The Golden Globe nominations reflect a dynamic, exciting slate of movies ranging from pastel-pink musicals to searing, character-led dramas. The films in contention for the annual ceremony were revealed in Los Angeles today by actors Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut.
The Globes are used as a forerunner of what will likely perform well at the Oscars (the nominations are announced on January 17th, 2025), so here's a round-up of the leading films.
Acclaimed dramas The Brutalist, Conclave and Anora are in the lead for Best Drama
- The Brutalist – 7 Golden Globe nominations
- Conclave – 6 Golden Globe nominations
- Anora – 5 Golden Globe nominations
Sprawling immigrant experience drama The Brutalist (released January 24th) comes from director Brady Corbet and stars Adrien Brody. The film is up for Best Drama, Corbet has been given a nod for Best Director and Brody is set to capitalise on his nomination for Best Actor - Drama. Also nominated for the film: Felicity Jones, who plays Brody's on-screen wife, making up another of the film's seven nominations.
The Brutalist has been building up a critical head of steam and its new-found awards cachet will likely make it a pack leader at this year's Globes. Following close behind is the engrossing Papal thriller Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes as the tormented Vatican cardinal who's overseeing the appointment of a new Pope.
Conclave has been nominated for Best Drama and Fiennes is up for Best Actor. Director Edward Berger, celebrated for 2022's All Quiet on the Western Front, has also been nominated. He and Brady Corbet will be competing with Anora helmer Sean Baker: a regular awards favourite from the likes of The Florida Project (2017), both Baker and his film have been recognised with Golden Globe nominations. (The film itself is nommed in the Comedy or Musical category.)
Anora heats up an especially competitive race for Best Actress. The film's star Mikey Madison has received universal acclaim for her portrayal of the titular Ani, a stripper whose marriage to a Russian oligarch's son soon hits the buffers. Bookie's favourite Madison will be competing against Nicole Kidman, nominated for Babygirl (released January 10th), and Angelina Jolie who has been recognised for her role in the Maria Callas biopic Maria (also released January 10th).
In terms of Best Actor, indications are that Timotheé Chalamet gives a riveting performance in A Complete Unknown (released on January 17th). The Dune actor portrays Bob Dylan at the period when the one-time folksy musician went electric, and Chalamet will be posing hefty competition against the likes of Adrien Brody, Daniel Craig (nominated for Queer, released on December 13th), Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Sebastian Stan for the Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice.
Speaking of Dune, it's heartening to see Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune: Part II get a nod for Best Picture. It's equally disheartening to see Villeneuve himself omitted from the Best Director race, but at least composer Hans Zimmer has been nominated (the composer was disqualified from the Oscar race owing to the amount of material shared between the Dune and Dune: Part II soundtracks).
Musical blockbuster Wicked defies gravity with a clutch of nominations
- Wicked – 4 Golden Globe nominations
- The Substance – 5 Golden Globe nominations
To say that Wicked is popular is an understatement. The smash-hit Stephen Schwartz adaptation has now won over Golden Globes voters with nods for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress - Musical or Comedy, awarded to Cynthia Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande.
It's not exactly going to be Elphaba versus Glinda as the two performers have evidently been put into different categories to avoid cancelling each other out. Nevertheless, Wicked stands every chance of adding a treasure trove of Golden Globes to its box office haul.
Going to the other end of the spectrum, the outrageous body horror The Substance has also been recognised in the Best Picture - Comedy or Drama field. A sign that the Globes voters have a sick sense of humour? It's more likely an acknowledgment that voters recognised the film's gore-drenched satire, which takes the hatchet to beauty standards, ageing and rampaging Hollywood chauvinism.
Director Coralie Fargeat has also been recognised, as have the film's stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. The Substance may well be too outré and uncomfortable to see its nominations converted into actual awards, but Moore's performance has been unanimously hailed, so one must consider her as a pack leader.
Heretic's Hugh Grant preaches the gospel of the Golden Globes
- Heretic – 1 Golden Globe nomination
The Hugh Grantaissance continues apace with news of his latest Golden Globe nomination. The one-time heartthrob has been recognized for his electrifying role in the psychological horror Heretic in which he plays a tweedy academic terrorising two Mormon missionaries who are locked inside his home.
Grant's role has been universally well-received, celebrated for its blend of dry mirth and cunning malice. Grant won his first Golden Globe for a very different kind of movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and despite several Globes nominations since then, has yet to receive another win. Maybe Heretic will boost his chances?
As ever, the Globes are courting controversy by nominating Grant in the Musical or Comedy category. There are laughs in there, mostly uncomfortable ones, but can we really say it's a comedy?
Disney hits Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 go head to head in the animation stakes
- Inside Out 2 – 2 Golden Globe nominations
- Moana 2 – 1 Golden Globe nomination
- The Wild Robot – 4 Golden Globe nominations
It's Disney versus Disney in the battle for the sequel plaudits. Both Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 have been nominated for Best Animation, but despite their fearsome box office performances, the show may be quietly stolen by the universally praised The Wild Robot. DreamWorks' tender fable has been nominated for Best Animation and Best Original Score for composer Kris Bowers.
Blockbuster cinema is recognised
The award for Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement includes eight nominees chosen from films that achieved “a gross box office receipt total of at least $150 million, of which $100 million must come from the U.S. domestic box office, and/or obtain commensurate digital streaming viewership according to recognized trusted industry sources within the qualifying year,” according to the Globes’ eligibility rules.
In contention for the prize this year are Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, Inside Out 2, Twisters, Wicked and The Wild Robot.
The Golden Globes ceremony gets underway on January 7th, 2025. In the meantime, visit the link below and get the inside track on the magic of cinema from several leading filmmakers.
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