Golden Globes 2020 winner list predictions
The Golden Globes set the agenda for who will dominate the Hollywood’s awards and get close to an Oscar. Leigh Paatsch and Siobhan Duck reveal who they think will take out the awards.
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It was a year that brought Meryl Streep to the small screen and drama unfolded again behind the curtains of Buckingham Palace. Sexual harassment and nuclear disaster were portrayed in gripping fashion.
There will be no shortage of deserving winners at the 2020 Golden Globes, but who will carry off the prizes?
On Monday Australian time, the biggest buzz in the film world will be coming from a star-studded awards dinner in Los Angeles.
In recent times, The Golden Globes set the agenda for who will dominate the Hollywood awards season, which traditionally culminates at the Oscars in February.
With no Australians seriously in winning contention this year, the biggest point of interest for film fans will be the emergence of a clear frontrunner for the coveted Best Picture Oscar.
At this point, The Irishman looks in prime position to fill that slot. However, as has always been the case with the Globes, you just never know until the envelope is opened …
Here’s how we rate them:
GOLDEN GLOBES – TV CATEGORIES
BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA
Big Little Lies
The Crown
Killing Eve
Morning Wars
Succession
And the winner is … Morning Wars
This is a hard one to call because basically it’s a three-horse race between Morning Wars (known as The Morning Show in America), The Crown and Succession. But, in this post #metoo era, a show about the complexities of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry that also happens to be produced by two women, is sure to be rewarded.
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES, DRAMA
Jennifer Aniston, Morning Wars
Olivia Colman, The Crowd
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Reese Witherspoon, Morning Wars
And the winner is … Jennifer Aniston
Who doesn’t love Jennifer Aniston? The Globes will want to reward the former Friend for her triumphant return to the small screen. Aniston turned her nice-girl persona on its head as Alex Levy, an insecure breakfast TV host who is left reeling when her co-host is revealed to be a predator. The only pity here is that an Aniston win will deny viewers the supreme pleasure of watching Olivia Colman at the dais. The Brit has a proven track record for delivering hilarious off-the-cuff speeches.
BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES, DRAMA
Brian Cox, Succession
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Billy Porter, Pose
And the winner is … Brian Cox
The great tragedy here is that Steve Carell was not nominated for his brilliant performance as a disgraced breakfast TV host in Morning Wars. Instead, expect to see Cox nudge out Billy Porter who has already won an Emmy in this category. Succession became one of the most talked-about shows of 2019 and if it fails to win the best drama category, then the show is likely to come out on top here. Cox is a deserving winner; he is masterful as Logan Roy, a media mogul who rules over his company and his family with an iron fist.
BEST TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Barry
Fleabag
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Politician
And the winner is … Fleabag, of course
There is no way that any show can beat Fleabag. Mrs Maisel took out the gong in 2018, The Kominsky Method won it last year, which means, given the way the Globes love to spread the love around, it’s Fleabag’s year to shine. Add to that is the fact that this was Fleabag’s final season and it will be the last opportunity to herald a show that was such a game-changer.
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
And the winner is … Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Christina Applegate, Rachel Brosnahan, Kirsten Dunst and Natasha Lyonne will be able to take full advantage of the free champagne at the Globes as there’s no way anyone of them will be getting up to make a speech. As the writer and star of the darkly funny Fleabag, this one has Waller-Bridge’s name all over it.
BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Ben Platt, The Politician
Paul Rudd, Living with Yourself
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
And the winner is … Paul Rudd
This one was hard to call because none of these performances was particularly special. Although Living with Yourself was a dud which tried way too hard to be clever, Paul Rudd did a serviceable job with the material he was given. Plus, he’s a nice guy who will, no doubt, make an entertaining speech. So that’s a win for us too.
BEST LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Catch-22
Chernobyl
Fosse/Verdon
The Loudest Voice
Unbelievable
And the winner is … Chernobyl
This category is filled with worthy contenders but the dramatic and compelling treatment of the 1986 nuclear disaster will be hard to beat. Chernobyl has drawn some criticism for adding a little too much fiction to fact, but it certainly provides five tension-filled, memorable episodes of television.
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Christopher Abbott, Catch-22
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy
Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
Jared Harris, Chernobyl
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon
And the winner is … Russell Crowe
Although Jared Harris was utterly brilliant as the scientist who fought against Soviet bureaucracy to control the devastation of the Chernobyl disaster, our very own Rusty piled on the pounds and went bald to play Roger Ailes. And we all know how Hollywood loves to reward an actor who uglies up for a role! In fairness, Russell gave a creepy and compelling performance underneath all those latex prosthetics and deserves the accolade.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Kaitlyn Dever, Unbelievable
Joey King, The Act
Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great
Merritt Wever, Unbelievable
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
And the winner is … Michelle Williams
This award should go to Merritt Weaver for an understated and moving performance as a determined and religious police detective hunting for a serial rapist. But Michelle Williams will take home her second Globe (she won her first playing Marilyn Monroe in the movie My Week with Marilyn) for yet another portrayal of a real-life entertainment figure. Certainly, Williams gave a showstopping performance as dancer Gwen Verdon.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Andrew Scott, Fleabag
Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl
Henry Winkler, Barry
And the winner is … Andrew Scott
Not since Sex and the City’s Mr Big has an unobtainable love interest without a name had viewers swooning this way. Fleabag’s “hot priest” became one of the most talked-about characters on television and that’s thanks largely to Andrew Scott’s warm and engaging performance.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Patricia Arquette, The Act
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
Emily Watson, Chernobyl
And the winner is … Patricia Arquette
As a rule of thumb, if the opportunity to fill Meryl Streep’s trophy cabinet with another award arises then Hollywood will generally oblige. There’s no doubting Streep was one of the better parts about the second season of Big Little Lies, but surely this one has to go to Patricia Arquette who has already won an Emmy for her chilling portrayal of a woman who forces her adult daughter to pretend to be a disabled child.
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GOLDEN GLOBES – MOVIE CATEGORIES
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
1917
The Irishman
Joker
Marriage Story
The Two Popes
And the winner is … The Irishman
The Martin Scorsese-directed The Irishman went down in the books of most media pundits as the best movie of 2019. As the Golden Globes membership is comprised entirely of media types, it is no great stretch to see voters follow suit. It is a majestic film on all the fronts that count, and not simply for reconnecting Scorsese with both his best form and finest collaborators (here’s hoping he and De Niro reconvene once more before they’re done). The magnificent trio of 1917, Joker and Marriage Story do not deserve to be remembered as also-rans, however.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Dolemite is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
And the winner is … Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
A very evenly matched line-up, with only the wonky jukebox musical Rocketman totally out of contention. Sometimes, the obvious winner just has to be the winner, and Once Upon a Time simply ticks too many boxes for Globes voters to resist. The movie has old-school star power (Pitt, DiCaprio), a filmmaker at the top of his game (Quentin Tarantino), a major box-office record, and paints Hollywood in a nostalgic glow that stays with viewers for ages after.
BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Bong Joon Ho – Parasite
Sam Mendes – 1917
Todd Phillips – Joker
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
And the winner is … Bong Joon Ho
A win for the Korean master Bong Joon Ho will not be the boilover many assume. In fact, it could be the most valid indicator yet that his astonishing Parasite – a sleeper hit around the world – has a genuine shot at taking out the Best Picture Oscar next month. Ho’s direction is indeed superb, and just might sway voters who felt Scorsese took too long and scenic a route to wrapping up The Irishman.
BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
And the winner is … Joaquin Phoenix
Of all the decorated nominees in this category, it is only Phoenix who pushed on towards something as unconventional as it was extraordinary. In a remarkable feat of genuine method acting, Phoenix held a (cracked) mirror up to the shifting emotional, psychological and physical states of his frazzled character. Remarkably, there is faint talk of an upset, with either Banderas or Driver capitalising on Phoenix’s one weakness: his ‘difficult’ reputation. Can’t really see it happening though.
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy
And the winner is … Renée Zellweger
It only took a sample size of a few seconds as the late, great entertainer Judy Garland for Zellweger to become a hot fave on the awards circuit this season. While the sight of Zellweger in full flight as the gifted songbird is irresistible, so too is the prospect her Judy may crack and fall to pieces at any moment. Of the others, only Johansson can count herself truly unlucky to miss out. Her work in Marriage Story would win every statuette available in any other year.
BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Daniel Craig, Knives Out
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
And the winner is … Eddie Murphy
Murphy’s wired and inspired turn as a long-forgotten star of stage, screen and, umm, strip clubs was without doubt the comeback of the year. Seriously, Murphy has not been this great in decades. And he wants the world to know about it too: having cosied up to Globes voters for months to make the field, win, and then land a Best Actor Oscar nomination. While Craig has his admirers for the edge he brought to Knives Out, it is DiCaprio who has the best hope of raining on Murphy’s planned parade.
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Ana De Armas, Knives Out
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
Emma Thompson, Late Night
And the winner is … Awkwafina
Awkwafina was a total revelation in The Farewell, working in a completely different mode to her hilarious Crazy Rich Asians breakthrough. Though better known for her way with a punchline, it was Awkwafina’s array of quiet and natural reactions to a possible death in the family that made the movie so treasured by those who saw it. Of the others, De Armas is the only knockout hope, though her chances are reduced by the sheer size of the star-studded Knives Out cast.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
And the winner is … Brad Pitt
With mesmerising calm and charisma, Pitt made every scene his own in Tarantino’s homage to a lost Los Angeles. One minute, his laconic stuntman Cliff Booth could be going toe-to-toe with martial arts legend Bruce Lee. The next, he could be staring deep into the evil eyes of every member of the Manson Family. It is such a flawless display, no other nominee stands a chance. Pitt has never been an awards magnet, but all that changes here (and again on Oscars night).
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Annette Bening, The Report
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
And the winner is … Laura Dern
On first look, there is no real clear standout pick in an even field of honourable nominees. Look harder, and you can get a two-horse race going between Dern and Lopez. Hustlers was close to a career best for Lopez, and she has a genuine shot at winning. However, Dern’s powerhouse display as a steely divorce lawyer is work of a much higher calibre. Oh, and as a multiple Globes winner (and 9-time nominee) it is clear voters here just larrrrrve Laura.
Originally published as Golden Globes 2020 winner list predictions