Our Final Power Ranking Of Award Season’s Best-Dressed Celebrities

Everyone take a deep breath and say it with me: “Awards season is over.” The journey — from film festivals, to the endless YouTube promotional videos, to the very first awards ceremony at the Golden Globes, and finally, the various Oscar afterparties — has felt exceptionally long. Stars have dressed up and shown out, bringing a glimmer of hope (and diamonds) to a city still recovering from the wildfires of early January. There was too much to celebrate, and too many creatives in need of work to sit back and commiserate. So, from the Globes to the SAG Awards and dinners, parties, and press conferences in between, the stars made their various sartorial cases.

Now that the final photos have been snapped at the Vanity Fair Oscars party and we’ve sat with the fashion choices from Jun. 2024 to present-day, we present to you our final power ranking of awards season’s most fashionable stars. Our ranking takes into account impact (both on social media and in our private Slack channels), risk-taking, commitment to serving, and cohesiveness. Some of the stars have been on the list all season long, some are new, but all have earned kudos for turning up everywhere primped and ready to inspire awe. Keep reading to see who made the final cut.

Ariana Grande

This is Ari’s first appearance on our list, and while some of her looks have been too, er, flesh-toned, this custom Schiaparelli seashell dream pushed us over the edge and earned her a spot.

Anna Sawai

This is also a first-time appearance for Sawai, and after looking back at her fashion all season long, we’re slightly mad at ourselves for not including her sooner. She always looks phenomenal, and this custom Armani Privé was fit for a winner: She swept the Globes, SAGs, and Emmys for her career-defining performance in Shōgun.

Monica Barbaro

Monica made things official mid-awards season with Dior, becoming the latest ambassador in a long line of legends before her. While this dress could’ve used a steam to make it look polished, we appreciate the classic femininity she’s served all year and the fresh, no-nonsense hair and makeup to go alongside it.

Mikey Madison

The 25-year-old actress is officially an Oscar winner, baby! A lot of her looks were a bit too matronly for our taste, but nonetheless, she’s always looked capital-E expensive. We’d love to see her experiment more with shape and lighter fabrics for her next Academy Award red carpet, which we’re sure is not so far into the future.

Colman Domingo

The best-dressed working actor, period. His joie de vivre is evident in every outfit he wears, like this bespoke Valentino. He’s found a silhouette that works for him while still being able to provide intrigue with different colors, textiles, and designers.

Zoe Saldana

One of our most trusted fashionistas slipped up a bit at the Oscars, where she continued her clean sweep of supporting-actress trophies, but she’s still firmly on our list. We personally would’ve swapped her Golden Globes and Academy Awards looks, but kudos to her for making a Saint Laurent wardrobe so wonderfully diverse and modern.

Elle Fanning

The unofficial queen of Old Hollywood glamour may only be 26, but she channels the bygone era with the comfort of someone twice her age. Her beauty looks have reliably made headlines all season long at this very publication. While some of her dresses are too much of a stuffy throwback, when she strikes the balance between contemporary and classic, it’s perfection.

Timothée Chalamet

Our favorite risk-taker and Y2Chaos purveyor has had the awards-season promotional junket to end all junkets. Every interview gave a glimpse into his wacky yet centered demeanor, and ditto for his ‘fits. Whether it’s pink puffers and Chanel bags on the street or Brat-green silk shirts and blonde wigs on the red carpet in homage to Bob Dylan, he’s not afraid to go there.

His influence is also undeniable: Both Sarah Burton of Givenchy and Haider Ackermann of Tom Ford used Timmy as a vehicle to preview their takes on the storied brands before their debut runway shows in Paris. We preferred the Tom Ford (pictured here), showing he can clean up well (and in modern proportions).

Demi Moore

Demi did not slip up once for her entire awards-season journey. From the first outfits at Cannes, where her striking film The Substance debuted, I knew we were in for a treat. She’s dressed the part of a winner everywhere she’s turned up (with or without her adored dog, Pilaf), dressing age appropriately while still giving some edge. This Armani Privé was fir for a winner, and while she didn’t take home a golden man, she still proved she’s meant for the big leagues.

Selena Gomez

I’ll admit it: I didn’t see this number-one spot being claimed by Selena. Her red-carpet history is... storied, to say the least, with misses getting headlines more than her wins in past years. But when she hit the Golden Globes red carpet in robin’s-egg blue Prada and an Elizabeth Taylor-indebted hairstyle, my interest was piqued.

She stuck to pretty much the same formula all season long: nipped-in waists, portrait necklines, and retro glam. It served her well. Our team Slack gasped at her navy Celine by Hedi Slimane at the SAG Awards, and even my most doubtful of friends admitted her chandelier-inspired Schiaparelli at the BAFTAs was a win. Maybe making music with her paramour has impacted her general mood, because she looks happier and better than ever.