Last year it was all about Christopher Nolan and Interstellar. Will it be the turn of George Miller and his blistering Mad Max: Fury Road, or perhaps ex-Empire editor Sam Mendes’ Spectre to bask in the Jameson Empire Awards limelight in 2016? Or maybe that dark horse, Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Well, it's up to you. This one needs you, the Empire reader, to exercise your mandate and cast your vote.
Voting has opened now, with 11 new categories added to the roster, including Best Screenplay, Best Video Game, Best Soundtrack and Best TV Series. Says Empire’s Editor-in-Chief Terri White: "The cinematic world has never been bigger, or more accessible, for the Empire audience. The world is consuming more ‘screen’ entertainment across more genres, more platforms and more devices than ever before. As the world’s biggest film and entertainment brand, we wanted to reflect the growing importance of TV and gaming alongside our heartland of film.”
All films released in the UK between January 31, 2015 and January 31, 2016 are eligible, so if you have your eye on The Revenant or The Big Short in January – two worthy contenders – bear in mind that the first round of voting doesn’t close until February 12. A shortlist will be drawn up with another round of voting that will close on March 14.
The 2016 Jameson Empire Awards takes place on March 20 in a suitably starry London venue. One lucky voter will even pick up a pair of tickets to join the jamboree. It could, as they say, be you. Get busy voting right here.