It might look the same on television – famous faces, witty hosts and acceptance speeches that go all the way from inspiring to embarrassing – but the Golden Globe Awards will be different this year.
Hollywood’s second-most famous awards have been tarnished by damaging allegations about the ethics of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the 87-member group of journalists that runs the event. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times revealed a range of questionable behaviours – denied by the association – including claims that Golden Globe nominations and even awards are being influenced by expensive publicity tours and gifts.
The Golden Globes are on Monday. Credit:AP
While the association donates millions to charities and scholarships, it was also reported that handsome sums are funnelled to members for modest duties.
Ironically, given the disrupted Hollywood awards season, the Golden Globes will matter more than usual in the lead-up to the Academy Awards for the boost it could give low-profile films or performances ahead of Oscar voting.
Here’s what we want to see when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the awards on Monday.
1. Irreverent jokes
Ricky Gervais has made an art form of slamming the Golden Globes – and just about everything else in Hollywood – in his five appearances as host. He once described the award as “a bit of metal that some nice old confused journalists wanted to give you in person so they could meet you and have a selfie with you”.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have hosted the Golden Globe Awards three times previously.Credit:Getty
Last year, he said “the Hollywood Foreign Press can barely speak English”, described them as “very, very racist” and called the association’s president a vegetable.
Considering the allegations about the association – including another revelation that it does not have a single black member – here’s hoping Fey and Poehler don’t hold back.
2. A suggestion of reform
Nobody wants a manifesto but let’s hope association president Ali Sar at least acknowledges the question marks about its ethics and pledges to improve.
As long as there are suggestions that nominations can be influenced by largesse and publicists chasing bonuses, Hollywood – not just the association – looks ugly and tainted.
3. A woman named best director
With the Oscars only ever having had five women up for best director, history could be made with at least two nominees this year from a field of deserving contenders.
Deserves to win: Nomadland director Chloe Zhao.Credit:AP
The Golden Globes has three women nominated for best director – Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) and Regina King (One Night in Miami) – up against David Fincher (Mank) and Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7).
Unquestionably either Zhao or Fennell should win.
4. Minari wins
An arcane association rule means the excellent Minari, an American film by an American director about an immigrant family in America, was not eligible for a best motion picture drama nomination because more than half the dialogue is in Korean.
But it was thrown a bone with a nomination for best foreign language film.
Fix the rule: Yeri Han and Steven Yeun in Minari.Credit:Josh Ethan Johnson/A24
While the entertaining Another Round is favourite, Minari deserves the recognition. So announce it as winner … then fix an embarrassing rule.
5. Two rising stars crowned
While Australians Cate Blanchett (Mrs America) and Nicole Kidman (The Undoing) are up for best actress in a miniseries or television motion picture, no one could argue against Anya Taylor-Joy winning for playing a pill-addicted chess prodigy in the Netflix breakout hit The Queen’s Gambit.
And newcomer Maria Bakalova, who is nominated for best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy, was exceptional in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
6. Nothing for Emily In Paris
Eyebrows were raised when the frothy Emily In Paris was nominated for best television series musical or comedy, especially given the snubbing of I May Destroy You and other strong black-led productions. Then the LA Times inconveniently revealed that more than 30 HFPA members were treated to a luxury tour to visit the set in France.
While Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek are favoured to win, Australian Tony McNamara’s The Great has a chance. Less so (unless the French trip was absolutely unforgettable): Emily in Paris.
Deserve to win: Maria Bakalova, left, and Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.Credit:Amazon
7. Recognition for Sacha Baron Cohen
Once widely seen as a comic with a clever talent for exposing hypocrites and phonies, Baron Cohen’s writing and acting has become a savage comedic weapon against social ills of all kinds in the TV series Who Is America? and then the Borat sequel. He revealed further talents playing activist Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Baron Cohen is nominated twice – for best actor in both motion picture musical or comedy for Borat (with Lin-Manuel Miranda from Hamilton his biggest rival) and best supporting actor for Chicago 7 (against Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah).
It’s time for Hollywood to start giving Baron Cohen awards – maybe even both – and follow it up at the Oscars.
8. A prize for a film that is actually part of the category
Last year, best musical or comedy motion picture was won by Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood, which must be the most violent comedy ever made. The year before it was Green Book – not exactly a comedy or a musical either.
In recent years, Ladybird, Nebraska and American Hustle have all been considered comedies or musicals at the Golden Globes while Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born were regarded as dramas.
The association already looks bad for nominating Sia’s widely-derided Music alongside the not-so-great The Prom and the far more deserving Hamilton, Borat and Palm Springs.
So just give the award to Hamilton for brilliantly capturing a live musical or Borat for its political edge … and hope the association stops the industry shopping around for whatever category gives them the best chance next year.
The Golden Globes are on Foxtel’s Fox Arena on Monday from noon.
THE GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES
Best motion picture – drama: Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, The Father, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best motion picture – musical or comedy: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Hamilton, Music, Palm Springs,The Prom
Best motion picture, drama: The Father, Mank, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best motion picture, musical or comedy: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Hamilton, Music, Palm Springs, The Prom
Best actor, motion picture, drama: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal; Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Anthony Hopkins, The Father; Gary Oldman, Mank; Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian
Best actress, motion picture, drama: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday; Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman; Frances McDormand, Nomadland; Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Best actor, motion picture, musical or comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; James Corden, The Prom; Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton; Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield; Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
Best actor, motion picture, musical or comedy: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; Kate Hudson, Music; Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit; Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot; Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma
Best supporting actor, motion picture: Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7; Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah; Jared Leto, The Little Things; Bill Murray, On The Rocks; Leslie Odom Jr, One Night in Miami
Best supporting actress, motion picture: Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy; Olivia Colman, The Father; Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian; Amanda Seyfried, Mank; Helena Zengel, News of the World
Best director, motion picture: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman; David Fincher, Mank; Regina King, One Night in Miami; Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7; Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Best screenplay, motion picture: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman; Jack Fincher, Mank; Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7; Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father; Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Best score, motion picture: The Midnight Sky, Alexandre Desplat; Tenet, Ludwig Göransson; News of the World, James Newton Howard; Mank, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor; Soul, Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor
Best song, motion picture: “Fight for You”, Judas and the Black Messiah; “Hear My Voice”, The Trial of the Chicago 7; “Io Sì” (“Seen”), The Life Ahead; “Speak Now”, One Night in Miami; “Tigress & Tweed”, The United States vs. Billie Holliday
Best picture, animated: The Croods: A New Age, Onward, Over the Moon, Soul, Wolfwalkers
Best picture, foreign language: Another Round, Denmark; La Llorona, France and Guatemala; The Life Ahead, Italy; Minari, USA; Two of Us, USA and France
Best television series, drama: The Crown, Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian, Ozark, Ratched
Best television series, musical or comedy: Emily in Paris, The Flight Attendant, The Great, Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso
Best actor, television series, drama: Jason Bateman, Ozark; Josh O’Connor, The Crown; Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul; Al Pacino, Hunters; Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Best actress, television series, drama: Olivia Colman, The Crown; Jodie Comer, Killing Eve; Emma Corrin, The Crown; Laura Linney, Ozark; Sarah Paulson, Ratched
Best actor, television series, musical or comedy: Don Cheadle, Black Monday; Nicholas Hoult, The Great; Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek; Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso; Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Best actress, television series, musical or comedy: Lily Collins, Emily in Paris; Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant; Elle Fanning, The Great; Jane Levy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist; Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Best miniseries or television motion picture: Normal People, The Queen’s Gambit, Small Axe, The Undoing, Unorthodox
Best actor, miniseries or television motion picture: Bryan Cranston, Your Honor; Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule; Hugh Grant, The Undoing; Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird; Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
Best actress, miniseries or television motion picture: Cate Blanchett, Mrs America; Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People; Shira Haas, Unorthodox; Nicole Kidman, The Undoing; Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Best supporting actor, television: John Boyega, Small Axe; Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule; Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek; Jim Parsons, Hollywood; Donald Sutherland, The Undoing
Best supporting actress, television: Gillian Anderson, The Crown; Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown; Julia Garner, Ozark; Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek; Cynthia Nixon, Ratched
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Jane Fonda
Carol Burnett Award: Norman Lear
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