Awards season is the closest most of us get to a red carpet. The gowns, the speeches, the surprise wins and the even bigger surprise snubs. Watching alone on the sofa is fine. Watching with friends who care just as much as you do is far better.
A great watch party does not need a huge budget. It needs a bit of planning, a good playlist for the ad breaks and a host who treats the night like an occasion. Here is how to pull it off.
Send A Proper Invitation
Set the tone from the start. A simple digital invitation with a dress code turns a casual evening into an event. Black tie is fun if your friends are game. Otherwise, try “red carpet casual” and let everyone interpret it however they like.
Ask guests to bring their predictions sealed in an envelope. It costs nothing, and it makes the final award of the night far more dramatic.
Make A Ballot
Print ballots for every category and hand them out with a pen as people arrive. Keep score throughout the night and award a small prize to the winner. A bottle of something sparkling, a box of good chocolates or simply bragging rights until next year.
The ballots also give quieter guests a reason to join the conversation. Everyone has an opinion about Best Picture.
Set The Scene
A few simple touches make your living room feel like an event space. A strip of red fabric or a runner by the front door, string lights, gold balloons, and your best glasses out on the table.
Set up a corner for photos with a plain backdrop and a ring light. Guests who have dressed up will want proof, and the pictures are half the fun the next morning.
Dress The Part Yourself
As host, you set the energy. If you have asked guests to dress up, go all in. Pull out the outfit you have been waiting for an excuse to wear, do your hair and finish with the fragrance you save for special nights.
Getting ready is part of the fun. Put on a playlist of film soundtracks, pour a glass of something cold and treat it like you are getting ready for a premiere. A few sprays of Reflection from Amouage and suddenly you feel like you belong in the front row.
Serve Food You Can Eat With One Hand
Nobody wants to miss a speech while cutting into a steak. Keep the menu to bites you can hold in one hand and eat without looking. Mini sliders, crostini, popcorn with truffle salt, chocolate-dipped strawberries.
A themed cocktail named after a nominated film is a nice touch. Make a big batch before guests arrive so you are not stuck behind the bar all night.
Plan For The Long Night
Awards shows run long, and energy dips somewhere around the technical categories. Keep things moving with a mini quiz during the ad breaks, a “best dressed” vote among your guests, or a running bingo card of awards-night clichés.
Thank-you speeches that go on too long, someone forgetting to thank their partner, a surprise musical number. Everyone will be shouting “bingo” by the halfway point.
Have A Plan For Spoilers
Somebody always has their phone out and checks the winners early, especially if the show airs late or in a different time zone. Agree at the start that phones stay face down during the big categories.
If you are watching a delayed broadcast, consider muting group chats for the evening. Nothing kills the drama faster than a notification announcing Best Actress before the envelope has even been opened.
End On A High
When the final envelope is opened, reveal the sealed predictions and crown your winner. Hand out the prize with a short speech of your own. Bonus points if you thank your agent.
Then put the music on, open the last bottle and let the night run on a little longer. The best parties are the ones nobody wants to leave.
Who are you rooting for this awards season? Tell us your predictions in the comments below.
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