Editor’s note: the piece originally went live on January 12 and received an update on March 13. As awards season reaches its peak around the Oscars weekend and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, stars have been refining their red carpet strategies and the public has been casting ballots on their favorites.
The season opened with the 2026 Golden Globes on January 11, and from there the circuit produced a string of unforgettable fashion moments. From the theatrical statements at the Grammys to refined eveningwear at the BAFTAs and the industry-focused looks at the Actors awards, readers voted across each ceremony and we updated our leaderboard to reflect who they think is the season’s best dresser.
The voting system and how the leaderboard works
We treat the reader ballot as the core metric for this tally: after every major ceremony Vanity Fair publishes a best dressed list and invites readers to choose their top picks. The aggregated totals are reflected on a public leaderboard that ranks the top performers of the season. In practical terms, the Y axis of our visualization lists the current top ten celebrities, and the X axis corresponds to the number of votes each has accumulated, with updates applied periodically as new ballots arrive.
Voting cadence and transparency
We update standings following each awards show so the running totals show momentum as it develops. This is meant to be a democratic snapshot of opinion—readers influence the ranking directly, and there remains time to change the outcome. If a look resonates at one ceremony but not another, the leaderboard will reflect those swings in near real time.
Key red carpet moments that moved the needle
Some appearances produced instant vote spikes. The Grammys proved particularly theatrical: Bad Bunny in custom Schiaparelli and Chappell Roan in a gravity-defying Mugler gown were among the moments that got people talking and voting. At the BAFTAs, performers like Jessie Buckley and Chase Infiniti earned first-time placements on our best dressed roster, signaling that the UK ceremony helped introduce new contenders into the mix.
Standout frontrunners
Two narratives have dominated the leaderboard. First, Teyana Taylor has surged to the top coming into the Oscars weekend. Her consistent choices across the circuit—and notably a trompe l’oeil Thom Browne dress at The Actors awards—seem to have cemented broad support. Second, Timothée Chalamet experienced a roller-coaster ride: he was the early morning-after favorite following the Golden Globes for an all-black Chrome Hearts look paired with Timberland boots, a straightforward but range-revealing outfit that divided opinion. Chalamet lost ground after the Grammys, rebounded with a double-breasted Givenchy tux at the BAFTAs to climb back to sixth place, and then slid toward the bottom of the top ten after the Actors awards.
What to expect as the season closes
With the Oscars imminent—two days before the 2026 Oscars, the leaderboard shows Teyana Taylor in the lead—there is still room for late swings. High-profile red carpet moments during the final ceremonies often produce late surges, and reader voting remains open on many of our lists. That means the ultimate seasonal crown is not guaranteed until the final ballots are counted and the chart receives its last update.
How readers can influence the final outcome
If you want to affect the standings, continue voting on the Vanity Fair best dressed pages after each ceremony. The process is straightforward: readers select their favorites from the curated lists and those totals feed the public leaderboard. In other words, a single memorable outfit on the last night can alter the top ranks—so keep an eye on the red carpet, cast your vote, and watch the leaderboard evolve.
Across a season defined by bold experimentation and classic tailoring, the competition has been less about awards and more about visual storytelling. The public’s choices have turned the red carpet into a running popularity contest where momentum matters. As we approach the final curtain, the tally remains a living document of what resonated most with readers: the looks that combined craft, personality, and a moment of surprise. Whether Teyana Taylor holds the lead or another contender mounts a late charge, the leaderboard chronicles how fashion and public opinion played out this awards season.