See Who Is Winning the Red Carpet Race for the 2026 Awards Season

[Editor’s note: This story was first published on January 12, and was updated on January 14.]

The 2026 Golden Globes kicked off awards season last night and as with all awards ceremonies there were some winners and some —how do we say this politely—people who did not win. Of course it’s easy to track who has piled up the most nominations or taken home the most awards in any given season, but the competition on the red carpet is a little less clear. That’s where you, VF reader, come in.

We asked you to vote for your favorites from our best dressed list, and here’s why: Starting today through the rest of awards season, we will be tracking who you think are the best dressed celebrities overall. We will be updating this leaderboard with your votes after each major awards ceremony to see who is winning the red carpet competition. (We are big about democracy here at VF.)

The morning after the Golden Globes, the people we shared our first winner: Timothée Chalamet! The Marty Supreme star wore an all-black Chrome Hearts look, which he paired with Timberland boots like the born and raised New Yorker that he is. I can tell you that the outfit was somewhat divisive amongst our fashion team—for starters, the head-to-toe black was startling to some after a run of great and colorful, even if also monochromatic, looks. There’s also the fact that this was a slightly less dressy version of Chalamet than the one who won last week at the Critics Choice Awards in a pinstripe double breasted suit by Givenchy. It was, plainly, his more straightforward look of the season. This is why I liked it, and why he made the list—Chalamet is a clothes chameleon, and this showed his range while showing that menswear on the red carpet doesn’t always need to be a black tux. It doesn’t even need to involve a tie!

But today, Wednesday, January 14, around 72 hours after our best dressed list went live and voting started, things have changed significantly. Tessa Thompson has taken the lead in her sequined Balenciaga dress, with Michael B. Jordan and his Prada suit trailing behind. Chalamet, in fact, has dropped to the second-to-last spot, ouch, and Charli XCX has risen to the 10th spot. Jennifer Lawrence, who was in last place the morning after the ceremony, has dropped off the list.

As awards season progresses, expect more of these names to move up and down the list—that’s just the name of the game!
Will Thompson maintain her newly-earned lead? Who will enter the top 10 after the next big show? Check back in to find out!