Source: NBC News

To say that the Golden Globe Awards, one of the most well-known annual awards ceremonies in the entertainment industry, has had difficulty with public relations as of lately would be a bit of an understatement. After a 2020 report from The Los Angeles Times alleged that the Golden Globes founder, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), had been responsible for a variety of breaches in ethics, including the noticeable absence of black voting members in the organization since 2002, there was an almost immediate and significant backlash, so much so that NBC, the television network that had been airing the Golden Globes each year for the past several years, had opted not to air its previous ceremony. This ultimately led to last year’s event being held privately, one that was attended only by a small number of guests and had the winners announced through social media. In the time since though, the HFPA has managed to fix many of its mistakes, or at least enough of them to win back the support of NBC. After making considerable efforts to diversify the organization’s membership and those participating in Golden Globes voting, NBC agreed to reinstate the telecast. As a result, the 80th Golden Globes are currently expected to be handed out on Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, the favored venue for many of the past Golden Globes ceremonies. In the meantime though, all that is now known are the films and individuals nominated, a line-up that was only just recently announced on Monday, December 12th, 2022.

Among the various films nominated in the Golden Globes’ many film-centric categories, Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” leads with a total of eight nominations, the most notable being Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film, a black comedy revolving around the deteriorating friendship between two drinking buddies living in 1920s Ireland, also earned McDonagh nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay, while also securing nods for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Colin Farrell), two for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan), Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Kerry Condon), and Best Original Score.

Trailing right behind “The Banshees of Inisherin” in terms of overall nominations is Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, which became a surprise breakout hit in April of this year and has only increased its momentum in the time since. It’s easily the biggest competition “Banshees” will have to contend with during the Golden Globes and later on throughout awards season; not only is the film also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, but both Daniels will also be vying for Best Director and Best Screenplay, pitting it directly against McDonagh and his film. Elsewhere, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has also picked up nods for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (Ke Huy Quan), and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Jamie Lee Curtis).

As one might easily guess, the category for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy will likely be the most heated race of the ceremony, especially considering how both “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” have recently been eyed as potential Best Picture frontrunners at the upcoming Academy Awards. Apart from those two though, the category has also chosen the following films as its nominees: Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon”, which has also earned nods for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Diego Calva), Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Margot Robbie), Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Brad Pitt), and Best Original Score; Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”, for which its lead Daniel Craig was also nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy; and Ruben Ostlund’s “Triangle of Sadness”, for which Dolly de Leon received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

With all that said, one shouldn’t overlook the Golden Globes’ other most prestigious accolade, Best Motion Picture – Drama. Here, one will find two major blockbuster sequels, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” (also nominated for Best Director) and Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” (also nominated in the category of Best Original Song for the song “Hold My Hand”), as well as another relatively successful box office hit, Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”, which also secured nominations for Best Director and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Austin Butler). Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” also picked up a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama alongside four other nods for Best Director, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Michelle Williams), Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Finally, there is the last film nominated in this category, Todd Field’s “Tár”, which also earned nods for Best Screenplay and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Cate Blanchett).

There’s little doubt that all the films and people mentioned here are worthy of praise and admiration, but whether they’ll be enough for the Golden Globes to rebuild their reputation remains to be seen, and is far from a certainty at this point. Even ignoring all the controversy that has surrounded the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the past couple years, Hollywood awards shows in general have suffered from declining ratings due to decreasing interest from younger audiences. The presence of such popular films as “Top Gun: Maverick” in some of the categories might help alleviate this issue to some degree, but there’s a strong chance that more will have to be done in order for the ceremony to receive generally positive reception from critics and viewers. Still, the HPFA is optimistic about what’s to come, with its president Helen Hoehne describing the show’s most recent host, the Emmy winning comedian Jerrod Carmichael, as having “comedic talents [that] have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live”.