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2021 Golden Globes live: The Crown cleans up TV awards, while Borat and Nomadland win film categories

In a night of emotional moments interspersed with a diversity row, the pandemic edition of the Globes was one to remember.

Amy Campbell and Rosemary Neil
23 min read
9:22AMMarch 01, 2021.
Updated 5:12PMMarch 01, 2021
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Emma Corrin (on screen) accepting the Best Television Actress in Drama Series award for The Crown via video from Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AFP
Emma Corrin (on screen) accepting the Best Television Actress in Drama Series award for The Crown via video from Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AFP

That’s all from our rolling coverage of the 78th Golden Globe Awards.

Agencies3.54pm:Nomadland’ makes Globes history, as virtual gala honors late Boseman

US road movie “Nomadland” made Golden Globes history Sunday as Chloe Zhao became the first female director to win the awards’ top prize for best drama with her film about a generation of marginalized Americans roaming the West in vans, which now motors into Oscars pole position.

Zhao also bagged the best director Globe, making her only the second woman to do so in the history of Hollywood’s traditional awards season opener, which was a mainly virtual ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chloe Zhao accepting the Best Director - Motion Picture award for Nomadland via video, during the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AFP
Chloe Zhao accepting the Best Director - Motion Picture award for Nomadland via video, during the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AFP

The late Chadwick Boseman won best actor for 1920s blues drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” six months after his death from cancer at age 43, in a night of emotional moments interspersed with technical glitches, awkward jokes and a row over the lack of diversity among event organizers.

Semi-fictional film “Nomadland” stars Oscar winner Frances McDormand alongside a rag-tag bunch of non-actors who truly live on the open road, working mostly menial jobs to scrape by off the grid.

“I especially want to thank the nomads who shared their stories with us,” said Beijing-born Zhao, 38.

“For everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives -- this is for you. We don’t say goodbye. We say see you down the road,” she added later on, after the film won top honors.

Usually a star-packed party that draws Tinseltown’s biggest names to a Beverly Hills hotel ballroom, this pandemic edition of the Globes was broadcast from identical sets at the Beverly Hilton and New York’s Rainbow Room, with essential workers and a few A-list presenters among the few in attendance.

The night’s most poignant moment came with Boseman’s win.

“He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifice,” said his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepting on his behalf.

Simone Ledward Boseman accepting the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama on behalf of her late husband Chadwick Boseman. Picture: AFP
Simone Ledward Boseman accepting the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama on behalf of her late husband Chadwick Boseman. Picture: AFP

“He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice that tells you you can, that tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history,” she added.

Unlike the Oscars, the Globes split most movie categories into drama and “musical or comedy.” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” a sequel about the fictional Kazakh journalist, won the comedy section’s best film and best actor prizes for creator Sacha Baron Cohen.

“Hold on, Donald Trump is contesting the result. He claimed a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the HFPA,” joked Cohen, referring to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes.

Best comedy actress went to Rosamund Pike for Netflix’s dark thriller “I Care A Lot.” “I had to swim up from a sinking car. I think I still would rather do that than have to be in a room with Rudy Giuliani,” said Pike.

The biggest upset came as Andra Day won best drama actress for her portrayal of the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

AFP

Staff writers3.05pmAll the winners..

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Nomadland

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Rosamund Pike - I Care a Lot

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Jodie Foster - The Mauritanian

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST DIRECTOR

Chloe Zhao - Nomadland

BEST SCREENPLAY

Aaron Sorkin - The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste - Soul

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Io Si (Seen)” - The Life Ahead

BEST MOTION PICTURE - ANIMATED

Soul

BEST MOTION PICTURE - FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Minari

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

The Crown

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Schitt’s Creek

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Emma Corin - The Crown

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Josh O’Connor - The Crown

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Catherine O’Hara - Schitt’s Creek

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Jason Sudeikis - Ted Lasso

BEST LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV

The Queen’s Gambit

BEST ACTOR - LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV

Mark Ruffalo - I Know This Much is True

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES

Gillian Anderson - The Crown

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES

John Boyega - Small Axe

Staff writers3.02pm:Nomadland clinches biggest gong

The Golden Globe for best motion picture drama goes to Nomadland!

Staff writers2.50pm:Borat Subsequent Moviefilm finally snags awards

After a snub in the best actress category, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has scooped up Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy, with Cohen also taking home Best Actor—Musical or Comedy.

In the acceptance speeches, Cohen, who was tuning in with his Australian wife Isla Fisher, thanked “the all-white Hollywood foreign press” and the film’s unlikely breakout actor, Rudy Giuliani. He went on to wager that “Donald Trump is questioning the result, he’s saying that a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude way to speak about the HFPA.” A true auteur, both on and off the screen.

Cohen also thanked his crew, who risked Covid and legal persecution to get this film out before the US election, an end-date that was chosen so that viewers could witness the effects of hate and xenophobia play out on film, before casting their votes and risking making art reality.

Image still from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Courtesy. Picture: Amazon Studios
Image still from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Courtesy. Picture: Amazon Studios

READ our review here

Staff writers2.47pm:Andra Day wins best actress in a motion picture, drama

Amy Campbell2.45pm:Chadwick Boseman posthumously wins best actor

It was hard not to shed a tear as Taylor Simone Boseman, wife of the late actor Chadwick Boseman, accepted the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama on behalf of him. Boseman passed away after a long yet not-publicly-known battle with cancer in August last year.

“He would thank God, he would thank his parents, he would thank his ancestors,” said an emotional Ms. Boseman. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside all of us that tells you you can, that tells you to to keep going.”

Boseman won the award posthumously for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He died after a long but private battle with cancer in August 2020.

Staff writers2.40pm:Chloe Zhao wins best director for Nomadland

Zhao she’s the first woman to win this category since 1984 — that was Barbra Streisand, who won for the drama Yentl.

Staff writers2.39pm:Jane Fonda receives Cecil B. DeMille Award

Staff writers:2.30pm:The Queen’s Gambit wins best limited series

Staff writers2.25pm:Cate, Nicole miss out as Anya Taylor-Joy snags a Globe

Anya Taylor-Joy wins best actress in a limited series or a motion picture made for TV The Queen’s Gambit. Taylor-Joy edgged out Cate Blanchett for her role in Mrs America and Nicole Kidman in The Undoing.

Staff writers2.20pm:Another gong for The Crown with Gillian Anderson win

Staff writers2.15pm:Jodie Foster wins for The Mauritanian

Jodie Foster wins best supporting actress in a motion picture.

An emotional Foster said “I think they made a mistake”.

“I never expected to be here ever again.. This is awesome!”

Jodie Foster pictured with her wife, Alexandra Hedison, during her acceptance speech. Picture: Supplied
Jodie Foster pictured with her wife, Alexandra Hedison, during her acceptance speech. Picture: Supplied

Amy Campbell2.02pm:Jane Fonda’s son posts hilarious video

Meanwhile on Twitter, those watching the ceremony from afar are getting creative with documenting their setup. Moments ago a video was posted to Jane Fonda’s official Twitter account, in which you can hear a deep voice asking, “mum, what are you doing now?”

“Watching the show,” Fonda answers, before realising her son is filming. “I want to know who’s won. I get starstruck when I see all of these stars walking around!” She laughs, justifying her surprise.

Fonda has quite the setup. The actress and fitness icon can be seen facing an illuminating spotlight, from where she’ll accept the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Tina Fey accurately summed up Fonda in a prelude, saying she’s “a generous actor with the ass of a 20-year-old boy.” Apt!

Staff writers2.00pm:The Crown wins best TV series drama

In what’s looking like it could be a sweep for The Crown, the Netflix title also takes out best TV series drama.

Agencies1.52pm: Minari wins best motion picture - foreign language

Minari, the critically acclaimed story of a Korean-American family that moves to a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s, on Sunday won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film.

It bested “Another Round” (Denmark), “La Llorona” (Guatemala, France), “The Life Ahead” (Italy) and “Two Of Us” (France, US).

Minari was widely considered good enough that it should have been up for best motion picture drama, but HFPA rules meant it was relegated into the foreign language category.

Screen grab from Minari. Picture: Josh Ethan Johnson
Screen grab from Minari. Picture: Josh Ethan Johnson

READ our review here

Amy Campbell1.45pm:Josh O’Connor wins Globe for portrayal of Prince Charles

Josh O’Connor is overjoyed to win best actor in a TV series — drama for his portrayl of Prince Charles in The Crown.

When accepting the gong for Best Actor—Drama Series for his role in The Crown, British actor Josh O’Connor became visibly emotional.

“I’m very lucky to be able to work in this period, there are so many people who’re unable to work and who are alone and isolated,” said O’Connor, as the narky hurry-up music began kicking into crescendo in the background. “I hope we can collectively put mental health at the forefront of our minds.”

O’Connor joins his Crown co-star Emma Corrin, who took home Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Drama.

Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles and Emma Corin as Princess Diana in The Crown. Picture: Supplied
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles and Emma Corin as Princess Diana in The Crown. Picture: Supplied

Glynis Traill-Nash1.43pm:Is Instagram the new red carpet?

Whether being driven by the celebrities themselves, or the brands that have nowhere else to dress them, nominees in this year’s Golden Globes have used the occasion to frock up - and embrace the new normal.

Isla Fisher wears an Alex Perry gown. Picture: Instagram/Supplied
Isla Fisher wears an Alex Perry gown. Picture: Instagram/Supplied

Whether Rosamund Pike in a tulle Molly Goddard confection stalking the corridors of an empty hotel, or Elle Fanning proving that you can do the vacuuming in a satin gown, the event has brought some levity to a dark world.

Luxury brands including Louis Vuitton (who dressed Regina King and Kate Hudson for their at-home appearances), Valentino (who created Cynthia Erivo’s intergalactic green design and Dan Levy’s yellow suit) and Chanel (Andra Day and Margot Robbie) have made sure that lockdowns don’t translate as lacklustre.

Isla Fisher knows how to work a phone screen - opting for a neon-pink gown by Sydney designer Alex Perry while supporting nominee husband Sacha Baron Cohen.

Amy Campbell1.33pm:Fans upset over Rosamund Pike win

Rosamund Pike has taken home Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy for her role in I Car A Lot. And while Pike’s performance was immense, fans of Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova are upset she wasn’t rewarded for outstanding performance in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Tweets to the tune of “bakalova deserved better” and “NOOOOO BAKALOVA????” are currently flooding The Golden Globe’s official Twitter account, which recently posted news of Pike’s win.

Staff writers1.23pm:And another win for Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek was up against some strong competition but managed to take out the award for best television series – musical or comedy.

The show’s creator Daniel Levy accepted the award, and spoke about the show’s message of inclusivity, saying he hopes this time next year that inclusivity is also a central message of the awards.

Staff writers1.21pm:Sudeikis collects Globe for Ted Lasso

Jason Sudeikis wins best performance by an actor in a television series – musical or comedy.

This was Sudeikis’ first-ever nomination from the HFPA and therefore his first win.

The actor prevailed over fellow nominees Don Cheadle (Black Monday), Nicholas Hoult (The Great), Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) and last year’s victor Ramy Youssef (Ramy).

Staff writers:1.07pm: Emma Corrin wins for work as Princess Di

Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the latest season of The Crown has won best actress in a TV drama.

She dedicated her win to Diana: “Thank-you so much to Diana, you have taught me compassion and empathy beyond any measure.”

Agencies12.47pm:HFPA pledges ‘more inclusive future’

Three senior HFPA officials took to the Globes stage early in the night, pledging “a more inclusive future,” after several influential showbiz groups had piled on criticism over the weekend including Hollywood’s actors and directors unions.

Despite that controversy, the Globes -- which also honor the best in television -- remain a coveted prize, and a high-profile source of momentum in the run-up to the season-crowning Oscars, which were pushed back this year to April 25.

AFP

Staff writers12.40pm:The Trial of the Chicago 7 wins best screenplay — motion picture

Aaron Sorkin took out the award, for best screenplay, motion picture for the film that follows the trial of anti-Vietnam War activists in Chicago.

Screen grab from The Trial of the Chicago 7. Picture: Supplied
Screen grab from The Trial of the Chicago 7. Picture: Supplied

Agencies12.38pmHollywood awards season launches, with a glitch

Hollywood’s award season got under way Sunday at a very different Golden Globes, with winners dialling in remotely to a ceremony -- featuring a few early glitches -- that will boost or dash the Oscars hopes of early frontrunners like “Nomadland” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Usually a star-packed party that draws Tinseltown’s biggest names to a Beverly Hills hotel ballroom, this pandemic edition is being broadcast from two scaled-down venues in California and New York, with essential workers and a few glamorous A-list presenters among the few in attendance.

The virtual ceremony was hit with an immediate technical glitch, as the first winner, Daniel Kaluuya, initially lost sound for his acceptance speech, forcing in-studio presenter Laura Dern to apologize before audio was restored.

“You’re doing me dirty! Am I on?” joked best supporting actor Kaluuya, before paying tribute to late Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, who he played in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” “I hope generations after this can see how brilliantly he fought, how brilliantly he spoke, and how brilliantly he loved,” he said of Hampton.

Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler -- hosting from opposite coasts -- opened the ceremony via split-screen while pretending to reach across to one another, before an opening routine that made fun of the Globes-awarding group of obscure foreign reporters, which has been under pressure for its lack of diversity.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler speak onstage at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: Getty
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler speak onstage at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: Getty

“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is made up of around 90 -- no Black -- journalists that attend movie junkets each year, in search for a better life. We say 90 because a few may be ghosts,” said Fey.

AFP

Staff writers12.34pm:Ruffalo wins first Golden Globe award

Mark Ruffalo wins best actor in a limited series or a motion picture made for TV, for his role in I Know This Much Is True.

Mark Ruffalo and Rosie O'Donnell in the HBO mini-series I Know This Much Is True. Picture: Supplied/HBO
Mark Ruffalo and Rosie O'Donnell in the HBO mini-series I Know This Much Is True. Picture: Supplied/HBO

Staff writers12.28pm:Pixar film wins best animated motion picture

Staff Writers12.22pm: Another win for Schitt’s Creek’s O’Hara

Catherine O’Hara has won best actress in a TV series — musical or comedy for her role in Schitt’s Creek.

Staff writers12.15pm:Boyega takes out Best Supprting Actor gong

John Boyega wins Best supporting actor in a limited series or film made for TV for his role in Small Axe.

Staff writers12.10pmFirst Globe of the night goes to..

Daniel Kaluuya has won the first globe of the night - Best supporting actor in any motion picture - for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah.

Rosemary Neil 11.55am:Blanchett v Kidman

The socially-distanced, 78th Golden Globes award ceremony is just minutes away, and for many Australians the key question is: Will Cate Blanchett’s star turn as conservative campaigner Phyllis Schlafly in television drama Mrs America prevail over Nicole Kidman’s performance in The Undoing, a New York-set tale of murder and infidelity?

James Madge as John Ashbrook and Cate Blanchett As Phyllis Schlafly in Mrs America. Picture: Supplied
James Madge as John Ashbrook and Cate Blanchett As Phyllis Schlafly in Mrs America. Picture: Supplied

Both actresses have been nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category, and both are competing against talented newcomer and dual nominee Anya Taylor-Joy, who starred in the surprise Netflix hit, The Queen’s Gambit, which had many of us tapping into our inner chess masters.

(Taylor-Joy has also scored a nomination for her role in Emma, in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category.)

Matilda De Angelis and Nicole Kidman in The Undoing. Picture: Supplied
Matilda De Angelis and Nicole Kidman in The Undoing. Picture: Supplied

A third Australian, Adelaide-born singer Sia, has scored a nomination for her film Music, which she co-wrote and directed, in the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy division. However, Sia’s film, which also earned a best actress in a motion picture nomination, was the subject of a backlash from autism activists who accused it of being “severely ableist’’ and contributing to “harmful stereotypes’’ of autistic people, leading to calls for the Golden Globes organisers to rescind the nomination.

Also flying the flag for Australia, Hollywood star Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, backed the provocative film Promising Young Woman, which has garnered four nominations, while Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara’s 10-episode drama about Catherine the Great, titled The Great, is up for two acting trophies and the best musical/comedy award.

Staff writers11.50am:The hosts have arrived, separately!

The four-time Golden Globes hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey won’t be sharing a stage this year. Instead they’ll host from opposite sides of the US — Fey from the Rainbow Room in New York City, and Poehler from the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The Actress and comedian, Fay, has opted for a short and sharp all-black ensemble, with fishnet-style stockings.

Amy Campbell11.36am:Fanning transforms into modern day Cinderella

For years she was an ambassador for Miu Miu, the Italian luxury brand known as Prada’s ‘younger sister’. But now actress Elle Fanning is all grown up, a process of evolution that’s involved her becoming a face of fellow Italian label Gucci. Tonight, she’s dressed in liquid-like silk dress by the brand.

“Thank you @alessandro_michele for this glorious dress! I heart @gucci forever!” posted the actress to Instagram. Fanning is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, for her role in Hulu’s The Great.

Amy Campbell11.17am:Is this the year of the musical score?

Best Song is one of those underrated categories that tends to get presented in ad breaks. Which is a shame, especially when the nominees—such as British singer-songwriter Celeste, whose original track ‘Hear My Voice’ illuminates the The Trial of the Chicago—are so fabulous. Maybe this will be the year scores get their due?

Amy Campbell11.03am:Mank star delivers on ‘fashion moment’

Mank star Amanda Seyfried, who is up for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, unveils her 2021 look—a peachy, off the shoulder gown with a floral garland-style shawl.

“I’ve always known I’m capable of a lot of things, but I guess I never really got this type of challenge before,” Seyfried told Vogue Australia of her performance in Mank earlier this year.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the star had joked late last year that she couldn’t wait for the Golden Globes, as she was “desperate for a fashion moment” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Amy Campbell10.58am:What to expect from dynamic hosting duo

When it comes to co-hosting the Globes, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are seasoned professionals. So what new material can we expect from the dynamic duo, who will be presenting from different ends of the country? This teaser clip posted to the Golden Globes official Twitter account a short time ago seems to suggest that geographical distance won’t get in the way of these two roasting each other. Affectionately, of course.

Amy Campbell10.48am:Schitt’s Creek’s Levy’s look deserves an award

We’re not sure if David, his Schitt’s Creek character, would approve of the colour burst, but we definitely do. Dressed to the nines in a lime green suit with a sequined mock-neck top and metallic brogues, actor/writer Dan Levy looks phenomenal. Surely it’s only a matter of time before we see him shimmying towards his webcam to make an acceptance speech-Schiit’s Creek is up for five awards.

Amy Campbell10.42am:Spike Lee’s kids make Globes history

They may not be household names (yet). But siblings Jackson Lee and Satchel Lee, who are the 2021 Golden Globes Ambassadors, certainly look like stars. (Their father, film director Spike Lee, is no stranger to singular red carpet moments either).

Fun fact: the Lee’s are the third set of siblings to be made co-ambassadors of the Globes. Their appointment is also historic—Jackson will be the first Black male ambassador, while Satchel, a writer and photographer, is the first to openly identify as queer.

Staff writers10.30am:Big names support #TimesUpGlobes amid HFPA criticism

As celebrities continue to post their Red Carpet looks, citicism against the HFPA continues to mount, with big names such as Judd Apatow, Olivia Wilde and Jennifer Aniston posting images with the hashtag #TimesUpGlobes.

While the awards take place in the shadow of a lawsuit accusing organisers of operating as a corrupt and secretive ‘cartel’, revelations from LA Times, highlighting that the roughly 90 voting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have no black members, have ramped things up.

Staff writers10.20am:Stars dress to impress

Despite this year’s more muted Red Carpet, Hollywood stars are still standing out.

Staff writers9.55am:Virtual Red Carpet kicks off

The red carpet special has begun with Aussie star Margot Robbie kicking things off in style.

Hannah-Rose Yee8.55am:Who will win?

That’s really the most important question of all, isn’t it? There is a chance that this strange year of cinema could herald an exciting year of history-making winners. Or, knowing the erratic nature of the Golden Globes, it could yield a few surprising victors, a couple of locked-in favourites and even more head-scratching announcements.

Here are a few predictions from the top categories:

Best Picture, Drama:Nomadland. The Frances McDormand drama is coming into the ceremony on a high, winning several festival and critics awards, and fresh off a cinematic and streaming release in the US. You’ll be able to see it in Australia in cinemas from 4 March. The only potential spoiler here would be an award for Netflix’s Mank or Trial of Chicago 7.

Frances McDormand in the film NOMADLAND. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. 2020 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Frances McDormand in the film NOMADLAND. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. 2020 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical: Hamilton. Let us not relitigate whether this Disney+ live recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s epic rap musical is a movie or a television show — or just, you know, a musical. It’s been nominated in the Best Picture category and it’s going to win.

Best Director: Chloé Zhao. The 38-year-old filmmaker behind Nomadland is one of three record-breaking women nominated in the Best Director category, and she’ll make history on Monday again when she wins the top prize, becoming only the second woman in Globes history to do so.

Best Actor, Drama: Chadwick Boseman. The late Black Panther star is nominated for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, streaming now on Netflix.

Best Actress, Drama: Carey Mulligan. In Promising Young Woman, Mulligan delivers a career best performance as a woman out for revenge. It’s been too long since she was last nominated at the Golden Globes and high time she won. You can still catch Promising Young Woman in cinemas around Australia, too.

Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman.
Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman.

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical: Sacha Baron Cohen. The actor won in this category back in 2007 for the original Borat film, so expect history to repeat itself this year for the Borat sequel, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Currently based in Australia, you can expect the actor to Zoom into the ceremony from Sydney.

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical: Maria Bakalova. Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm co-star is the frontrunner to win here. The Golden Globes nominated Bakalova in the Best Actress category, while other awards bodies have placed her in Supporting Actress — she’ll likely end up in Supporting Actress when the Oscar nominations are announced on 15 March.

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya. With a searing and indelible performance in Judas and the Black Messiah, set for cinematic release in Australia on 11 March, the Get Out star has become the quiet favourite in this stacked category.

Best Supporting Actress: It’s anyone’s game. This is the category that is currently wide open, and it really could go any way. Olivia Colman is a Golden Globes favourite, so she could take home the prize for The Father despite low buzz on the film. With Mank leading the overall nominations list, Amanda Seyfried could stake her claim with HFPA voters. And never count out Glenn Close, for her divisive performance in Hillbilly Elegy. Awards season is always more fun when there’s a bit of fight left in the race, and this one will be the most thrilling award to see play out on Monday.

Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin in The Crown season four. Picture: Netflix
Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin in The Crown season four. Picture: Netflix

Best Television Show, Drama: The Crown. The Golden Globes love The Crown. That’s all there is to it. A no-brainer. Expect Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson to take home acting prizes, too.

Best Television Show, Musical or Comedy: Schitt’s Creek. The final season of the beloved series swept the Emmys, and it’s going to sweep the Globes too. Star Eugene Levy may have competition from Jason Sudeikis (AppleTV+’s Ted Lasso) in Best Actor, but his co-star Catherine O’Hara is winning Best Actress, no question.

Best Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit. One of the biggest shows of the year, this series will beat out The Undoing in this fiercely contested category. Don’t worry, The Undoing will take home a prize for Hugh Grant in the acting category, while Anya Taylor-Joy wins her Golden Globes for Best Actress.

Where can you watch the Golden Globes in Australia?


On Foxtel’s Fox Arena and Foxtel On Demand from 12pm.

Read more here.

AFP8.30am:Globes to launch pandemic-era Hollywood awards season

Hollywood’s award season kicks off on Monday (AEDT) at a very different Golden Globes, with a mainly virtual ceremony set to boost or dash the Oscars hopes of early frontrunners like Nomadland and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Usually a star-packed, laid-back party that draws Tinseltown’s biggest names to a Beverly Hills hotel ballroom, this pandemic edition will be broadcast from two scaled-down venues in California and New York, with frontline and essential workers among the few in attendance.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is up for Best Picture: Drama.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is up for Best Picture: Drama.

Deprived of its usual glamour, the Globes – which also honour the best in television – remain a coveted prize, and a high-profile source of momentum in the run-up to the season-crowning Oscars, which were pushed back this year to April.

Nomadland, Chloe Zhao’s paean to a marginalised, older generation of Americans roaming the West in rundown vans, has long been viewed as a frontrunner for the Globes’ top prize.

But it will face stiff competition from Aaron Sorkin’s Chicago 7, a courtroom drama about the city’s anti-war riots in 1968 with a mouth-watering ensemble cast including Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Both films are fuelled by their timely themes of protest and joblessness. “I think that it’s likeliest between them,” said The Hollywood Reporter’s awards columnist Scott Feinberg.

“And then the spoiler, if something were to come out of left field, would probably be Promising Young Woman, which is just unlike anything else in recent memory.” Its star Carey Mulligan – playing a revenge-seeker who lurks at bars, feigning drunkenness to lure men into revealing their own misogyny – is tipped by many to win best actress.

She will have to fend off Frances McDormand’s grounded and nuanced turn alongside a cast of non-actors in Nomadland, and Viola Davis’ portrayal of a legendary 1920s crooner in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

‘Hard to resist’

The other films vying for best drama, the night’s final and most prestigious prize, are Mank – David Fincher’s ode to Citizen Kane, which topped the overall nominations with six – and The Father starring Anthony Hopkins.

Hopkins, who has never won a competitive Globe despite seven previous nominations, has been showered with praise for his harrowing portrayal of the onset of dementia.

But he is up against sentimental favourite Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther star who died last August from cancer at age 43.

Boseman is nominated for his kinetic performance as a tragic young trumpet player opposite Davis in Ma Rainey. “This is his best part, and the backstory is that he knew this might be his last performance – so that’s kind of hard to resist,” said Variety awards editor Tim Gray.

The race will be closely watched by groups including Time’s Up, which this week slammed the Globes-awarding Hollywood Foreign Press Association for failing to admit a single Black member.

Chadwick Boseman. Picture: AFP
Chadwick Boseman. Picture: AFP

“Old news. New energy. #TimesUpGlobes,” tweeted Black director Ava DuVernay, who was added to the list of presenters at the last moment.

The HFPA released a statement recognising the need to “bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds.”

‘Two white guys’

The organisation has voted for just one woman as best director – and only ever nominated five women in the category before this year – but Nomadland director Zhao could buck that trend.

The race to emulate Barbra Streisand’s 1984 win for Yentl has two other contenders: Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Regina King (One Night in Miami).

“This is a year when women have strong movies … that is good news, and deserving,” said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond.

“But we’ll see how it goes – in the end, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin, two white guys, may win.” Unlike the Oscars, the Globes split most movie categories into drama and “musical or comedy,” with Baron Cohen’s Borat sequel and the Disney+ film of hit musical Hamilton leading the latter fields.

Aaron Sorkin. Picture: Getty Images
Aaron Sorkin. Picture: Getty Images

Baron Cohen also has a best supporting actor nod for Chicago 7, while the Globes offer Hamilton its best shot at film honours after the Oscars declared the taping of Broadway shows ineligible.

‘Notice to Oscar voters’

The A-list audience and nominees are expected to largely remain at home, accepting awards via videolink – similar to the format of September’s widely praised Emmys.

Comedian Tina Fey said that she and co-host Amy Poehler – who will be on opposite coasts – want to make the night “a fun hangout for people at home.” “It doesn’t seem like a venue for political jokes,” Fey said in a podcast hosted by journalist Jill Rappaport.

The Life Ahead director Edoardo Ponti told AFP he would be watching from his California home, while his mother and leading lady Sophia Loren remains in Switzerland.

“As soon as I know something, whatever happens, I’ll communicate the news to her,” Ponti said.

Their movie competes for best foreign language film, in a category featuring acclaimed Korean-American family drama Minari, which is viewed by some as an outside Oscar best picture candidate.

The Globes ceremony is being held just five days before Oscars voting begins. “Those wins will be fresh,” said Gray.

“If you win a Golden Globe … it’s a notice to Oscar voters — you’d better see this film before you vote, because it’s worth looking at.”

8.22am:Kidman, Blanchett lead Australians’ Globes charge

Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett headline the Australian nominees, both nominated in the best actress in a miniseries or television motion picture category for their work in HBO’s The Undoing and Mrs America respectively.

Read the full list of nominees here.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/2021-golden-globes-live-pandemicera-awards-season-begins/news-story/ca03a0f26f95e199a996ee79419075e2