“Malcolm & Marie” – Courtesy of Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — As is the case every year, there were “sure things” when it came to the 2021 Golden Globe nominations, as well as some surprises and some head-scratchers.
Among the biggest stand-outs of the left-outs was Malcolm & Marie. The film had been on the awards show short list since critics first started screening the movie, which earned accolades for its two leads Zendaya and John David Washington. But neither the two stars, nor the film, which was filmed during the pandemic lockdowns, were recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), though its home, Netflix, dominated this year’s nominations.
Similarly, Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods was nowhere to be seen on Wednesday morning, despite a National Society of Film Critics Best Actor award for Delroy Lindo and a posthumous Supporting Actor win for Chadwick Boseman. The film also won Best Film and Best Director from the National Board of Review for Lee.
Other snubs of note included Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett, who were blanked in the acting categories for HBO’s Lovecraft Country, despite their series earning a Best Drama Series nomination.
Nine-time Golden Globe winner Meryl Streep was blanked for her work in Let Them All Talk, as well as the musical The Prom, which earned a nomination for James Corden, as well as a Best Motion Picture nomination in the musical or comedy category.
Also missing from the HFPA’s nominations list was Shonda Rhimes’ massive Netflix hit Bridgerton and its lauded cast.
This year’s nominations list managed to shatter a glass ceiling, however, with three females nominated as best director: Regina King for One Night In Miami, Chloe Zhao for her film Nomadland, and Emerald Fennell for helming Promising Young Woman; all three films were also nominated in other categories. The last female director nominated for a Golden Globe was Ava DuVernay, for Selma in 2015.
There was also good news for Jon Favreau’s Emmy winning Star Wars series The Mandalorian; the Disney+ series earned a Best Television Series nom in the Drama category.
The Tony and Grammy-winning musical Hamilton was nominated for a Best Film Golden Globe trophy in the musical or comedy category, some six years after its Broadway debut. The nominated film is a filmed version of a 2016 stage performance, which aired over last summer on Disney+. Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was nominated in the acting category, while his award-winning on-stage counterpart Leslie Odom Jr. was not.
Hosted again by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler — Tina will host from the Rainbow Room in New York City, and Poehler from the Globes’ home, The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles — the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air live from on NBC Sunday, Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
By Stephen Iervolino
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