Awards Season 101 2014

Golden Globe Awards Sunday January 12, 2014,

What it honors: First held in 1947, the Golden Globe Awards honor achievements in film and television, dividing the nominees into two categories: comedy/musical and drama. The awards include 25 categories, 14 in film and 11 in television.

Who votes: Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, around 90 journalists all based in Southern California who cover the entertainment industry for outlets around the world.

Most memorable moments: Rather than sitting in a theater, the nominees sit at tables where they're able to better socialize ... and drink, making their reactions some of the best parts of the awards. Some moments are more kitschy than classy. For instance, when Christine Lahti was in the bathroom when she won for "Chicago Hope," or when Angelina Jolie kissed her brother James Haven on the red carpet.

What to expect this year: Award show scene-stealers Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return to host. "American Hustle" and "12 Years a Slave" are tied for most nominations with seven each. The Golden Globes are seen as a precursor to the Oscars, possibly helping predict the winners, and in that case watch out for "Gravity," too. Oscarologists consider it a front-runner for best picture. On the TV front, miniseries "Behind The Candelabra" and the recently concluded "Breaking Bad" are likely to be honored.

Critics' Choice Movie Awards Thursday, January 16, 2014, 

What it honors: The awards began fairly recently, in 1995, and honor achievements in film. The Critics' Choice Television Awards, which began four years ago, airs in the summer to celebrate TV.

Who votes: More than 280 members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which includes critics from the United States and Canada.

Most memorable moments: The awards previously aired on VH1, meaning it the show has not historically been one of the most-watched ceremonies. But in 2010, one of the most talked about moments happened when Sandra Bullock ("The Blind Side") beat Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia") in the best actress category, jokingly proclaimed that "bulls--t" and then promptly kissed her on the mouth.

What to expect this year: Aisha Tyler hosts. Like the Globes, "American Hustle" and "12 Years a Slave" are tied with the most nominations, this time with 13 each. "Gravity" holds 10. Anticipate a lot of wins for "American Hustle," including a likely win by critical darling Jennifer Lawrence for best supporting actress. Some lucky actor will also score the audience-voted award for hottest star.

Screen Actors Guild Awards Saturday, January 18, 2014,

What it honors: The annual awards, now in their 20th year, honor acting work in five film categories and eight television categories. The most important award goes to an ensemble cast in both TV and film in order to highlight the collaborative art of acting.

Who votes: Only members of acting guild SAG-AFTRA may vote, so all winners are decided by their peers. The guild includes around 100,000 actors.

Most memorable moments: The SAG Awards are not generally known for standout moments, but in 2012 the cast of "Bridesmaids" livened things up with their own drinking game that involved drinking every time the name "Scorsese" was mentioned. "You'd be surprised how much that comes up in just casual conversation," Melissa McCarthy joked. "People like to throw that thing around."

What to expect this year: "12 Years a Slave" leads the film categories with four nods, while "Breaking Bad" leads television with four as well. Rita Moreno will be honored with the lifetime achievement award while Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep will be the evening's top contenders. Expect "Breaking Bad" and "30 Rock" to score some awards.

Grammy Awards  Sunday January 26,

What it honors: Presented by the Recording Academy, the Grammys celebrate achievement in the recording arts. The awards are now in their 56th year and have become the most coveted honor for musicians of all genres.

Who votes: Members of the Recording Academy can cast their votes in 82 categories and are meant to determine winners based on artistic and technical merit, not sales numbers.

Most memorable moments: One of the most notable is the 1984 show, when Michael Jackson earned 12 nominations and eight wins for "Thriller," setting a record for most nominations. Other moments include Beyoncé's 2008 onstage collaboration with Tina Turner, Eminem and Elton John's controversial performance of the rapper's track "Stan" in 2001 and Yoko Ono's tribute to John Lennon as she and son Sean accepted the Grammy for best album ("Double Fantasy") in 1981, just 15 months after Lennon's death.

What to expect this year: LL Cool J returns as the host. Jay Z leads the pack with nine nominations for "Magna Carta Holy Grail." Dubbed "music's biggest night," the Grammys are generally built around musical performances. This year everyone from Imagine Dragons to Kendrick Lamar to Pink to Blake Shelton will take the stage. Plus, it marks nominee Daft Punk's first televised performance since 2008.