The biggest snubs and surprises from the Golden Globe nominations
Even in a pandemic, the need to celebrate art is real, and so there were plenty of reactions to the 78th Golden Globe nominees announcement on February 3. The HFPA is known to shake it up, after all. This is the same organization that never awarded Game of Thrones a best drama series title. But the list of surprises and snubs was quite extensive this year, raising many eyebrows with those in the industry and viewers alike.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
No best movie nods for any Black-led films
One of the biggest slights from the Globes was its lack of best motion picture nominations for four of the excellent Black-led films that debuted in the past year. That includes Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Judas and the Black Messiah, One Night in Miami, and Da 5 Bloods. And while three of those films received nominations in other categories, Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods was completely shut out. Which, considering his kids are this year’s Golden Globe Ambassadors, is a bit… awkward.
And then there’s Delroy Lindo
Even if the Globes wanted to pass over Da 5 Bloods for best motion picture, it’s surprising they also passed over Delroy Lindo. His turn as a MAGA Vietnam vet has had pundits predicting Best Actor for a while now, and fans were seriously taken aback that he wasn’t included with the likes of Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Gary Oldman (Mank) and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian). All three of which were also surprises, by the way. At least Rahim’s nod was a welcomed one.
James Corden’s nomination… and Meryl Streep’s lack of one
If anyone deserved to be recognized for their work in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix romp that was The Prom, it was Meryl Streep. Or so says the Internet and critics, who were left with open-mouths over the fact that she was not nominated on Wednesday morning (despite 32 previous nominations). However, James Corden, whose performance some said was worse than everything about CATS… was?
Zendaya’s snub for ‘Malcolm & Marie’
Many, many, many Zendaya stans agree that her turn in Malcolm & Marie was the reason to tune into the quarantine film. So it was remarkable that the actor was completely shut out of the lead actress category, given that she was fully expected to be a strong contender.
Kate Hudson and ‘Music’
Critics haven’t exactly been on board with Sia’s musical, Music, but the Globes certainly were. Not only did they nominate the offering as best motion picture in a comedy/musical, but Kate Hudson also got a nod for her role in the “film.” The HFPA has a history of recognizing work that other critics pan, but this one was definitely out there—even for them.
No love for ‘I May Destroy You’
Given the worldwide acclaim for The Queen’s Gambit, awards-watchers knew that the Netflix show would get some serious Globes love in the limited series categories. And it did, but so did shows like Unorthodox and Small Axe—two shows that were not expected to be included (and only one of which, Small Axe, was really a welcomed surprise). That’s notable because they took spots from Michaela Coel’s nuanced sexual assault drama I May Destroy You, which was completely and inexplicably cut out.
Issa Rae is also overlooked
Another creator whose work surely deserved more this Golden Globes round was Insecure writer/producer/star Issa Rae. Yet for some reason the show was completely overlooked, receiving no nods for comedy or acting.
‘Bridgerton’ gets snubbed
Another acclaimed series that was completely shut out of the nominations was Bridgerton, AKA the most watched show on Netflix, ever. Apparently Globes voters weren’t as into Taylor Swift-set sex montages as the rest of the world was, because the show and all its actors were surprisingly left out. And that was enough to leave fans everywhere clutching their pearls, to say the least.
‘Hamilton’ made an appearance
Our love for Hamilton knows no bounds, and it was a very real thing that brightened our lives in quarantine. But the fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. were nominated at the Globes was… well, weird. First of all, the live-filming of the Broadway show a few years ago doesn’t even qualify at the Oscars. But more importantly, at the Tonys, Odom was not only nominated as a lead but won the category as well. So the fact that he’s been relegated to supporting actor with Globes voters doesn’t exactly jive.
The Globes say oui to ‘Emily in Paris’
Was Emily in Paris a fun quarantine watch? Of course. Was it Globes good? Well, the voters seem to think so, even though many fans and critics believed that the show wasn’t anything to write home about. Still, the show and Lily Collins received nominations, causing many to wonder… mais, pourquoi?
And then there’s this disturbing trend…
If you noticed anything in the aforementioned list of snubs, it’s the overall lack of diversity. While the Globes did a great job of finally recognizing female directors (a record-breaking three women were honoured) it did a terrible job with inclusivity. Sure, there were gains on the film side of things, but when it comes to TV only two Black actors were nominated (Don Cheadle for Black Monday and John Boyega for Small Axe). Meanwhile, only two other people of colour were nominated (Ramy Youssef for Ramy and Anna Taylor-Joy, who identifies as Latina, for The Queen’s Gambit).
After the year that we’ve all had, those aren’t exactly healing statistics. On the plus side, we all have the Oscars and Emmys to look forward to.
Before you go: Tina Fey & Amy Poehler to co-host Globes, COVID-19 style
[video_embed id='2132090']Before you go: Tina Fey & Amy Poehler to co-host Globes COVID-19 style[/video_embed]
