The Golden Globe Awards celebrate the year’s achievements in film and television by acknowledging and celebrating the best films, actors, and directors. This year, the tradition continues as the nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards highlight cinematic masterpieces and jaw-dropping performances.
Though the nomination list features many anticipated nominees, there were also several unexpected absentees and surprising contenders. Similar to the controversy surrounding the Grammy nominations, the Golden Globe Awards is no stranger to various snubs for questionable reasons. Here is some insight on this year’s Golden Globe nominations:
For two years in a row, Netflix scored nominations in almost every category, dominating the Golden Globes. Many projected shows made the list including “The Crown,” “Ratched,” “Ozark,” and “The Queen’s Gambit,” along with various actors and actresses within these programs who were nominated for their performances.
Unfortunately, there were also snubs and surprises in Netflix’s endless list of nominations. “Bridgerton” was shut out for any eligible category, and “Da 5 Bloods” received no nomination for its brilliance. On the other hand, “The Prom” and “Emily in Paris” scored below average by Rotten Tomatoes, yet they each took a spot for Best Musical or Comedy. Surprisingly, Meryl Streep, who starred in “The Prom,” did not receive a nomination, while James Cordon did. Although Netflix has wonderful works earning them constant recognition, their nominations do not represent their best.
As Netflix took 20 nominations in total, many other shows, films, and notable actresses and actors lost their chances for a Golden Globe. Even though it was nominated for Best Foreign Film, “Minari” could not be considered for Best Motion Picture based on current protocols by the Hollywood Foreign Press, and its main cast was not recognized for their work. “Minari” is a critically acclaimed film about family history and its importance and was predicted to be nominated in more than one category, yet 70% of the movie is spoken in Korean, which was the reason for its ineligibility in Best Motion Picture. Once again, this is a disappointing snub for controversial reasons.
“Minari’s” ineligibility for Best Motion Picture sprouts from flimsy reasoning, yet “Music” was nominated for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy despite not even being released yet. Not only has the movie by Sia not been released, but its plot about a girl watching her half-sister, who is on the autism spectrum, has also been a source of controversy because the chance to cast an actress on the autism spectrum was lost. The missing nomination for the critically-acclaimed “Minari” and the unbelievable nomination for the contentious “Music” are wake-up calls for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to reevaluate their existing system for nominations.
Another blatantly obvious group of absentees from the nomination list is Black–led dramas. “Da 5 Bloods,” “One Night in Miami,” and various other films scored high with Rotten Tomatoes and other critics, yet their names were missing from categories they were projected to be seen in. This pattern has reoccurred since the beginnings of award shows and has even been ironically addressed in the 2016 Oscars by Chris Rock.
Besides the controversial nominations, there have been some positive outcomes this year, as history was made in the Best Director of a Motion Picture category. Three out of the five nominees were women for their acclaimed works: Emerald Fennell and “Promising Young Woman,” Chloé Zhao and “Nomadland,” and Regina King and “One Night in Miami.” The three outstanding directors added their names to the list of only five other women nominated in the category before 2021.
Apart from the unexpected, many expected shows and films did make the list. Disney’s “The Mandalorian” was nominated for Best Television Series, and “Soul“ was nominated for Best Animated Picture. “Mank” received the most nominations for a motion picture and, once again, “The Crown” received the most for television series. “The Trial of Chicago 7” and “Schitt’s Creek” just missed the titles for having the most nominations by one category. The entire list of nominations can be viewed on the Golden Globe Awards website.
The 78th Golden Globe Awards surprised its audience with a list of questionable nominees. Though nominations are reviewed through members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, representation and guidelines for eligibility should also be reviewed, especially as the entertainment industry becomes bigger and more diverse. If any of the nominations sparked your interest, the 78th Golden Globe Awards will be held on February 28th, 2021 on NBC, and it will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
