As the year’s first televised awards show of the year (January 5), the Golden Globes have always been key to building or diminishing momentum on the long road to the Oscars and Emmys.
On the film side, the biggest benefactor of Globes buzz is “Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach’s drama about a New York couple undergoing a painful divorce, which leads all films with six nominations. Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” follow with five nominations apiece.
On the television side, HBO’s “Chernobyl” and Netflix’s “The Crown” and “Unbelievable” had a strong showing, with four nominations per show. And Apple TV Plus, new to the awards race, got some love with three nods for “The Morning Show,” including recognition for stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
The Golden Globes are decided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization made up of about 90 journalists.
The biggest at the 2020 Golden Globes, which will air on January 5, 2020.
SNUB: Robert De Niro, “The Irishman”
Netflix’s “The Irishman” landed five Golden Globe nods, including best picture, director, screenplay and twice in supporting actor (Al Pacino and Joe Pesci). Though he earned a producing nod, the lead of the film, De Niro, who plays union leader Frank Sheeran, didn’t make the cut in the best actor drama race, which included Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”).
SNUB: Adam Sandler, “Uncut Gems”
Sandler has been building momentum for his career-best performance in the Safdie brothers’ movie. His last — and only — Golden Globe nomination was in 2003 for “Punch-Drunk Love.” But the HFPA made a last-minute determination that “Uncut Gems” would be considered a drama, not a comedy, and the best actor race there proved too competitive. There’s still a chance he could rebound at the Oscars due to the preferential balloting system.
SNUB: Greta Gerwig, “Little Women”
In the 77-year-history of the Golden Globes, only five women have been nominated for best director. Two years ago, Greta Gerwig was snubbed by the Hollywood Foreign Press for “Lady Bird” (although she eventually received a directing Oscar nomination). This year, they overlooked her for “Little Women.” And instead, in a banner year for female directors at the movies, the Globes once again nominated five men in the directing category: Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”), Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”), Sam Mendes (“1917”) and Todd Phillips (“Joker”).
SNUB: Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
Although “Marriage Story” received six nominations, more than any other film, Baumbach wasn’t included in the director race either.
SNUB: Lupita Nyong’o, “Us”
Jordan Peele’s “Us” was one of the biggest box office hits of the year, carried by Nyong’o’s dual performances as a mother trying to save her family and her clone. She recently picked up the New York Film Critics Award for best actress, but the HFPA didn’t honor her in the drama category with Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”), Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”), Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”), Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”) and Renee Zellweger (“Judy”).
SNUB: Shia LaBeouf, “Honey Boy”
LaBeouf delivers perhaps his strongest performance playing a character inspired by his own father in “Honey Boy.” But the movie, a critical darling that sold at Sundance to Amazon Studios, didn’t receive any nominations at the Golden Globes.
SNUB: “Cats”
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association loves musicals so much, they once nominated “Burlesque” for best picture. But “Cats,” which has been plagued by bad buzz, didn’t win over this group. The organization, which was the first to see the big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s stage hit, only granted the film with a single nomination: best song for Taylor Swift and Lloyd Weber’s “Beautiful Ghosts.” Not a single member of its cast — from Jennifer Hudson to Ian McKellen or Jason Derulo — was nominated.
SNUB: George MacKay, “1917”
Sam Mendes’ battlefield epic was a late entry into the awards season, but it still dazzled critics with its one-take cinematography set during a critical mission in World War I. While “1917” managed to land nominations for best picture, director and score, its lead actor — who carries every scene — wasn’t recognized. The male acting field is just too crowded this year, and MacKay isn’t a household name yet, a quality that matters at the celebrity-friendly Globes.
SNUB: Constance Wu, “Hustlers”
Jennifer Lopez landed her first Golden Globes nomination in 21 years for playing the ringleader dancer in this critically acclaimed box office smash. But Wu, who was nominated last year for “Crazy Rich Asians,” also deserved a nomination in the best actress musical/comedy category.