After scandal and boycott plunged the Hollywood Foreign Press Association into disarray and for a year, the Golden Globes geared up Monday for its return by showering nominations on the black comedy 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥� and the multiverse mash-up 鈥淓verything Everywhere all at Once.鈥�
In an attempt to restore early-morning fanfare to the awards-season tradition, nominations were read from the Beverly Hilton and aired live on NBC鈥檚 鈥淭oday鈥� show. Hollywood, which spurned the HFPA after 2021 reports detailed the body鈥檚 lack of diversity and rampant ethical indiscretions, once again woke up to news of nominees 鈥� though this time the response was much more muted.
Martin McDonagh鈥檚 feuding friends tale 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥� led with eight nominations, including nods for actors Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert鈥檚 existential action comedy 鈥淓verything Everywhere all at Once鈥� came in second with six nominations, including nods for Michelle Yeoh, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The Globes spread nominations around to a number of Oscar favorites (Steven Spielberg鈥檚 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥� Todd Fields鈥� 鈥淭谩r鈥�) while also elevating big-budget spectacles like 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� and 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water.鈥� Each, along with Baz Luhrmann鈥檚 鈥淓lvis,鈥� landed nominations for best film, drama.
The nominees for best film, comedy or musical, were: 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin,鈥� 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once,鈥� 鈥淕lass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,鈥� 鈥淏abylon鈥� and 鈥淭riangle of Sadness.鈥�
The HFPA has historically been derided 鈥� sometimes even by their own hosts 鈥� for less diverse nominees and off-the-wall picks. The film nominees Monday included eight people of color among the 30 acting individual acting nominees. No woman was nominated for best director, with nods instead going to Spielberg, Cameron, McDonagh, Luhrmann and Kwan and Scheinert, the filmmaking duo known as 鈥渢he Daniels.鈥� None of the films up for best picture in either category was directed by women.
Among the nominees for best actor in a drama is Brendan Fraser. the Globes after he said he was groped in 2003 by Philip Berk, a former HFPA member and former president of the organization.
On the TV side, the ABC public school comedy 鈥淎bbott Elementary鈥� led with five nominations, including best series, musical or comedy, and nods for its stars Quinta Brunson, Janelle James and Tyler James Williams. 鈥淭he Crown,鈥� 鈥淒ahmer 鈥� Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,鈥� 鈥淥nly Murders in the Building,鈥� 鈥淧am & Tommy鈥� and 鈥淲hite Lotus鈥� all came away with four nominations.
The show, which will be telecast Jan. 10 and is trying to mount a comeback. A found that the HFPA then had no Black members, a revelation compounded by other allegations of ethical improprieties. Many stars and studios said they would boycott the show. Tom Cruise returned his three Globes.
Whether Cruise, overlooked in the lead actor category, chooses to attend this year will be much discussed ahead of the ceremony. His 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥� the year鈥檚 biggest box-office smash, is nominated for two awards: best film, drama, and best song. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was among the first to cheer the film鈥檚 nominations with a statement of thanks on Monday.
鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� wasn鈥檛 the only blockbuster welcomed by the Globes. James Cameron鈥檚 upcoming 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥� scored nods for both best film, drama, and best director for Cameron. 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever鈥� snagged two nominations, for Angela Bassett鈥檚 supporting performance and Rihanna鈥檚 鈥淟ift Me Up.鈥�
Arguably no film got a bigger boost than Damien Chazelle鈥檚 silent-film-era epic 鈥淏abylon.鈥� The film doesn鈥檛 open in theaters until later this month, but came away with five nominations, including nods for Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva.
Other nominees across categories included Austin Butler (鈥淓lvis鈥�), Ana de Armas (鈥淏londe鈥�), Jeremy Pope (鈥淭he Inspection鈥�), Ana Taylor-Joy (鈥淭he Menu鈥�), Emma Thompson (鈥淕ood Luck to You, Leo Grande鈥�), Dolly De Leon (鈥淭riangle of Sadness鈥�) and Eddie Redmayne (鈥淭he Good Nurse鈥�).
While enthusiastic statements and social-media reactions often ensue, few nominees publicly celebrated in the first hours after nominations. Social accounts for many of the films, though, did promote their Globe nods.
NBC last year canceled the telecast for this past January. Instead, the Golden Globes were . Winners were announced on Twitter.
Over the last year and a half, the HFPA has enacted reforms and revamped its membership to now number 96 people, including six Black voting members.
NBC has praised the HFPA for its ongoing reforms but also reworked its contract: The network will broadcast the 2023 show in a one-year deal, making January鈥檚 show a possible make-or-break moment. NBC also shifted the telecast to a Tuesday, from the Globes鈥� previous Sunday night perch, and will also stream the ceremony on Peacock.
Known for its boozy, celebrity-stuffed broadcast, the Globes long ranked as one of the most-watched non-sporting live programs of the year. But ratings, like for most award shows, have recently slid for the Globes. The 2021 show, held amid the pandemic, was watched by 6.9 million, down from 18 million the year prior.
The HFPA sold the Globes earlier this year to Todd Boehly鈥檚 Eldridge Industries, which is turning it from a nonprofit to a for-profit venture. The firm also owns Dick Clark Productions, which produces the Globes, and the award show鈥檚 longtime home, the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
For Hollywood studios, the Globes can be a useful marketing tool that helps drive audiences to contenders ahead of the Academy Awards, which will be held March 12. In the past year, no other awards body has emerged as a Globes replacement. With modest ticket sales thus far for many of the fall鈥檚 most acclaimed dramas, some in the industry will surely hope to see the Globes restored to their former luster.
鈥擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press
