Golden Globes 2021: winners predictions, Cate Blanchett v Nicole Kidman

As Hollywood gets back to work, we look at who is likely to win a Golden Globe for the best TV and film we’ve binged on at home.

Whether escaping the drudgery of lockdown, or pressing pause on the political spin cycle, this year’s Golden Globes with be a welcomed distraction – and serious business for the stars who kept us all entertained during the pandemic.

While the gala ceremony will again look differently to yesteryear, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will add some familiar fun as hosts, delivering laughs we all need.

Australia boasts a strong field of contenders, including Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman, who will face off for the best actress in a limited series or TV movie gong.

Our experts Holly Byrnes and Leight Patsch run the rule over the nominees to predict the big winners.

Winners … after sweeping the Emmy awards, the cast of Schitt's Creek, should scoop the Globes. Picture: Supplied/Netflix

BEST TV SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Emily in Paris (Netflix)

The Flight Attendant (BINGE/Foxtel)

The Great (Stan)

Schitt’s Creek (Netflix)

Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)

HOLLY BYRNES: After its historic sweep of the Emmys, there seems no contest here with Schitt’s Creek saving the world’s sanity with its love story and laughter during lockdown.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES – DRAMA

Jason Bateman (Ozark, Netflix)

Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Netflix)

Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Stan)

Al Pacino (Hunters, Amazon Prime)

Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason, Foxtel)

BYRNES: I think this is a race in two – Bateman v Rhys and my money’s on Bateman for his great work in Ozark.

Rosamund Pike as Martha in I Care A Lot. Picture: Seacia Pavao / Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV – MOVIE

Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America, Foxtel)

Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People/Stan)

Shira Haas (Unorthodox/Netflix)

Nicole Kidman (The Undoing, BINGE/Foxtel)

Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, Netflix)

BYRNES: This battle is as fierce as the women nominated, but on pure buzz factor I have to edge out our Cate and Nicole to give the gong to Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Amazon Prime Video)

Kate Hudson (Music, Netflix)

Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit)

Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot, Amazon Prime Video)

Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma, BINGE/Foxtel)

LEIGH PAATSCH: Regretfully, I get a sinking feeling Bakalova will dominate a very weak line-up. Was her provocative behaviour in Borat 2 really an ‘acting’ performance though? Don’t think so.

Greatnesss … the late Chadwick Boseman is expected to be honoured posthumously for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Picture; Valerie MACON / AFP

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE – DRAMA

Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Netflix)

Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Gary Oldman (Mank, Netflix)

Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian, Amazon Prime Video)

PAATSCH: The late (and yes, great) Boseman is already a lock for the Best Actor Oscar, and the noms aren’t even out yet! Won’t be winning out of mournful pity though. He’s huge in Ma Rainey.

BEST TV SERIES – DRAMA

The Crown (Netflix)

Lovecraft Country (BINGE/Foxtel)

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

Ozark (Netflix)

Ratched (Netflix)

BYRNES: So the palace lapdogs drew umbrage to the script, but this royal watcher loved the audacity of The Crown, which stepped it up in season 4.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES – DRAMA

Olivia Colman (The Crown, Netflix)

Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Netflix)

Emma Corrin (The Crown, Netflix)

Laura Linney (Ozark, Netflix)

Sarah Paulson (Ratched, Netflix)

BYRNES: Another cracking field with some of the industry’s most luminous and long-esteemed women in the running. But look out for Emma Corrin to win from her first nomination for her pitch perfect performance as Princess Diana.

Class act … Cate Blanchett will face off against fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman for the best actress in a drama series. Picture: Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

Bryan Cranston (Your Honor, Stan)

Jeff Daniels (The Comey Rule, Stan)

Hugh Grant (The Undoing, BINGE/Foxtel)

Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird, Stan)

Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True, BINGE/Foxtel)

BYRNES: Hugh Grant was lauded for his killer role in The Undoing, but my money is on Bryan Cranston for the legal thriller, Your Honour.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Amazon)

James Corden (The Prom, Netflix)

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Disney+)

Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield, Amazon)

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs, Amazon Prime Video)

PAATSCH: A contest between enduring respect (Miranda) and renewed popularity (Cohen). I’ll go with Miranda, as his effort will stand the test of time in ways that Cohen’s work will not.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE – DRAMA

Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Netflix)

Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday)

Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman, Netflix)

Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

PAATSCH: Almost impossible to split the mind-blowingly consistent power trio of Davis, McDormand and Mulligan. Going with the latter because she hit some hard notes the others wouldn’t dare sing.

Frances McDormand is incredible in Nomadland. Picture: Searchlight/20th Century

BEST MOVIE – DRAMA

The Father (Sony)

Mank (Netflix)

Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)

Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

PAATSCH: Nomadland is the best movie nommed here, and will win the big one on Oscars night in April. Not so cut and dried at the Globes because of the weird voting system. Therefore Chicago 7 and PYW are still in this.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE

Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Netflix)

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Jared Leto (The Little Things)

Bill Murray (On the Rocks, Apple TV+)

Leslie Odom, Jr. (One Night in Miami, Amazon Prime Video)

PAATSCH: Odom Jr. was brilliant as the late singing legend Sam Cooke, and deserves the win. However, I strongly suspect Kaluuya will prevail, just for being in the more appealing movie.

Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman in the The Trial of the Chicago 7. Pictgure: Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN TV SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Lily Collins (Emily in Paris, Netflix)

Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant, BINGE/Foxtel)

Elle Fanning (The Great, Stan)

Jane Levy (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Stan)

Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Netflix)

BYRNES: Kaley Cuoco was intoxicating and so so watchable in the quirky murder mystery she also produced, but who can go past the delectable Catherine O’Hara, aka Moira, in Schitt’s Creek? Not moi.

BEST LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

Normal People (Stan)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Small Axe (BINGE/Foxtel)

The Undoing (BINGE/Foxtel)

Unorthodox (Netflix)

BYRNES: The Undoing was a global sensation and deserves this nod, but don’t discount The Queen’s Gambit to check mate the more favoured series.

Prized performance … Nicole Kidman, pictured with husband Keith Urban, has drawn applause for her acting and producing role in The Undoing. Picture: Valerie Macon/AFP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

John Boyega (Small Axe, BINGE/Foxtel)

Brendan Gleeson (The Comey Rule, Stan)

Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek, Netflix)

Jim Parsons (Hollywood)

Donald Sutherland (The Undoing, BINGE/Foxtel)

BYRNES: While Dan Levy had the Emmy on lock, I think he’ll have more competition this time around, namely from veteran Donald Sutherland or John Boyega.

BEST MOVIE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Prime Video)

Hamilton (Disney+)

Palm Springs (Neon)

Music (Google Play)

The Prom (Netflix)

PAATSCH: An even(ish) field, but Hamilton and Borat 2 have the sizzle to stand out. Hamilton was a trifle dull at times, so the fun factor gets Kazakhstan’s finest reporter the win. VERY NICE!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE

Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy, Netflix)

Olivia Colman (The Father)

Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian, Amazon Prime Video)

Amanda Seyfried (Mank, Netflix)

Helena Zengel (News of the World, Netflix)

PAATSCH: Amanda Seyfried was a revelation as sassy screen siren Marion Davies in Mank and should be rewarded for hitting new career peak. Only a scenery-chewing Close can beat her.

Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies in Mank. Picture: Netflix

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE MOVIE

Another Round (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

La Llorona (Shudder)

The Life Ahead (Netflix)

Minari (A24)

Two of Us (Magnolia Pictures)

PAATSCH: A dead-set two-horse race this. The woozy, boozy Another Round will go close, but the irresistibly charming and moving Minari just has to get the nod.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Don Cheadle (Black Monday, Stan)

Nicholas Hoult (The Great, Stan)

Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek, Netflix)

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso, Apple TV+)

Ramy Youssef (Ramy, Stan)

BYRNES: Jason Sudeikis could be a dark horse for this one, edging out Emmy winner – and my fave – in the same category, Eugene Levy.

OTT: Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown. Picture: Netflix.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Netflix)

Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, Netflix)

Julia Garner (Ozark, Netflix)

Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek, Netflix)

Cynthia Nixon (Ratched, Netflix)

BYRNES: Gillian Anderson drove me batty with her exaggerated take on Maggie Thatcher in The Crown, so I’m sticking with Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek.

BEST MOVIE – ANIMATED

The Croods: A New Age (Universal Pictures)

Onward (Disney+)

Over the Moon (Netflix)

Soul (Disney+)

Wolfwalkers (Apple TV+)

PAATSCH: Not a year for champagne cartooning. More like flat lemonade, really. The only possible winner is Soul, and only the strength of two jaw-dropping musical sequences.

* The Golden Globe Awards, 12 noon (encore 7.30pm), Monday March 1, Fox Arena and streaming on demand.

Originally published as Golden Globes 2021: winners predictions, Cate Blanchett v Nicole Kidman