The Costume Designers Guild has officially announced the date, ceremony timeline, and location for the 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA). The annual celebration of costume design excellence across film, television, short form projects, and illustration is set to take place on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at The Ebell of Los Angeles, one of the city’s historic and iconic cultural venues. The announcement, made on September 17, 2025, lays out a detailed schedule leading into the gala, including the submission window, nomination timeline, and voting periods for members of the Guild. This upcoming edition of the awards is particularly anticipated in an industry where costume design plays a critical role in shaping characters, defining worlds, and enriching visual storytelling across entertainment media.
Ceremony Details and Timeline
The 28th CDGA will mark nearly three decades of highlighting the artistry of designers who transform screen narratives through wardrobe. The Guild confirmed that nominations will be announced to the press on Friday, December 12, 2025, giving audiences, studios, and designers a preview of the competitive field before the February ceremony. Before that announcement, the submission period begins Friday, September 19, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT and closes on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT. Following submissions, voting for nomination ballots by Guild members will run from November 28 to December 5, culminating in the official nominee reveal.
Once nominees are announced, the final round of Guild voting is scheduled to open on January 14, 2026, and close on January 21, 2026, with the winners revealed during the live ceremony on February 12. This carefully structured process underscores the Guild’s commitment to fairness and thoroughness in recognizing creative professionals across mediums.
Looking Ahead to the 28th CDGA
While details such as the host, presenters, honorees, and category sponsors have not yet been revealed, the Guild has promised to announce them in the coming months. These announcements will shape the public image of the event, with the ceremony expected to draw attention not only from industry insiders but also from the wider entertainment and fashion communities.
The Costume Designers Guild has consistently celebrated achievements in multiple categories—ranging from contemporary film to period and sci-fi/fantasy productions, television across various formats, and short form works like commercials, music videos, and streaming projects. This inclusive recognition highlights the adaptability of designers who work across genres and distribution platforms. With the prominence of streaming and the blending of traditional boundaries, anticipation is high around how this year’s nominees will reflect the current state of the entertainment industry.
Building on Last Year’s Success
The upcoming edition of the CDGA follows on the heels of the celebrated 27th Costume Designers Guild Awards, which were hosted by Jackie Tohn on February 6, 2025, also at The Ebell of Los Angeles. That ceremony had honored well-known figures for their contributions to entertainment through costume, including Zoe Saldaña with the Spotlight Award, Janelle Monáe with the Vanguard Spotlight Award, Jenny Beavan with the Career Achievement Award, and Salvador Pérez with the Distinguished Service Award. Alongside these honorees, winners in nine competitive categories were selected by the Guild’s membership. Last year’s event also attracted a stellar lineup of presenters, including Kate Beckinsale, Quinta Brunson, Colman Domingo, Kathryn Hahn, Mindy Kaling, Justine Lupe, Connie Nielsen, and Paul Tazewell, reflecting the esteem in which these awards are held across the film and television communities.
The 2025 event set the stage for what the Guild hopes to achieve with its 28th ceremony: a continued acknowledgment of costume design as an essential discipline within storytelling, enhancing authenticity and visual impact.
About the Costume Designers Guild
The Costume Designers Guild, Local 892, is a union organized under the umbrella of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Formed to promote and protect the artistic and professional interests of its members, the Guild currently includes over 1,200 designers, assistants, and illustrators. They represent the unseen architects of screen and stage identities, crafting attire that reflects character psychology, social context, and cultural setting. Whether it’s a superhero costume evoking power, a tailored suit indicating status, or a distressed outfit signaling hardship, the work of the costume designer integrates storytelling with visual composition in a way few other disciplines can match.
Beyond the awards, the Guild upholds standards for professional practice while also celebrating the vibrancy, innovation, and passion inherent in costume design work. Over the years, the CDGA ceremony has become not only a moment of recognition but also an affirmation of the Guild’s belief in the motto that storytelling is naked without us—a reminder that costume design is indispensable to every project.
Anticipation and Cultural Importance
The 28th CDGA is expected to draw wide attention in 2026, not just because of the names that will compete for top honors but also because of how costume design has grown in cultural visibility. From high-profile fashion collaborations tied to hit streaming series to viral social media discussions on iconic screen wardrobes, costume design has increasingly become part of the public discourse. Awards ceremonies like the CDGA provide a vital platform to place these works within a professional, critical context, appreciating the creativity and craft instead of reducing them purely to aesthetic appeal.
Given the increasing diversity of stories being told in film and television, attention will also be on how nominees reflect themes of cultural identity and inclusive representation through attire. The Guild’s categories offer an opportunity to honor not only the most high-profile Hollywood productions but also groundbreaking work in smaller, more niche projects.
Social and Press Connections
As part of moving forward, the Guild encourages audiences and professionals alike to follow updates on Instagram, X, and Facebook, where both @CDGlocal892 and @costumeawards accounts will post announcements. Hashtags like #CDGA, #CDGA28, #costumedesignersguild, and #nakedwithoutus will bring together the online community of designers, enthusiasts, and industry observers. For media access, R&CPMK representatives Caroline Stegner, Joe Schneider, and Madison Thomas are handling inquiries, while additional details, press credentials, and updates will be made available directly from the Guild.
The announcement of the 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards builds excitement as the countdown to February begins. With its detailed timeline, an established venue, and the promise of honoring artists who infuse life into cinematic and television characters through costume, the Guild reaffirms its role in ensuring this unique corner of the entertainment arts continues to receive the recognition it richly deserves.