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Golden Globes 2026 Unveils Shocking Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates as Stars Make History and Snubs Abound

Published 45 minutes ago5 minute read
Precious Eseaye
Precious Eseaye
Golden Globes 2026 Unveils Shocking Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates as Stars Make History and Snubs Abound

The 2026 Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced on Monday, revealing a blend of anticipated contenders, historic achievements, and notable snubs. Leading the film categories was “One Battle After Another,” a comedic look at a repressive society, which earned an impressive nine nominations. It was closely followed by the drama “Sentimental Value” with eight nominations and the vampire movie “Sinners” with seven. Given the Globes’ tradition of separating dramas from musicals/comedies, these top films will compete in distinct categories. “One Battle After Another” is vying for best motion picture – musical or comedy alongside “Blue Moon,” “Bugonia,” “Marty Supreme,” “No Other Choice,” and “Nouvelle Vague.” Meanwhile, “Sentimental Value” and “Sinners” are nominated for best drama, competing with “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “It Was Just an Accident,” and “The Secret Agent.”

On the television front, HBO Max’s satirical series “The White Lotus,” set in a luxurious Thailand resort, led with six nominations, while Netflix’s criminal investigation story “Adolescence” earned five. Close behind were the comedy-mystery show “Only Murders in the Building” and the sci-fi thriller “Severance,” each receiving four nods. “The White Lotus” and “Severance” are set to compete for best drama series against “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “The Diplomat,” and “Slow Horses.” “Only Murders in the Building” received a nomination for best comedy series, alongside “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Hacks,” “Nobody Wants This,” and “The Studio.” “Adolescence” is up for best television limited series, anthology or motion picture, facing off with “All Her Fault,” “The Beast in Me,” “Black Mirror,” “Dying for Sex,” and “The Girlfriend.”

Netflix demonstrated significant strength across both film and television, leading all distributors with 35 nominations. Warner Bros. and HBO, the company Netflix plans to acquire in an $82.7 billion deal, collectively received 31 nominations. This year's awards arrive at a challenging time for Hollywood, with the streaming economy under strain, studios implementing cost cuts and job reductions, and the box office facing difficulties, underscoring the Globes’ reputation as “Hollywood’s party of the year” amidst industry shifts.

Reflecting evolving tastes, the Golden Globes introduced several new categories. For the first time, podcasters are being recognized, with nominees including “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “Smartless,” and “Up First.” Notably, popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and conservative hosts such as Ben Shapiro, though eligible, did not receive nominations. Another new award, Best Cinematic or Box Office Achievement, saw puzzling nominees such as the unreleased “Avatar: Fire & Ash” and “KPop Demon Hunters,” which was primarily a streaming success, alongside undeniable hits like “F1,” “Sinners,” “Weapons,” “Wicked: For Good,” and “Zootopia.” Even “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” a financial disappointment, received a nod. A new award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television recognized comedians Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman, Kumail Nanjiani, Kevin Hart, and Brett Goldstein.

Several historical milestones were achieved in the acting categories. Cynthia Erivo made Golden Globes history by becoming the first Black woman to be nominated twice in the lead actress (comedy or musical) category. Her recognition comes for her powerful performance as Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s box office success “Wicked: For Good,” marking her second nomination following a nod for “Wicked” last year. Erivo is competing against Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti, Amanda Seyfried, and Emma Stone. Historically, only 12 Black women have been nominated in this category since its inception, with Angela Bassett being the sole winner in 1994. Similarly, Wagner Moura achieved a landmark for Brazilian representation, becoming the first Brazilian man ever nominated for lead actor in a drama for his performance in “The Secret Agent.” His film, a political thriller, also garnered nominations for Best Picture (Drama) and Non-English Language Film.

The nominations also brought a share of snubs and surprises. “Wicked: For Good” and “Jay Kelly,” both crowd-pleasers, surprisingly missed Best Picture nominations. Sydney Sweeney was snubbed for her performance in “Christy,” and Bradley Cooper’s newest film, “Is This Thing On?”, received no nominations, nor did Laura Dern’s buzzy performance within it. “Superman” was notably absent from the cinematic and box office achievement category. Wunmi Mosaku was overlooked for a supporting nod in “Sinners,” despite her acclaimed performance. On the surprise front, Jacob Elordi earned acting nominations for two different projects: “Frankenstein” and the miniseries “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” Eva Victor received an acting nod for the indie film “Sorry, Baby,” and Amanda Seyfried secured dual acting nominations. Helen Mirren’s television career renaissance continued with a nod for “MobLand,” and “The Girlfriend,” an Amazon Prime Video limited series, along with its star Robin Wright, unexpectedly received nominations. Ashley Walters also earned a spot for his soulful work in “Adolescence.”

Specific nominations for “One Battle After Another” include Paul Thomas Anderson for Best Director and Screenplay, Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Male Actor (Musical or Comedy), Chase Infiniti for Best Female Actor (Musical or Comedy), and supporting nods for Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor. Jonny Greenwood also received a nomination for Best Original Score. Despite critical adoration, the film struggled at the box office, earning over $200 million but costing more than $130 million to produce and millions more to market, resulting in a projected financial loss. “The White Lotus” received acting nominations for Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, and Jason Isaacs, with creator Mike White announcing a fourth season set in the French Riviera.

The 2026 Golden Globe Awards are scheduled to air on January 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and will be available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. Comedian Nikki Glaser is set to return as host for the second consecutive year. The nominations were unveiled by Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall.

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