How to Turn Any Awards Show Into a Prediction Game
March 3, 2026
Whether it is the Grammys or the Tonys, every awards show gets more fun when your whole group has skin in the game.
An awards show prediction game works for any ceremony, any couch, any crowd. The Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes, Tonys, BAFTAs, you name it. As long as someone is handing out trophies on television, you have the raw material for a night your group will love.
Build a Ballot That Fits the Show
Every awards show has a different mix of categories, fan investment, and inside jokes. Tailor your ballot to the crowd.
- For the Grammys: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist cover most of the drama. Add a genre or two that your group cares about.
- For the Emmys: Drama and Comedy Series, plus Lead Actor and Actress in each. A Limited Series category usually sparks strong opinions.
- For the Golden Globes: the Film and TV split gives you twice the action, and the ceremony itself is loose enough that host and speech questions feel natural.
- For the Tonys: Best Musical and Best Play are the tent poles. If your crowd knows theater, go deeper.
Add Red-Carpet Props for People Who Have Not Seen Everything
Not everyone in the room will have opinions on every category, and that is fine. Red-carpet prop questions bring them into the game.
- Who will wear the most talked-about outfit?
- Will any winner forget to thank someone important?
- How long will the longest speech run? (Guess in minutes and seconds, closest without going over wins.)
- Will any presenter flub a name?
These questions do not require any homework and they keep the whole room laughing.
Run It With One Link
The logistics are simple. Before the show starts, build your questions, set a cutoff time, and share one link with everyone. Guests open it on their phone, enter their name, and lock in their picks before the first envelope is opened.
As winners are announced, you enter the correct answers and the leaderboard updates live. No spreadsheets, no arguments about who picked what, and a tiebreaker question at the end so there is always a clear winner.
Make It a Season
If your group loves one ceremony, try running all of them across the year. A running leaderboard from the Grammys in February to the Emmys in September turns award season into a yearlong competition with bragging rights on the line every few months.
Party Props lets you run your first three events free, so getting started costs nothing.