The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards will be held Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Hollywood awards shows can be long, boring and self-congratulatory, and the Golden Globes are no exception. But here are the most exciting TV and movie races to watch.
Movies
David Fincher’s “Mank” leads the way with six nominations, but Best Picture (Drama) is a two-horse race between Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” or Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which respectively speak to pandemic isolation and political protests.
But don’t read too much into the winner, since two worthy contenders aren’t even in the running. The Globes bizarrely put the American masterpiece “Minari” in the Foreign Language Category while snubbing the acclaimed “One Night in Miami,” both of which could win the top prize of Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards to catapult to the Oscar.
In the acting categories, the late Chadwick Boseman is a lock to win Best Actor (Drama) for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” but his co-star Viola Davis and front runner Frances McDormand could definitely lose Best Actress (Drama) to Carey Mulligan, who is a late-surging underdog for the #MeToo thriller “Promising Young Woman.”
As for Best Picture (Comedy/Musical), I’m personally rooting for “Palm Springs,” but the odds favor “Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm.” Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova will likely win Best Actor and Actress (Comedy) for the film. Cohen could win twice on Sunday if his “Chicago 7” role wins Best Supporting Actor.
All that said, don’t be surprised if “Hamilton” sweeps. The hard-to-categorize Broadway film was the streaming event of 2020 on Disney+. If Lin-Manuel Miranda beats Cohen for Best Actor (Comedy/Musical), it could foreshadow “Hamilton” taking Best Picture.
Television
Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” is the obvious frontrunner for Best TV Comedy after sweeping the Emmys in all four acting categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. However, that was last September, and since it’s almost March, frontrunner fatigue is a very real possibility.
The Globes tend to reward new shows, so I’m sensing a surge for my new favorite show, “Ted Lasso,” the hilariously heartfelt Apple TV+ comedy about a coach jumping from American football to British soccer. Expect Jason Sudeikis to upset Eugene Levy for Best Actor (TV Comedy), proving the lovably earnest nature of his Ted Lasso role.
On the drama side, the beloved “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian” could steal a victory if Netflix splits the vote between “Ozark” and “The Crown,” the favorite to win Best TV Drama. “The Crown” will also likely win Best Actress (Drama) for Olivia Colman, but I’m personally rooting for Laura Linney and Jason Bateman to win as the “Ozark” parents.
Last but not least, I’m curious to see whether Best Limited Series goes to the popular “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix) or the acclaimed “Small Axe” (BBC/Amazon). The latter is masterfully directed by Steve McQueen, but I have a hunch “The Queen’s Gambit” will call checkmate, proving that TV outflanks film in rewarding mainstream favorites.
