Who is most likely to win in the 2019 Golden Globe awards

Leigh Paatsch and Cameron Adams pick the winners at the 2019 Golden Globes, which could throw up a few surprises.

The 2019 Golden Globe awards have arrived, kicking off the annual Hollywood awards season. Here’s who is up for nomination and who is most likely to win.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

Bohemian Rhapsody

If Beale Street Could Talk

A Star Is Born 1.15

And the winner is …

A Star Is Born.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in a scene from film A Star is Born. Picture: Supplied

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s triumphant reinterpretation of one of Hollywood’s most enduring screen commodities has looked every bit the powerful awards magnet from its first day of release. The movie plays equally strongly to those on vote on artistic merit, or on grounds of pure, unbridled enjoyment. If A Star Is Born is to dominate the upcoming Oscars as many expect, it must win here. However, should it lose (and the superhero classic Black Panther could be the one to do it) then we could be in for the most interesting Academy Awards in many years!

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Crazy Rich Asians

The Favourite

Green Book

Mary Poppins Returns

Vice

And the winner is …

Green Book.

Viggo Mortensen (as Tony Lip) and Mahershala Ali (Dr Don Shirley) in a scene from film Green Book directed by Peter Farrelly. Picture: Supplied

This is a very evenly matched line-up, with the crowd-pleasing true story of Green Book and the sophisticated historical high-jinks of The Favourite nudging clear of the pack. The sheer accessibility of Green Book, a movie which conveys an upbeat message of acceptance in the face of prejudice via two brilliant performances from Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, gets it across the line. Those who fancy an upset should keep tabs on Mary Poppins Returns.

Best Director — Motion Picture

Bradley Cooper — A Star Is Born

Alfonso Cuaron — Roma

Peter Farrelly — Green Book

Spike Lee — BlacKkKlansman

Adam McKay — Vice

And the winner is …

Alfonso Cuaron.

Alfonso Cuaron speaks during the premiere of the Netflix movie Roma. Picture: Getty

Cuaron took out this category on the road to Oscars glory with his previous movie, Gravity in 2014. He looks set to repeat the trick with a radically different work in Roma, a quietly moving drama filmed in black-and-white and set in a deeply atmospheric Mexico City of the early 1970s. In a sign of changing times for movie fans, you can watch Roma in full on Netflix right now if you are so inclined. Cooper can consider himself most unlucky to miss here.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Bradley Cooper — A Star Is Born

Willem Dafoe — At Eternity’s Gate

Lucas Hedges — Boy Erased

Rami Malek — Bohemian Rhapsody

John David Washington — BlacKkKlansman

And the winner is …

Bradley Cooper.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in a scene from the movie A Star Is Born. Picture: Supplied

A cracking two-horse race is on in earnest here. Cooper is the definite frontrunner for his gritty, low-key control of A Star Is Born’s most tragedy-tinged moments. What may count against him is his reluctance to court votes from a notoriously picky Globes membership. There Malek’s irresistible and blindingly brilliant channelling of the late Freddie Mercury puts him in with a real chance. A win here would make Malek a serious Oscars player.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Glenn Close — The Wife

Lady Gaga — A Star Is Born

Nicole Kidman — Destroyer

Melissa McCarthy — Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Rosamund Pike — A Private War

And the winner is …

Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga is nominated for best actress, drama. Picture: Supplied

Gaga’s sensationally soulful and unfailingly natural performance in A Star is Born ranks as one of the great lead acting debuts of the modern era. Such was its impact — and the effortless manner in which it brushed away viewers’ preconceived notions of Gaga’s capabilities — it is unthinkable to see her losing here. The Lady is also a dead cert to take out Best Original Song on the night for her beautiful rendition of Shallow.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Christian Bale — Vice

Lin-Manuel Miranda — Mary Poppins Returns

Viggo Mortensen — Green Book

Robert Redford — The Old Man & the Gun

John C. Reilly — Stan & Ollie

And the winner is …

Christian Bale.

Christian Bale as Dick Cheney with Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney. Picture: Supplied

This is a very even field, with only Miranda totally out of contention. While Vice is not much of a movie, Bale kept up his end of the bargain with one heck of a transformative performance. Watching his physically and psychologically disappear inside the enigma of the conniving Dick Cheney was a true acting master class. Despite a recent off-screen controversy, Mortensen will go close for his loveable depiction of a hoodlum with heart in Green Book.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Emily Blunt — Mary Poppins Returns

Olivia Colman — The Favourite

Elsie Fisher — Eighth Grade

Charlize Theron — Tully

Constance Wu — Crazy Rich Asians

And the winner is …

Olivia Colman.

Olivia Colman in The Favourite. Picture: Supplied

It was widely assumed that Blunt’s adorable handling of an iconic role in Mary Poppins Returns would walk away with this category. However, a strong groundswell of support for Colman in the past week has radically changed that scenario. Her nuanced portrayal of an unstable queen in The Favourite is arguably a dramatic performance above all else. However, the power and poignancy of Colman’s work is in another league compared to her rivals.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Mahershala Ali — Green Book

Timothee Chalamet — Beautiful Boy

Adam Driver — BlacKkKlansman

Richard E. Grant — Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Sam Rockwell — Vice

And the winner is …

Mahershala Ali.

Viggo Mortensen (as Tony Lip) and Mahershala Ali (Dr Don Shirley) in a scene from film Green Book. Picture: Supplied

Ali exudes a captivating, near-mystical presence as the reclusive jazz pianist Don Shirley in Green Book. It is brilliant, nuanced work not to be forgotten in a hurry. A previous nominee in this category who should have won that year (for Moonlight in 2017, which ultimately won him an Oscar). The only bloke who can knock him off is the much-admired Brit Richard E. Grant, a great wit who would certainly deliver the best acceptance speech of the night if given the chance.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams — Vice

Claire Foy — First Man

Regina King — If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone — The Favourite

Rachel Weisz — The Favourite

And the winner is …

Amy Adams.

Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney in Vice. Picture: Supplied

Without doubt, the tightest contest of the evening. If Stone and Weisz weren’t cannibalising each other’s votes, one of them would win as a solo contender. King has many fans for an immense performance as an embattled mother-to-be in Beale Street, but that movie’s sub-par US box-office performance will hurt her chances. Therefore it’s likely Adams (significantly, a two-time Globe winner) will prevail for a solid display as the ultimate politician’s wife in Vice.

TELEVISION

Cameron Adams looks at the small screen’s best chances for some Golden Globe love.

Best Television Series — Drama

The Americans

Bodyguard

Homecoming

Killing Eve

Pose

And the winner is …

Killing Eve

Sandra Oh in Killing Eve. Picture Supplied

Always the toughest to choose and the toughest competition in years. Homecoming could get the nod as a way of welcoming Julia Roberts to TV land. Bodyguard and The Americans are critical faves, while Pose would be a worthy winner but perhaps too niche. The excellent and groundbreaking Killing Eve should win and being a joint British and American production, will keep a lot of people happy.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama

Caitriona Balfe — Outlander

Elisabeth Moss -The Handmaid’s Tale

Sandra Oh — Killing Eve

Julia Roberts — Homecoming

Keri Russell — The Americans

And the winner is …

Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh is expected to win best actress in a television series for Killing Eve.

Should be Sandra Oh, who is absolutely amazing as the cop tracking a serial killer in Killing Eve (which is somehow also darkly humorous) but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association love a celebrity so don’t be surprised if Julia Roberts picks this one up.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama

Jason Bateman — Ozark

Stephan James — Homecoming

Richard Madden — Bodyguard

Billy Porter — Pose

Matthew Rhys — The Americans

And the winner is …

Matthew Rhys.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in The Americans. Picture: Supplied

Will voters give Matthew Rhys the nod for the season in The Americans? Or Billy Porter for a star turn in Ryan Murphy’s LGBTQ groundbreaking drama Pose? Or this will likely be the BBC’s time to shine with Richard Madden to the podium for Bodyguard. All signs point to The Americans, for one last time.

Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy

Barry

The Good Place

Kidding

The Kominsky Method

The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel

And the winner is …

The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel.

Rachel Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Picture: Supplied

It’s been a good year for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and luckily votes were cast before people saw season two. The only competition would come from cult hit The Good Place, but we’re tipping more Maisel love here.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

Kristen Bell — The Good Place

Candice Bergen — Murphy Brown

Alison Brie — Glow

Rachel Brosnahan — The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel

Debra Messing — Will & Grace

And the winner is …

Rachel Brosnahan.

Rachel Brosnahan in a scene from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Picture: Supplied

Another tough one. Rachel Brosnahan is excellent as Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel, a New York housewife in 1958 who juggles motherhood with a stand-up comedy career. Kristen Bell is also enjoying a career resurgence in The Good Place. But the Globes love a star, so don’t be surprised if Candy Bergen or Debra Messing’s names are in the envelope. Let’s give this one to Grace Adler if it’s not a Maisel moment.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen — Who Is America?

Jim Carrey — Kidding

Michael Douglas — The Kominsky Method

Donald Glover — Atlanta

Bill Hader — Barry

And the winner is …

Michael Douglas.

Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas in The Kominsky Method.

Any one of these nominees would deserve to win. Secretly we’d love to see Sacha Baron Cohen win just to see what would happen. But it’ll most likely be Donald Glover or Michael Douglas, probably the latter for the fame factor — this would be his fourth Golden Globe.

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

The Alienist

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Escape at Dannemora

Sharp Objects

A Very English Scandal

And the winner is …

American Crime Story.

Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace in American Crim Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Picture: Supplied

Would love Sharp Objects to win but it’s way too dark and divisive. American Crime Story should have this one in the (Versace) bag and deservedly so.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Amy Adams — Sharp Objects

Patricia Arquette — Escape at Dannemora

Connie Britton — Dirty John

Laura Dern — The Tale

Regina King — Seven Seconds

And the winner is …

Amy Adams

Eliza Scanlen, Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson in Sharp Objects. Picture: Supplied

OK, so while Sharp Objects is tough going to watch, Amy Adams is mesmerising. She’s so good you see why film actors take TV roles as it gives them eight hours to explore characters, not just two hours in a movie. Laura Dern is her only real competition.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Antonio Banderas — Genius: Picasso

Daniel Bruhl — The Alienist

Darren Criss — The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Benedict Cumberbatch — Patrick Melrose

Hugh Grant — A Very English Scandal

And the winner is …

Darren Criss.

Darren Criss plays Andrew Cunanan in American Crime Story. Picture: Supplied

The ‘Batch is fantastic as Patrick Melrose, and we’d love to see what Hugh Grant would say on the podium, but American Crime Story reinvented Darren Criss from the dude who sang in Glee to a Hollywood player. Give him the award.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alex Borstein — The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel

Patricia Clarkson — Sharp Objects

Penelope Cruz — The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Thandie Newton — Westworld

Yvonne Strahovski — The Handmaid’s Tale

And the winner is …

Patricia Clarkson

Actress Patricia Clarkson is expected to win best supporting actress in television. Picture: Supplied

Without giving away any spoilers, Patricia Clarkson is a real piece of work in Sharp Objects and still haunts our nightmares.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alan Arkin — The Kominsky Method

Kieran Culkin — Succession

Edgar Ramirez — The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Ben Whishaw — A Very English Scandal

Henry Winkler — Barry

And the winner is …

Henry Winkler in Barry. Picture: Supplied

Bem Whishaw could be a dark horse, but Henry Winkler already won an Emmy for Barry and it’d be another feel-good Fonzie comeback moment. What’s the opposite of jumping the shark?

Originally published as Who is most likely to win in the 2019 Golden Globe awards