Ben Affleck accepts the award for Best Director - Motion Picture for "Argo" on stage on at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California January 13, 2013, in this picture provided by NBC. REUTERS/Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Handout

Is it almost over?

You know -- the dreaded awards season. With the SAG (Screen Actors' Guild) Awards upon us Sunday and the Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards a mere memory now, you can regard this as hump week for the seemingly endless red carpet madness and the overdressed parade of winners and losers upon it.

Who decided acting was a competition in the first place? Never mind.

The Oscar nominations have been announced and there's about a month left before the Academy Awards take place Feb. 24. The voting ends on Feb. 19, so nominees will have to be on their best behaviour until then. No drunken speeches. No club incidents. No pantless car exits.

You can cut loose at the Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 23, if you insist. Also on that date, of course, are the Razzie Awards. Enough said.

Here's what award show junkies have learned thus far this year:

1) Don't be making any Meryl Streep jokes.