Annual Awards Voting Procedures

The annual voting meeting is usually scheduled for the first Saturday in January, except when that date is too close to New Year’s Day. In 2022 the meeting will be held on Saturday January 8th.

Awards go for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography, and, should the Society choose to award these, Best Nonfiction Film, Best Foreign-Language Film, Best Production Design, Best Experimental work, Film Heritage award and “Film Awaiting American Distribution.”

Complete results are e-mailed to members of the press and publicists immediately after the meeting. The chair tweets the names of winners as they are selected during the meeting–@NatSocFilmCrix. (No other critic may tweet.) Those few publications with early Saturday evening deadlines may contact Liz Weis (at NSFCmail@gmail.com) in advance to arrange for more detailed partial results.

Any film that opens in the U.S. during the year 2021, in theaters or on streaming platforms, is eligible for consideration. There is no nomination process; submissions are not necessary. But you may want to send screeners or links to the members in advance of the vote. E-mail Liz Weis to request an updated address list and contact information for members.

Voting is conducted using a weighted ballot system. Scrolls suitable for framing are sent to the winners. There is no awards party.