well as what films they would like to see added to the collection. They also gave out recommendations for first timers seeking out their entry point into the Criterion Collection, as well as what Best Picture winners they would like to see join the other eleven that are already a part of the famous collection. Finally, they talk about actors they would like to see get a second Oscar nomination.

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

This podcast runs 1h43m. 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

The AwardsWatch Podcast returns this week, with episode 146, as executive editor and host Ryan McQuade fell ill but, the trooper that he is, and who called in from the hospital (!), is here on this week's show with me back in the host seat (just this once). We are joined by Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer and Josh Parham.

After a brief check in with Ryan we dive into this year's Comic-Con, which unveiled Marvel's closure of Phase 4 of their worldwide domination and the entering of Phases 5 and 6. While the con itself was a little light on actual content, the one that stood out was the very first trailer (and look of any kind) of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Stunning visuals, a performance from Angela Bassett that looks immediately memorable and quotable (hello, Keke Palmer!), this epic teaser took San Diego and the world by storm, racking up 15M views on the Marvel YouTube and 32.6M on its Twitter in less than 24 hours.

Up next is fall festivals news about what's going to be playing where, highlighted by the big surprise news last week that Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, his first-ever appearance there. Could it be the stage for a return to Oscar glory? It certainly won't hurt.

We move into Emmy talk is with the group looking at how the notorious 'vote-splitting' believers could rear their ugly heads in categories were few shows dominated. The White Lotus, Succession, Ted Lasso and Hacks all find themselves with the lion's share of acting nominations in several categories but does that mean they'll cancel each other out? Not so fast, as history has shown that not to be the case, especially when there are built-in frontrunners in more than one.

Opening this weekend with high anticipation and expectation was the latest from Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Get Out) with his sci-fi/horror and homage to directing greats, Nope, starring Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer. Thoughts are wildly mixed among the panel (Nicole sits this one out as she hasn't seen it yet) with Josh (who reviewed the film for the site) liking it better on his second viewing, Ryan being a full-fledged superfan of the film, and Dan and I, who both liked it but with reservations about its screenplay hobbling it from being great. This conversation, which runs from the 52:00 mark to 1:22:50, is spoiler-heavy so if you haven't seen the film, skip on over.

Listener questions are next from Bryan Sudfield, S2S Movie Reviews, JacobK2022 and TV Fontaine who want to know our thoughts our favorite Emmy nominations and biggest snub, what's to be done about shows dominating Emmy categories, career comebacks like Cameron Diaz and why certain Oscar narratives fail and others succeed.

Next week's show will revisit the listener questions that went unanswered from two weeks prior, plus the group reveals their favorite Criterion releases ever.

This podcast runs 1h47m. 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 145 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor and Chief Erik Anderson, as well as AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Josh Parham and Kevin Lee to give their takes on Thor: Love and Thunder, answer some listener questions, and play a brand new game.

Before they get into their thoughts on the latest film in the MCU, there have been a lot of recent classic film anniversaries this year, and with Ryan seeing The Godfather on the big screen this past weekend, the group got to talk about some of their favorite moments of seeing classic films at their local art house theaters. This was a fun, informative discussion on how important these films and theaters can be in the landscape of modern cinema.

Getting into their review of Thor: Love and Thunder, the crew talk about the film overall, the performances, and the general look of the film from director Taika Waititi. Within this conversation, they talk about the vision of the MCU going forward, as well as the grand plan for this franchise, since many of the complaints by members on the podcast, and fans of the MCU, have been that these movies aren’t being executed to the level of care and consistency as a couple of years ago. It is a fascinating conversation that goes many places, even leading into a little more praise for Top Gun: Maverick by the end.

Next up were the weekly listener questions, and continuing with the theme of talking about the MCU, they discuss if the franchise is becoming over-saturated and is becoming too much. They then talk about their feelings on the Penny Marshall film A League of their Own, which is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year (check out our retrospective here). Then they reveal which fictional movie restaurant they would want to eat at, what movie they would like to see a documentary made about, and which superhero they would want Taron Egerton to play in the MCU.

Lastly, the group play a new game title, How to Name a Franchise and Get Away with It. The basic rules of the game are Ryan reads a name of a subtitle of a film and the other hosts name the franchise it is a part of. They play of round competitively till a winner is name, then a free for all with the final titles leads to some pretty hilarious, crazy film title reveals from the history of cinema.

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

This podcast runs 1h37m. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” used by permission from AShamaleuvmusic

On episode 143 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman and Kevin Lee to give out their Top 5 most anticipated films remaining for 2022, answer some listener questions, and play a quick game.

A few weeks ago, the podcast crew talked about their favorite films of the year so far. As we cross over into July, we are starting the second half of 2022, where bigger budget spectacles release alongside all the films that will play apart within the awards season conversation. With this, Ryan, Nicole, and Kevin give out their top 5 most anticipated films remaining within the calendar year. From films like Blonde, Women Talking, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Decision to Leave, Nope, Avatar: The Way of Water and many more are mentioned in this discussion, which shows a bountiful slate of films for all audiences to enjoy as well as provoke fascinating discussions.

Moving on from their top 5 lists, the group answers some wonderful listener questions, starting with if they would give Natalie Portman or Christian Bale a second Oscar from the work in their career (a question brought up because of the release of the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder). Next, they talk about which non-English language performance from the last ten years they would give an Oscar nomination to. They also give out their top 3 Madonna songs, give an update on if The Whale will be released this year, and the Oscar chances for Nope. As things wrapped this segment up, they also talked about which actors they think will win a second acting Oscar, and what they think of the fourth season of Stranger Things.

Lastly, the three host play a quick round of Cinephile Filmography, competing over the films of the legendary Meryl Streep. It was a great reminder of just how many movies the three-time Oscar-winning actress has been in, including a lot of dramas and, more recently, musicals that provide a long, fascinating round. After they finish the game for the week, they each give a recommendation for readers and listeners to go watch right now

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

This podcast runs 2h06m. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Music: "Modern Fashion" used by permission from AShamaleuvmusic

On episode 142 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor in Chief Erik Anderson, as well as AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to give deep with their thoughts about Elvis, give out their Top 3 music biopics, answer some listener questions and play a game.

Before they dive into Baz Luhrmann’s latest film, Ryan and Erik give a shout out to the AwardsWatch team, who have been working hard this entire Emmy season with reviews and interviews you can find on the website daily. Please continue to read everyone’s fantastic work weekly, as we will have more coming within the next couple of weeks.

Transitioning over to the conversation about Elvis, Erik and Dan speak to what work for them about in this film about the king of rock ‘n’ roll, while Ryan and Josh have some reservations about this film. Each host gave detailed, respectable opinions on a film that has divided some film critics and audiences, but has become a box office success this past weekend. After they speak on their thoughts about Elvis, the group breakdown their Top 3 music biopics and what makes them their favorites. Some of the films included were I’m Not There, Sid & Nancy, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Get On Up, Amadeus, and many more. Considering this is a bountiful sub-genre with plenty of films to select from, this was a conversation that covered a lot of ground.

In this week’s listener question segment, the hosts discuss Austin Butler’s Oscar chances for Elvis, as well as give out there ranking of Baz Luhrmann’s filmography. They then give their selections of which comedians they would like to see take their talents to the director’s chair, as well as which established they think will win an Oscar within the next ten years. Next, they answer which actors or actresses they think has way too many Oscar nominations, as well as which actor or actress they think is in need of getting there first Oscar. Lastly, in honor of TV Editor Tyler Doster, they choose which of Amy Adams nominated performances they would give her the Oscar for.

Then to wrap up the episode, they gang play another round of Part of the Ensemble, aka the SAG Ensemble game. While it is Dan and Josh’s first time playing the game, they picked up quickly, leaving to some good competition amongst the host, with even a couple of ensembles stumping them.

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

This podcast runs 2h01m. A little on the long side but another fun episode. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

On episode 139 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 to discuss what they have been recently watching their Top 5 Pixar Movies, as well as some listener questions and a brand new game.

First up is an update within the 2022 AwardsWatch Summer Movie Draft. While it is early in the game, Ryan’s team has a wide margin ahead of Erik’s team, who still have plenty of time to catch up. Winner of this competition will be announced at the end of August. Since it has been a couple of episodes since everyone talked about movies, Ryan, Erik, Tyler and Sophia each give out some thoughts on some recent releases, including Jurassic World Dominion, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Lightyear, and so much more.

Speaking of Lightyear, it was a good transition for everyone to talk about their Top 5 Pixar Movies. Pixar is a staple not just within the world of animation but for each of our hosts, thus as they talk about their favorite films from the studio, they not only talk about their moments of joy in seeing these films, but they also talk about the moments that moved them to their core. It is a beautiful conversation you aren’t going to want to miss.

For this week’s listener questions, the crew talked about the Oscar chances for Dakota Johnson and her latest film, Cha Cha Real Smooth, as well as the Oscar prospects for international smash hit, RRR. They also answer a question about what films, actors, or directors that they think of when they think of each other. This lead to some pretty interesting choices for each host.

Finally, the gang play a brand new game called Part of the Ensemble. The game goes as so; Ryan reads a list of actor’s names from nominated casts for Best Ensemble in a Film at the SAG Awards. He starts with someone lesser known in the cast, one at a time, till one of the other hosts buzzes in with their guess. It is a lot of fun and something they plan on doing again, next time on the television side.

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

This podcast runs 2h09m. This is a little bit on the long side but we are really proud of this one. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

On episode 138 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, as well as AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Nicole Ackman to break down all the winners and major moments within the 2022 Tony Awards.

Before the group gets to the Tony Awards, there was a major casting announcement this past week that made Erik lose his mind and that they had to talk about. Per reports from all major outlets, it was confirmed that two-time Emmy Award winner Julie Garner has accepted the role within the upcoming Madonna bio-pic, which will be directed by the pop icon. While the film is still in pre-production, this didn’t stop the gang (mostly Erik) from bragging about getting this casting correct, and what they would like to see covered within the film once it is release. Doesn’t have to be good, you all know we will be covering it when it comes out.

Beyond this piece of film news, the rest of the show is dedicated to the 75^th Annual Tony Awards, which took place at Radio City Music Hall just last night. The show was hosted by recent Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, who the panel agreed was a fantastic choice as host and should return to host this show and any other award show. They went over who won the top prizes of the night, as well as the performances for the nominated revival and new musicals, which showcased the best that Broadway had to offer. On the musical side, A Strange Loop, MJ, and Company walked award with the most Tonys on the night, while on the stage play side of things, it was a big night for the Sam Mendes drama, The Lehman Trilogy.

Not only was every big moment of this show covered by the group, but they also talked about what this Tonys telecast could mean for the upcoming Oscars telecast, in terms of being a confident show that is willing to embrace what they are and who they are putting on a show for. It was a very knowledgeable, well rounded discussion on Broadways biggest night. For a full list of the winners, please read Erik’s piece on the show which includes all the winners on the night.

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

This podcast runs 1h12m. Movie and TV talk, as well as listener questions and games will be back next week. Till then, let’s get into it.

On episode 136 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Nicole Ackman and Josh Parham, as they review talk about their favorite films of 2022 so far, answer listener questions, and play some games.

While everyone is catching up with Top Gun: Maverick in theaters right now, the AwardsWatch podcast crew decided to talk about some of the favorite films, performances, scenes and more of 2022, considering we are very close to the half way point of the film year. Between Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Batman, After Yang, Benediction, RRR, The Northman, Kimi and more, the year has given our team a lot to talk about that they agree on. But they also mentioned some out of the box picks, as well as talked about some films that will be coming out soon that they saw earlier this year at film festivals. It will be interesting to see if any of these selections remain in tack once everything is the fall is seen and they do their end of the year lists.

Moving over to this week’s listener questions, the group talk about their favorite LGBTQ+ films, in honor of Pride Month. They also decided who would win in a fight between AwardsWatch editors Erik Anderson and Ryan McQuade, as well as answer what their favorite interviews or reviews of their careers are, as well as their most memorable moments in their podcasting careers. Next, they talk about what their favorite, and least favorite, Best Picture and Director winners are, as well as look back at the last 25 years, and see if they would change any of the Best Picture winners with another film that was nominated within the same year. Lastly, they select which director has had the best three film run of all time.

And in the final segment of the show, the gang play two rounds of the renowned Cinephile game, in which they compete against each other in the Filmography game. This week’s actors were two time Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Cate Blanchett, whose extensive body of work lead to a lot of selections and fun amongst the group.

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

This podcast runs 2h02m. It’s a little on the longer side this week but it’s a good one. Let’s get into it.

On episode 135 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, as well as AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer, as they review Top Gun Maverick, and talk about the prize winners for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

As discussed on the last couple of episodes, the Cannes Film Festival is going on, and as of this past week, it wrapped up with the jury prize winners announced, with NEON landing their third straight Palme d’Or winner with Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness. Ryan, Erik, and Dan break down the full list of winners, as well as if they think any of these wins will translate over into an Oscar campaign for the respective films or performances that won.

Transitioning over to listener questions, the guys talk about their favorite moments they have experienced at a film festival, and what they watch to decompress after a rough last couple of weeks. They also choose who which musician they would like to see making the jump to the big screen. Diving into some more Oscar related questions, they breakdown some of their favorite VFX Oscar winners of all time, which network they thing the SAG Awards will end up on, and how they would fix the Best International Feature Film category qualifications. Lastly, they look at this year’s Best Animated Feature category and examine why there is so much genre bias within the Academy.

After that, Ryan and Dan review Top Gun: Maverick, which landed in theaters this past weekend. They talk about the film’s spectacle, smocking hot cast, and how it is exceeding all expectations, with both of them clearing expressing that it is better than the original in almost every way. They also give some thoughts on the first trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which premiered online this past week. Basically, we live in Tom Cruises world right now, and they are okay with it as he seems to be the only one making these types of practical big-budget films that dare to go above and beyond with each outing.

And in the final segment of the show, the gang play the beloved AwardsWatch or Not Game, this time breaking down the filmography of Tom Cruise and pitting his films up against each other. They also give out recommendations for which shows or movies you should be watching right now.

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

This podcast runs 1h27m. Let’s get into it.

On episode 134 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-in-Chief Erik Anderson, as well as AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman, Sophia Ciminello, and Dan Bayer, as they discuss their first predictions of the Best Actor and Actress races of the 2023 Oscar season.

Starting off this week’s show, the group give their brief thoughts on the new Harry Styles album, and talk about their favorite concerts that they have ever gone to. Once done, they continued their conversation from last week about previewing this year’s Oscar season with a look at Best Actor. With his Erik’s first predictions just published, it looks like Leonardo DiCaprio is in the number one spot, with the hopes of landing his second Academy Award. But as they get to talking, everyone brings up their own actor who could challenge DiCaprio in these very early projections. As they wrapped up Best Actor, the conversation shifted to a bit on the Best Actress, which is just as chaotic as it usually is. Erik’s Best Actress predictions article should be releasing later this week.

Moving on to listener questions, the gang talk about their biggest pet peeves about the discourse surrounding award season and what they would change or get rid of if they could. They also share some brief thoughts on the first reactions out of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as what might win the screenplay prize given out by the Cannes jury. Lastly, they talk about the Emmy’s and the nomination chances for the shows Yellowjackets and Severance, as well as Better Call Saul actress Rhea Seehorn's chances in Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

In the final segment of the show, the gang played two games. The first game is another round of Call Me by Your Tagline, this time with a Cannes related theme. The second game they play is a round of the beloved Cinephile game, in which they played the Filmography, in which each host takes a term in naming a film from an actor selected on the chosen card. The actor chosen was the beloved Julianne Moore, and it led to a lengthy battle between everyone that you won't want to miss.

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

This podcast runs 1h55m, and it was a lot of fun. Let’s get into it.

On episode 132 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer and Kevin L. Lee to talk about the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daytime Emmy Nominations, previewing Tony Nominations and playing a new game.

Starting off this week’s show are our listener questions, which consist of asking everyone if there is a 2023 Oscar nomination the panel is willing to lock in right now based on the films released in theaters. They then break down if there are any other films like Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick that they would love to see get a long awaited sequel for. And speaking of Top Gun: Maverick, they also discuss which directors they would love to see the film’s star Tom Cruise work with in order to get out of his action movie phase of his career and go back to his most dramatic focused work that made him a star.

Moving right along, the group then break down the recently announced Daytime Emmy Nominations, and then dive into a Tony Nomination preview, with those nominations set to announce on Monday, May 9, 2022. This discussion was very insightful, and for more coverage of both these topics, we encourage you to take a look at Erik’s Daytime Emmy Nomination article as well as Dan’s two articles covering the Tony Awards (Musical & Plays) from last week.

Finishing out the episode is a brief conversation on the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer, which is being shown exclusively in theaters right now in front of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And speaking of Doctor Strange, the gang then give their full thoughts on the first blockbuster of the summer, going into extensive details as to why it works on some levels and doesn’t on others. It is a SPOILER FILLED review so if you haven’t seen the film, skip over to the last segment of the show, where Ryan, Nicole, Dan and Kevin play a new game called AwardsWatch…or Not, where two films are pitted against one another and they must decide what they want to keep while the other film is lost forever. They played two rounds, covering films in the MCU and Non-MCU movies featuring members of the extensive cast of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

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

This podcast runs 2h16m, and it’s an absolute blast. Let’s get into it.

The AwardsWatch Podcast is back and better than ever. Kicking off this reboot, AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade hosts show #131 with Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, TV Editor Tyler Doster, with Sophia Ciminello, Dan Bayer, Kevin L. Lee, Nicole Ackman and Josh Parham joining the podcast family.

At the top we answer listener questions about the Oscars like should studios position more awards players in the summer and was last season's record numbers of stat breakers a fluke or a sign of a fundamentally changed landscape? We also talk about what limited series' we think would have been better off as singular films and a question about this year's Cannes Film Festival sparks a conversation about what our gut instinct tells us is winning the coveted Palme d'Or.

CinemaCon wrapped last week, giving us several first looks at some of this year's most highly anticipated films and even peeks at 2023. Top Gun: Maverick, Greta Gerwig's Barbie and the long, long-awaited sequels to Avatar from James Cameron whetted the appetites of attendees and onlookers alike.

We also introduce a new game feature to the AwardsWatch Podcast with a Summer Movie Draft where our group of eight were split into two teams - Team One: Ryan, Tyler, Nicole and Josh vs. Team Two: Erik, Sophia, Dan and Kevin. Each team built a strategy of what films we think will be the biggest summer hits of the year worldwide as well and factoring in what films will be the most critically lauded. As a knife-twisting bonus, each team presented the other with a 'bomb' pick; a film they think will tank and negatively impact the other team's score. Tell us in the comments and on Twitter what you think of each team's picks and who you think is going to win.

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

This podcast runs a sleek 1h36m. Let's get into it.

In this special edition episode of Talking Madonna with Erik and Abdi, we look back at the Queen of Pop's 14 studio albums and curate a perfect record from them. Not a traditional 'greatest hits' by any means, but featuring one song from each album, single or album track, plus three 'bonus tracks' from individual singles, soundtracks or other greatest hits albums.

Welcome to the AwardsWatch Final Oscar Winner Predictions Podcast!

I am honored to be joined by Amanda Spears, the creator of the #PresentAll24 hashtag and movement that brought film and Oscar fans together when the Academy and show producers announced it would be pushing four categories to commercial breaks. The wave of social media support to keep all 24 categories on the live broadcast moved actors, directors and filmmakers to join the push and late last Thursday night, they reversed their decision. 

On this 73rd podcast, first time guest Amanda and I break down this year's race not just its controversies but how we talk about the Oscar race, including how the controversies of Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody have impacted how we do that.

We work our way into categories that are up in the air such as Supporting Actress where Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Rachel Weisz (The Favourite) are neck and neck. 

The technical categories give us a lot to talk about, especially in Production and Costume Design that see a close race between The Favourite and Black Panther and how closely other categories, like Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing and Editing are closely tied to Best Picture nominees. 

As we move into the more locked categories (like Supporting Actor, Best Director) we find ourselves at Best Picture, where we reveal our rankings from #8 to #1 and the ins and outs of why and how. 

Amanda Spears can be found on Twitter at @msamandaspears and her writing can be found at GoldDerby. 

Keep an eye out for my FINAL Oscar winner predictions at awardswatch.com this week. 

This podcast runs 1h 53m with music. Enjoy!

Opening: "And the Oscar goes to..." montage

Closing music: "New York City By Day" by Thomas Newman from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Desperately Seeking Susan

I recently sat down for a conversation with writer/director Barry Jenkins to talk about his extraordinary new film Moonlight. The film tells the story of a largely under-represented section of society - queer African-American males. In this interview, we discuss the film, what it means to be an active ally, his cinematic influences, and his incredible ensemble cast.

READ: Review: 'Moonlight' (★★★★)

Moonlight played the Telluride, Toronto, New York, BFI London and Mill Valley Film Festivals this fall, earning an Audience Award from MVFF this week. It currently sits at 97 on Metacritic and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Andre Holland, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert and was based on a story by Tarell McCraney. 

A24 will open Moonlight in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, October 21st, and then expands in the coming weeks. Check out where the Gold Rush Gang thinks Moonlight is in the Oscar race right here.