Awards season in Hollywood is upon us, and the Golden Globes is the next awards show to hit screens. The Golden Globes are now in their 78th year, and the competition is as fierce as ever. Highlighting the best of the best in film and television, the Golden Globes celebrate the last year of film and television and the casts and crews behind the masterpieces.
This year is set to make history, and as the votes roll in, we want to take a look at what's to come. With lockdown here to stay for the time being, now is a great time to check out some of the best film and TV out there before and after the winners are announced.
Stay up to date with all your favourite shows - and know what your kids and grandkids are talking about - by taking out a subscription to a leading streaming service. Click a provider below to get started.
Where can I watch the Golden Globes?
The Golden Globes usually happen in January, but because of the ongoing pandemic the ceremony was delayed to air on 28th February this year. They will be held at the Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, as usual. Organisers are yet to confirm whether there will be in-person attendees or if it will be predominantly pre-taped.
Unfortunately for the UK, it isn't broadcasting on any UK TV channels. That said, the ceremony is held at 5 pm in California, which is 1 am in the UK, so we wouldn't worry too much about watching live anyway. If you want to keep up with the ceremony, The Independent plans to live-blog the whole event. There will also be coverage throughout the night on the Golden Globes official Twitter account and live-streamed on goldenglobes.com.
The record-breaking moments
There are a couple of potentially history-making moments we could see at this year’s awards. In all 77 previous years, there has never been more than one female director nominated in the motion picture category. This year, three of the five nominees are women: Chloe Zhao for Nomadland, Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman and Regina King for One Night in Miami. Barbra Streisand is the only woman that has ever won a Golden Globe for directing, for Yentl in 1983. So the chances are good for a second woman to finally take a Globe home. Zhao is also the first Asian woman to be nominated for best director. And Regina King is only the second Black woman ever to be nominated, after Ava DuVernay for Selma in 2015.
Anthony Hopkins is the oldest nominee in the history of the Best Actor (Drama) award. If he wins, he will be the oldest winner ever. If he loses, he will have the most losses by a male actor in the film categories.
Judas and the Black Messiah starring Daniel Kaluuya may break a few records for having an all-black production team. Several actors, including Kaluuya, have the potential to become the first British winners of their categories.
There are a couple of other potential records to watch out for as well. Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, is nominated for Best Picture (comedy or musical). Its leads are up for best actor and best actress awards in the comedy or musical category. Winning these awards would make Cohen the first person to win a Globe for playing the same character in an original and a sequel. It would also be the first comedy sequel to win the category since Toy Story 2.
Top films of the year
Netflix’s Mank is leading the running in the film category with six nominations. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a dramatic biographical film about Herman J. Mankiewicz, the screenwriter behind Citizen Kane. Its stellar cast includes Gary Oldman (as Mankiewicz), Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins and Charles Dance. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is one to add to your Netflix list.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 has had five nods. It’s a historical legal drama following a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors in the 1960s. Initially meant to have Stephen Spielberg directing, it has still been a massive success under Aaron Sorkin's direction. The star-studded ensemble cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeremy Strong.
Other frontrunners include The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, and Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham and Alison Brie.
Top TV shows of the year
Netflix’s The Crown is top of the running for television categories also with six nominations. It stirred up some controversy this year because of questions around its historical accuracy, but has still mostly been met with critical acclaim.
Other frontrunners include fan favourite Netflix comedy Schitt’s Creek, which ended last year on its sixth season, with five nominations. The gritty crime series Ozark, starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, received four nominations. HBO’s The Undoing, a psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in its lead roles, also received four nominations.
What to watch now
Given most of these productions had to be released during one of the lockdowns, there’s lots you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
Netflix predictably had the most nominations. The top films to watch on Netflix now are Mank, The Prom, Over the Moon and The Life Ahead. For a TV series to binge, Netflix also has The Crown, Ozark, Ratched and The Queen’s Gambit.
Amazon also hosts a few of the nominated productions, including Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Small Axe. On Disney+, you can see the film version of Hamilton, Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian and animated nominees Onward and Soul.
There's plenty to keep you going before and after the winners are announced on 28th February, whichever streaming services you subscribe to.
Image Credit: RON ROV at Pexels
