The film careers that defined the 2026 awards season weren’t built overnight, they were nurtured through film labs, financial grants, and creative communities.
The Oscars on Sunday rounded out another packed film awards season filled with unexpected wins, inspiring stories, and career journeys that were years (and sometimes even decades) in the making.
When we talk about award season, we usually talk about films and performances. What we don’t talk about is the infrastructure behind those careers: the grants, labs, theatre companies, short film funds, and grassroots organisations that support the people who eventually end up on stage accepting awards.
And while winning an Oscar or a BAFTA is not the only marker of a successful career in film or TV, these prestigious awards can shine a light on the years of work that happen long before awards season, and the different routes people take into the industry.
Below, we look at the careers of some of the major winners from this year’s awards season, from how they got their first big break to how their award-winning films were funded.
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22/03/2026
