The Awardist

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf—along with their special guest, EW critic Leah Greenblatt—discuss the Best Actor race as we head into the final weeks of Oscar campaigning. Triumphant at the SAG Awards, Will Smith may have this one in the bag. (We think so.) At least whoever wins will get their full, glorious moment during the telecast, unlike those nominated in the eight categories that, fo...

EW editor Jason Lamphier and EW writer Maureen Lee Lenker discuss Grammy winner Brandi Carlile’s five nominations this year, celebrate the thrilling highs (and high notes) of her soaring ballad “Right on Time,” and chat with the singer-songwriter about whether she thinks she can take home some of the biggest trophies of the night. For complete awards coverage, go to EW.com/awardist. Learn more abo...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf—along with their special guest, EW writer Maureen Lee Lenker—dive deep into Aaron Sorkin’s 'Being the Ricardos': how it expands upon our understanding of Lucille Ball, as well as the ‘50s TV word in which she operated. We also discuss the wide-ranging career of Nicole Kidman, who, from ‘To Die For’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!” to her current triumph, has often been un...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf—along with their special guest, EW writer Maureen Lee Lenker—explore the many facets of Kenneth Branagh's 'Belfast': the performances, the black-and-white cinematography, how it functions as a memoir, and, of course, its Oscar chances. Then, listen to our interviews with Jamie Dornan (yes, we also talk about his instantly classic musical number in 'Barb and S...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf revisit the Best Supporting Actress race. Now that the field has clarified and we have our five Oscar nominees, who has the advantage? Will Kirsten Dunst, finally nominated for the first time in her career, eclipse her competition? Or are other campaigns surging? Then, listen to our interview with Ariana DeBose, whose electrifying performance in ‘West Side St...

In our latest episode, EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf—along with special guests Gerrad Hall and Joey Nolfi—respond to Tuesday morning's Oscar nominations. Snubs! Surprises! Even more snubs! We sift through the rubble and salvage what we can of the ‘House of Gucci’ campaign. Then, listen to our fun and casual chat with Kirsten Dunst, an interview that goes deep into her acting process and e...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf track all the latest developments as the Oscar race heats up, including announcements from several prominent guilds: DGA, PGA, WGA and BAFTA. They also offer some final predictions on the eve of Oscar nominations. Then, listen to our exclusive interviews with Dakota Johnson and Penélope Cruz, both coming off roles that showcased them better than ever. For com...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf make the case for their under-the-radar favorites: the performances that, for whatever reason, aren't quite in the awards conversation as prominently as they should be. (Who are they? You'll just have to listen to find out!) Then, listen to our exclusive interviews with Oscar Isaac and Jodie Comer, two stars who turned in career-high work in 2021. For complet...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf touch on recent developments in the race: the rise of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s contemplative Japanese drama ‘Drive My Car,’ a worthy winner of multiple year-end critics awards; and the still-evolving status of the Best Supporting Actor race. Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘The Power of the Dog’) is the front-runner, but beyond him, the field is wide. Then, we feature our inter...

In our latest episode, EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf break down the SAG nominees, a pivotal precursor for the Oscars: The snubs (Spencer’s Kristen Stewart), surprises (Bradley Cooper! Ben Affleck!) and biggest takeaways from the guild that makes up the biggest voting branch in the Academy. Our hosts also discuss movie style: Nightmare Alley is a feast of design, from its lush interiors an...

Music editor Alex Suskind and digital writer Marcus Jones talk about what it means to be a Grammy Artist™, predict the Best R&B Album and Song winners, and chat with 13-time nominee H.E.R. For complete awards coverage, go to EW.com/awardist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf turn to the Best Supporting Actress race: Who has the most heat going into the busiest part of awards season? Is it King Richard’s Aunjanue Ellis? Belfast’s Caitríona Balfe? Then, listen to our exclusive interview with Ruth Negga, an Oscar nominee for 2016’s Loving and now very much in contention for Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, Passing. For complete awa...

Music editor Alex Suskind and critic at large Leah Greenblatt run down the big nominations (and big controversies) of the 2022 Grammy Awards, the highs and lows of ceremonies past, and chat with three-time nominee St. Vincent. For complete awards coverage, go to EW.com/awardist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf dive into the Best Director race, a wide-open contest between Hollywood veterans and indie upstarts alike: Will it be Jane Campion, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg or someone else entirely? Netflix has also financed some admirable directorial debuts this year, including behind-the-camera work from actors Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Hall and today's interview...

Awards expert Joey Nolfi joins us this week to break down the Best Actress race as it stands right now: Kristen Stewart still has much momentum coming out of the fall festivals with her turn as an unhappy Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’, but several other contenders are coming on strong. Then, listen to Joey’s exclusive interview with Lady Gaga: a fun conversation about acting, research and her immers...

EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf go behind the mask of actorly transformation: Sometimes it's makeup and hair, other times it's vocal training and pure chops, and increasingly, it's facial prosthetics. From Nicole Kidman in 'The Hours' to Jared Leto doing his thing in 'House of Gucci'. Then, stick around for our interview with Jessica Chastain, changed from the inside out into Tammy Faye Bak...

Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf dive into their analysis of the Best Actor Oscar race: a competitive field with room for former winners (Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix), one overdue icon (Will Smith) and plenty of potential spoilers (you'll have to listen!). Then we feature our interview with Benedict Cumberbatch, on the cusp of locking in a nomination for his ferocious, committed performanc...

In our season 8 premiere, EW’s Clarissa Cruz and Joshua Rothkopf chat about the frontrunners right now, as well as some personal favorites they'd like to see become contenders for Best Picture. Unlike last year's indie-dominated Oscar race, this year has a more traditional mix of studio fare and edgy triumphs. Then we feature interviews with three hotly buzzed directors: Kenneth Branagh ('Belfast'...

Starting November 15th, The Awardist is BACK to cover the road to the 2022 Oscars! Hear interviews with this year’s best and brightest, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kenneth Branagh, Ruth Negga, and many, many more! Plus, in-depth conversations about which performances blew us away, our winner predictions, and which films were overlooked. Hosted by Entertainment Weekly’s Clari...

Emmy-nominated Lovecraft Country stars Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Michael K. Williams, Courtney B. Vance, and Aunjanue Ellis celebrate the show’s many nominations, mourn its cancellation after one season, explain their personal connections to their characters, and share moving reaction from viewers of their supernatural horror-drama. Plus, co-hosts Kristen Baldwin and Gerrad Hall welcome EW...

SNL Emmy nominees Cecily Strong and Bowen Yang join The Awardist to talk about Bowen’s historic nomination — the first SNL featured cast member to be nominated. They take us inside some of their most memorable season 46 sketches and characters, including Jeanine Pirro and the Iceberg that sank the Titanic. Cecily also addresses her future on the show, the two tell us what it’s like behind the scen...

black-ish co-stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross join EW’s The Awardist from the set of their Emmy-nominated comedy to discuss their favorite episodes — and why Ross has the entire hair and make-up trailer to herself. Plus EW’s Gerrad Hall and Kristen Baldwin break down the Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Comedy races, featuring the black-ish stars as well as Jason Sudeikis, Jean Smart,...

Emmy winner and current nominee Kate Winslet joins The Awardist to talk about her hit HBO limited series Mare of Easttown — why audiences connected to much with her grieving mother character, getting the look just right (that’s a wig!), caring for Jean Smart after an on-set injury, SNL’s Murdur Durdur sketch, and much more. Plus, co-hosts Kristen Baldwin and Gerrad Hall handicap the Limited/Anthol...

Pose co-creator/writer/director Steven Canals and star Mj Rodriguez celebrate the show’s 9 Emmy nominations — including Rodriguez’s history-making Lead Actress nod — and explain the finale’s “Sex and the City moment.” Plus, EW’s Kristen Baldwin and Gerrad Hall handicap the Outstanding Drama Series race and the Crown-tastic Lead Actress in a Drama category. More at ew.com, ew.com/awardist, and @EW....

The Emmy-nominated ‘Ted Lasso’ star reveals how a plea to the universe in her garden resulted in a dream job that shoots 20 minutes from her house. Plus EW’s Gerrad Hall and Kristen Baldwin dive into the Comedy Series and Comedy Supporting Actress races — can anything stop ‘Ted Lasso’? More at ew.com, ew.com/awardist, and @EW. Host/Producers: Gerrad Hall (@gerradhall) and Kristen Baldwin (@Kristen...