AwardsWatch Oscar Podcast #88: BAFTA nomination predictions with Kenzie Vanunu
On this 88th podcast I am joined by Kenzie Vanunu to talk about the upcoming BAFTA nominations, which will be announced February 3.
Kenzie and I break down the writing, acting, directing and Best Film categories as well as try and tackle the always difficult to predict Rising Star nominees (revealed February 1). Throughout the podcast we detail the changes in BAFTA voting that were enacted last season (that also gave us wild snubs like Gary Oldman, Carey Mulligan and Olivia Colman), how those new rules will impact this year’s results and who will be helped and hurt by BAFTAs choices.
Best Actress is one of this year’s most contentious categories and at BAFTA we’re very likely to see many of the top Oscar contenders missing – outside of the chapter-voted top two – in favor of more local-grown talent. But who’s getting snubbed – Lady Gaga? Jessica Chastain? Kristen Stewart? ALL of them?
Support for this podcast and the following message comes from MGM Studios’ and United Artists Releasing’s RESPECT. Jennifer Hudson is Aretha Franklin in the true story of the icon’s musical and spiritual journeys. She overcomes controlling men and inner demons and, empowered by family friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., becomes a civil rights activist. With Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, and Audra McDonald. Critics say this is “Another Oscar worthy performance from Jennifer Hudson” that has been hailed as “electrifying.”
For Your Consideration in all categories including Best Actress – Jennifer Hudson.
This podcast runs 1h 45m with intro and music.
Photo: BAFTA/Thomas Alexander
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Nominations: ‘F1,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and More - January 20, 2026
- 76th Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Starry Films with Elle Fanning, Charli xcx, Callum Turner, Jamie Bell and Isabelle Huppert - January 20, 2026
- Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads with 16 - January 19, 2026
Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Nominations: ‘F1,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and More 
76th Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Starry Films with Elle Fanning, Charli xcx, Callum Turner, Jamie Bell and Isabelle Huppert 
Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads with 16 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 328 – Reviewing ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ with Special Guest Christina Jeurling Birro