With all the award shows right around the corner, nominations season is in full swing. Just last Monday, December 11, the latest string of nominations came out, and among those were for the Golden Globe Awards. As the first show of awards season, the 75th Golden Globe Awards, which celebrates outstanding actors from both the silver screen and small screen, will take place on January 7, 2018 and will be hosted by Seth Meyers. Not only does the show acknowledge the best in their craft but it, and the nominations themselves, also provide viewers with some great inspiration on what show to binge next or what movies to go see over break.
On the television side of the nominations, “Big Little Lies” walked away with the most recognitions, earning six nominations in total, including those for Best Limited Television Series as well as best Actress, best supporting actress and best supporting actor in a limited television series. Within those categories alone, “Big Little Lies” faces some stiff competition in “Feud: Betty and Joan,” which garnered four nominations, all within three of the same categories as the former.
A fan favorite, “This Is Us” only received three nominations: best drama, best supporting actress for Chrissy Metz and best actor for Sterling K. Brown. Noticeably missing from those nominations are the other actors that play the Pearson family: Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia and Justin Hartley. What’s also interesting is that while the show seems to be made up of an ensemble cast, Brown was nominated for the lead actor spot, which only focuses on those within a drama series, whereas Metz was nominated for a supporting actress spot, which encompasses those within a series, limited series or motion picture made for television. In a show about family, which seems to represent each character equally, it’s interesting to see this discrepancy in the nominations without much understanding as to why that is. Regardless of the reason, some fans of the show are definitely confused with the lack of nominations for the rest of the incredible cast, especially given all that the characters have faced during the show’s second season and the craft and hard work that the actors put in to make that happen.
Other television shows that garnered three nominations each are “Fargo” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which rose to recognition with its many wins at the Emmy Awards earlier this year. This was also a big year for streaming services, as Netflix walked away with 12 nominations and both Hulu and Amazon earned three nominations each. These nominations further prove that streaming services may very well be the way of the future, as so many have already become a part of the bingeing culture that makes these services so popular.
On the motion picture side of the nominations, “The Shape of Water,” which hit theaters earlier this month, garnered the most recognition with seven nominations, followed by “The Post” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” earning six nominations each. “Lady Bird” also rose to the top of the ranks, earning four nominations, including those for best comedy or musical, best actress, best supporting actress and best screenplay.
As with every year when nominations are released, there were some surprises as well as some snubs with the Golden Globe Awards. One film noticeably missing from the nominations list is “The Big Sick,” something which could have suffered because it does not exactly fit within the comedy or drama categories, being a mix of the two. Additionally, “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, did not make the cut, despite the large renown and fan base that it has built. Also missing from the nominations this year are women within the best director category, as all five of the contenders are men.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year, though the previous Oscars nominations have dialed back the surprise this time, is the fact that “Get Out” was nominated as a comedy yet again. For those who have not seen “Get Out,” I can assure you that it is most definitely not a comedy. Although there are some comedic moments, the film is a thriller that tackles the big issue of racism. The film earned two nominations for best film comedy or musical as well as best actor for a comedy or musical and, while the film definitely deserved nominations, the comedy or musical categories may not be the best fit for it.
In addition to the nominations for film and television, each year the Golden Globe Awards honors someone each year with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, recognizing the person’s outstanding contributions to and work within the entertainment field. During the Golden Globes 75th Anniversary Special hosted by Debra Messing and Eric McCormack on Dec. 13, Morgan Freeman announced that Oprah Winfrey would be receiving the high honor this January. While earning this high honor, Oprah is making history as the first black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is outstanding in and of itself.
Although it is mainly a night to recognize actors who have done outstanding work within their craft, the Golden Globes, as well as many other awards shows, had proven to be a great place to make a political statement. In the past, this has taken the form of speeches, ribbons and other forms of silent protests. This year, with all the sexual assault allegations coming to light, there comes another important statement to be made. At this year’s Golden Globe awards, all of the women in attendance have made the decision to wear black as a show of solidarity with those victims of sexual assault. Although the show is still a little under a month away, it might be a good guess to venture that this will not be the only protest made against sexual assault allegations and may also not be the only show of solidarity with its victims.
From all the outstanding nominations to the political and powerful statements that could be made, the 75th Golden Globe Awards hosted by Seth Meyers are not to be missed, so be sure to tune in on January 7, 2018.
