The Golden Globe Awards have been sold, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which gives out the Globes, has shut down. Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries, owned by Todd Boehly, have agreed to buy the Golden Globes. The price was not shared. 

The Golden Globes salute the best in film and television. 

The HFPA was ridiculed for its lack of diversity in a series of stories in the L.A. Times, which reported that the association did not have a single Black member. As a result, NBC cancelled the 2022 Golden Globe Awards telecast. 

The event happened this year, in January, with The Fabelmans winning top drama film and The Banshees of Inisherin getting top comedy film. On the TV side, House of the Dragon won best drama and Abbott Elementary won best comedy.

Jerrod Carmichael hosted the 2023 event.

Dick Clark Productions produces the Golden Globes. Penske Media owns Dick Clark Productions. 

Members of the HFPA will become employees of a for-profit outfit that has not yet received a name. There are fewer than 100 members, reported the New York Times. 

The Golden Globe Foundation will handle the HFPA’s philanthropic endeavors. 

The 81st Golden Globe Awards is scheduled for January 7, 2024. 

The Golden Globe Awards is on NBC January 10. Jerrod Carmichael hosts from the Beverly Hilton, with the event starting at 5 p.m. Pacific Time and 8 p.m. ET.

The event streams on Peacock.

NBC did not air last year’s Golden Globes, in response to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s glaring lack of diversity and other issues, exposed primarily in a Los Angeles Times investigation. The Times reported, among other unsavory details, that none of the HFPA’s then-87 voters was Black.

The HFPA noted that its voting body is now 52% female and 52% racially and ethnically diverse, with 20% Latinx, 12% Asian, 10% Black, and 10% Middle Eastern.

Saluting the best in TV and film, Golden Globes nominations were announced December 12. Best drama is between Better Call Saul on AMC, The Crown and Ozark on Netflix, House of the Dragon on HBO and Severance on Apple TV Plus.

Best comedy is between Abbott Elementary on ABC, FX’s The Bear, HBO Max’s Hacks, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and Netflix’s Wednesday.

Best limited series is between Apple TV Plus’s Black Bird, Netflix’s Dahmer–Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Hulu’s The Dropout and Pam & Tommy and HBO's The White Lotus.

On the movie side, best drama is between Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, The Fabelmans, Tar and Top Gun: Maverick.

Best comedy features Babylon, The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Triangle of Sadness.

The Globes have always been a loose, fun affair, compared to the more buttoned up Emmys. Cultique CEO and founder Linda Ong called them “the fun cousin of the awards party.”

A comedian, Carmichael’s credits include the HBO comedy special Rothaniel and NBC comedy The Carmichael Show.

How much do the Golden Globes matter, in light of the host organization’s missteps?

A bit, said Dom Caristi, professor emeritus of communications at Ball State University. “Almost all of the awards shows draw significant audiences — maybe not sizeable like they once were, but large enough to fuel a surge in audience interest in the movies, TV shows and stars that win,” he said. ■

NBC and Peacock will broadcast the 2023 Golden Globe Awards live on Jan. 10 after cancelling the 2022 primetime awards telecast amid reforms being carried out by parent organization the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 

“We recognize the HFPA’s commitment to ongoing change and look forward to welcoming back the Golden Globes to NBC for its landmark 80th Anniversary in January 2023,” said Frances Berwick, chairman of entertainment networks, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, in a statement jointly released by NBCU, the HFPA and Dick Clark Productions. 

Added Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA: “It’s great to be back at the Beverly Hilton for the must-see celebration recognizing the best in film and television. The HFPA remains committed to important changes and supporting programs which prioritize diversity, inclusion, and transparency. See you on January 10!"

The HFPA's nefarious accounting practices and voting procedures had been well understood in Hollywood for decades. But they came under renewed scrutiny last year, as publications including the Los Angeles Times and the Penske Media trade conglomerate also took notice of the org's overall lack of diversity. 

The HFPA recently introduced 103 new voters to its ranks, marking the first time voters based outside of the U.S. have been added to the voting pool. The org is now represented by 62 different countries. According to the HFPA, "the total Golden Globe Awards voting body is now 52% female, 51.5% racially and ethnically diverse, with 19.5% Latinx, 12% Asian, 10% Black and 10% Middle Eastern."

The org also said that proceeds from the broadcast provide funding for the HFPA’s philanthropy and charitable giving programs. This year, the HFPA awarded more than $4.5 million to 93 programs and organizations.

The Golden Globes delivered an average of 6.9 million viewers for NBC in January 2021. 

HBO drama series Succession and Netflix Western-themed romantic drama Power of the Dog led another dominant awards showing by streaming companies with five Golden Globes nods each, as the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced nominations for its 79th annual Golden Globe Awards event Monday morning. 

Netflix once again received the most Golden Globes nominations, with Power of the Dog collecting two nods for New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion (one each for writing and directing), as well as recognition for actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Jonny Greenwood also was recognized for best score. 

Meanwhile, Netflix's Korean local-language dark fantasy sensation, Squid Game, was nominated for best TV drama, best drama actor (Lee Jung-jae) and best supporting actor (Yeong-su ). Netflix also received nominations for thriller series Lupin (best TV drama and best dramatic TV actor, Omar Sy,), original series Maid (actress Margaret Qualley), and film Don't Look Up (best comedy/musical actor and actress for Leonardo DiCaprio and  Jennifer Lawrence).

HBO's Succession received two best dramatic actor noms (Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong), as well as recognition for best drama series, best supporting actor (Kieran Culkin) and best supporting actress. 

HBO and HBO Max also got love from the HFPA for multi-generational comedy Hacks (best musical/comedy series, and best comedy musical actress for both Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder) and limited crime drama series Mare of Easttown (best TV drama and best lead actress for Kate Winslet). On the film side, HBO received recognition for Venus and Serena Williams biopic King Richard (best film drama, best actor for Will Smith, and best supporting actress for Aunjanue Ellis) and Dune (best drama, best director for Denis Villeneuve and best original score for Hans Zimmer). 

Apple TV Plus' Emmy sensation Ted Lasso, meanwhile, received four noms, including best TV comedy/musical, best comedy/musical lead actor (Jason Sudeikis), bvest comedy/musical supporting comedy actor (Brett Goldstein) and best comedy/musical supporting actress (Hannah Waddingham). 

What does it all mean? That's questionable, since NBC cancelled its long-running annual Golden Globes telecast, amid accusations that the HFPA lacks members of color and that the organization is rife with grift and payola. 

The HFPA announced a reform plan earlier this year, but it's not clear if any Hollywood studio or Silicon Valley streaming company will use the Golden Globes as a marketing platform as they have in year's past. 

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
The Great (Hulu) 
Hacks (HBO/HBO Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu) 
Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Brian Cox (Succession)
Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Jeremy Strong (Succession)
Omar Sy (Lupin)

Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha) 
Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision) 
Margaret Qualley (Maid) 
Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)

Best Director, Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) 
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) 
Denis Villeneuve (Dune) 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Marion Cotillard (Annette)
Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) 
Jennifer Lawrence (Don’t Look Up) 
Emma Stone (Cruella)
Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Mahershala Ali (Swan Song)
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) 
Will Smith (King Richard) 
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) 

Best Television Series, Drama
Lupin (Netflix)
The Morning Show (Apple TV Plus)
Pose (FX)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Succession (HBO/HBO Max)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Uzo Aduba (In Treatment)
Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
Christine Baranski (The Good Fight)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Pose)

Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Paul Bettany (WandaVision)
Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage)
Michael Keaton (Dopesick)
Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Tahar Rahim (The Serpent)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Leonardo DiCaprio (Don’t Look Up) 
Peter Dinklage (Cyrano) 
Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!) 
Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza)
Anthony Ramos (In the Heights)

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar) 
Jamie Dornan (Belfast) 
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) 
Troy Kotsur (CODA) 
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) 

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
The French Dispatch (Searchlight Pictures) — Alexandre Desplat 
Encanto (Walt Disney Pictures) — Germaine Franco
The Power of the Dog (Netflix) — Jonny Greenwood 
Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classic) — Alberto Iglesias 
Dune (Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer 

Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Elle Fanning (The Great)
Issa Rae (Insecure)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
Jean Smart (Hacks)

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Dopesick (Hulu)
Impeachment: American Crime Story (FX)
Mair (Netflix) 
Mare of Easttown (HBO/HBO Max)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)

Best Supporting Actor, Television
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Kieran Culkin (Succession)
Mark Duplass (The Morning Show)
Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Yeong-su (Squid Game)

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
Cyrano (MGM)
Don’t Look Up (Netflix) 
Licorice Pizza (MGM) 
Tick, Tick … Boom! (Netflix) 
West Side Story (20th Century Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) 

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Caitríona Balfe (Belfast) 
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) 
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) 
Ruth Negga (Passing)

Best Picture, Foreign Language
Compartment No. 6 (Sony Pictures Classics) — Finland, Russia, Germany
Drive My Car (Janus Films) — Japan
The Hand of God (Netflix) — Italy
A Hero (Amazon Studios) — France, Iran
Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) — Spain

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Paul Thomas Anderson — Licorice Pizza (MGM/United Artists Releasing) 
Kenneth Branagh — Belfast (Focus Features) 
Jane Campion — The Power of the Dog (Netflix) 
Adam McKay — Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin — Being the Ricardos (Amazon Studios)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) 
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) 
Kristen Stewart (Spencer) 

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Belfast (Focus Features) 
CODA (Apple) 
Dune (Warner Bros.) 
King Richard (Warner Bros.) 
The Power of the Dog (Netflix) 

Best Television Actor, Musical / Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Nicholas Hoult (The Great)
Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)
Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Best Supporting Actress, Television
Jennifer Coolidge (White Lotus)
Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick)
Andie MacDowell (Maid)
Sarah Snook (Succession)
Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
"Be Alive" from King Richard (Warner Bros.) — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson 
"Dos Orugitas" from Encanto (Walt Disney Pictures) — Lin-Manuel Miranda 
"Down to Joy” from Belfast (Focus Features) — Van Morrison 
"Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" from Respect (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King 
"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell 

Best Motion Picture, Animated
Encanto (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) 
Flee (Neon) 
Luca (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) 
My Sunny Maad (Totem Films)
Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took the virtual stage at the Golden Globes, hosting on a split screen from opposite coasts. The spartan gathering was an “audience made up of smokin'-hot first responders,” said Fey. “We are so grateful for the work that you do."

Poehler shared what the crowd usually looks like at the Globes: “Meryl Streep, like, hammered, can’t remember what movie she’s there for,” she said. “Quentin Tarantino, crawling under tables, touching people’s feet.”

Fey poked fun at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, for its “90 international, no-black journalists” and a German member who might just be a sausage with a face drawn on it. 

Also Read: HFPA Addresses Diversity Controversy During Golden Globes Ceremony

Laura Dern awarded the best supporting actor in a motion picture. The prize went to Daniel Kaluuya for HBO Max’s Judas and the Black Messiah.

Kaluuya initially had connectivity issues, then came through. He thanked director Shaka King “for your vision.” He said, “We’re here to give until we’re empty, and I gave everything." 

Angela Bassett awarded best supporting actor in a TV series, with John Boyega of Amazon Prime’s Small Axe getting honored. Boyega apologized for wearing track bottoms, and thanked director Steve McQueen for his leadership. “I’m absolutely shocked,” he said. 

Photos: 2021 Golden Globes

Christian Slater named the best actress in a comedy, with Catherine O’Hara of Pop TV’s Schitt’s Creek winning. She singled out creators Eugene and Daniel Levy. “They created an inspiring, funny, beautify family love story,” she said. 

Tiffany Haddish awarded the best animated feature, with Soul winning.  “Little did we know that making a film about jazz, jazz would teach us so much about life,” said one producer.  

 Best actor in a limited series went to Mark Ruffalo of HBO’s I Know This Much Is True. “Thanks to my family who lets me go off and bring these crazy people home,” he said of his characters. 

He singled out showrunner Derek Cianfrance. “My brother, my partner, my director,” he said. 

“Let’s be courageous together,” Ruffalo urged viewers, imploring them to treat the earth, and each other, better. 

Cynthia Erivo was out next to award the best motion picture screenplay. Aaron Sorkin of Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 got the honor. “This is very nice but it can’t top the honor of being nominated alongside these four screenplays,” he said of Mank, Promising Young Woman, The Father and Nomadland. 

The HFPA acknowledged its shortcomings in terms of the association’s diversity. “Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital,” said VP Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.”

Norman Lear got the Carol Burnett award for TV achievement. “By changing television, he changed America,” went the narration of his intro. 

“He paved the way for all of us who follow,” said Tina Fey. 

“It knocks me out to be introduced by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey and to accept this award named for Carol Burnett,” Lear said, adding, “nobody made me laugh harder” than Burnett. 

Lear thanked “Sony Pictures Television, one of the greatest, most able groups of executives I’ve ever worked with.” 

On the cusp of 99 years old, Lear said, “I’ve never lived alone. I’ve never laughed alone.”

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon came out to name the best actress in a TV drama. Emma Corrin of Netflix’s The Crown got the honor, ahead of Olivia Colman from The Crown, Jodie Comer from Killing Eve, Laura Linney from Ozark and Sarah Paulson from Ratched. 

“Thank you to my incredible cast and crew for being by my side,” she said, and praised Princess Diana for teaching her empathy. 

Tracy Morgan awarded best song from a movie to "IO SI" from Netflix’s The Life Ahead. He awarded best movie score to Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste for Disney Plus’s Soul. “I think this is the first piece of art I ever made in my life that I can show my kids,” said Reznor. 

Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson from This Is Us came out for best actor in a TV comedy. Jason Sudeikis from Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso was picked. “That’s nuts,” he said. 

Sudeikis mentioned reading Tolstoy’s short story The Three Questions to his son, which made him “kind of reject the premise” of best actor, saying everyone he acts with should share the honors. They may not make him the best, he added, but they make him better. 

Best comedy went to Schitt’s Creek, the big winner at the Emmys in September. Daniel Levy thanked the show’s “amazing” cast and crew for their work in taking the show to “places we never thought possible.”

He called the Globe honor “a lovely vote of confidence in the messages the show stands for,” such as inclusion. 

Ben Stiller showed off the Golden Globe trophy he baked, he said after learning to bake during COVID. After taking a satisfied bite, he gave the best actress in a motion picture comedy prize to Rosamund Pike for Netflix’s I Care a Lot. 

She thanked the HFPA for “recognizing the dark side of comedy” and Netflix for “giving us an audience.” 

Pike also thanked “America’s broken legal system for making it possible to make stories like this.”

Anthony Anderson gave out best actor in a TV drama. Josh O’Connor from The Crown beat out Jason Bateman of Ozark, Bob Odenkirk of Better Call Saul, Al Pacino of Hunters and Matthew Rhys of Perry Mason. Of the Crown cast, he said, “every day, working with you was a master class.” 

O’Connor singled out co-star Emma Corrin for being “extraordinarily talented, funny, and a brilliant player of rock-paper-scissors.”

Gal Gadot was out next for foreign language motion picture. Minari won. Director Lee Isaac Chung described the film as about “A family trying to learn a language all its own,” adding, “a language of love.” 

Kenan Thompson gave out best TV drama to The Crown, beating out Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian, Ozark and Ratched. 

“I’m just sorry that I’m sitting here in my tragic little office,” said Crown showrunner Peter Morgan as he saluted his cast. 

Jane Fonda was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award. “I’m so moved to receive this honor,” she said. 

She cited the essentiality of storytelling in tough times. “For all our adversity, we are humans first,” she said. 

Fonda mentioned Minari, Small Axe, Judas and the Black Messiah and Rami, among other series and films, for giving her empathy and opening her mind. She pushed Hollywood to be more inclusive. “Let’s all of us make an effort to expand that tent so that everyone rises,” said Fonda. 

Jamie Lee Curtis came out to salute the best supporting actress in a movie. Jodie Foster got the honor for The Mauritanian. “I think you made a mistake,” she said. “I’m a little speechless. I just never expected to be here again.”

Foster mentioned author Mohamedou Ould Salahi, who wrote the book that predated the film, and thanked him for sharing his story.  

Christopher Meloni saluted the best TV actress in a supporting role. Gillian Anderson of The Crown won for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. She called out showrunner Peter Morgan, “for imagining I could inhabit Mrs. T.”

Rosie Perez was out next to salute best actress in a limited series. Anya Taylor-Joy of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit won. “Thank you for letting us make the show that we want to make,” she said of Netflix. 

“I would do this project again and again and again,” she added. “I learned so much.”

Best limited series went to The Queen’s Gambit. Showrunner Scott Frank mentioned the producers securing the film rights to the Walter Tevis novel “three years before Anya was born.”

Of Anya Taylor-Joy, he wondered how someone who is “such a joy to work with” can go by the name Joy.  

Renee Zellwegger was out next for the best film actor in a drama prize. Chadwick Boseman of Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom got the honors. Boseman died last year. His wife Taylor Simone Ledward spoke on his behalf. “He would thank God,” she said. “He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices.”

She added, “He would say something beautiful. Something inspiring.”

Best film director went to Chloé Zhao for Nomadland. 

“Thank you for making beautiful beautiful movies,” she said to her fellow nominees. She thanked her family “for keeping me sane all these years.”

Best comedy movie went to Amazon’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Director and star Sacha Baron Cohen said, “This movie couldn’t have been possible without my costar. I’m talking, of course, about Rudy Giuliani.”

He added, “The revelation, the sensation, was Maria Bakalova.”

Cohen saluted cast, crew and producers for getting the film out before Election Day, “to show the danger of lies, hate, conspiracies,” he said, and the power of empathy. 

Awkwafina was out next to hand out the prize for actor in a comedy movie. Sacha Baron Cohen won for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. He said, “Donald Trump is contesting the result,” adding that the former president said dead people voted. 

Joaquin Phoenix came out to award best actress in a drama movie. Andra Day of The United States vs. Billie Holliday won. An emotional Day said she was “in the presence of giants” among her nominees. “You inspire me so much.”

Billie Holliday, she added, “just transformed me with this role and her presence and her spirit.”

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones gave out the Globe for best drama movie. Nomadland won. 

“I’m speechless,” said Chloé Zhao. 

She thanked star Frances McDormand “for trusting me to create the character with you.”

At its core, the film is “a pilgrimage through grief and healing,” she said. 

“We don’t say goodbye,” concluded Zhao. “We say, see you down the road.”

Criticism from Hollywood over the lack of black members within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) threatens to overshadow Sunday’s Golden Globes awards event. 

Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Sterling K. Brown and Ellen Barkin are among several Hollywood stars that took to social media Friday to criticize the HFPA -- which selects Golden Globes Awards nominees and winners -- for a lack of diversity in its membership.  Not one of the 87 HFPA members are black, a fact illustrated in a common #TimesupGlobes theme among the many social media posts that hit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Friday.

Also Read: DGA TV Diversity Report: Progress Made...and Still Needed

The criticism comes amid a recent Los Angeles Times story which alleges ethical issues among HFPA members and questions the credentials of some members.

The HFPA responded with its own social media post, saying that it recognizes the problem. “We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible,” according to the HFPA tweet.

The Golden Globes Awards are set to air Sunday on NBC, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the virtual presentation.

The HFPA was criticized earlier this month for not recognizing a number of shows and films featuring black casts in its 2021 Golden Globes Awards nominations, including snubs of Netflix film Da 5 Bloods and HBO TV drama series I May Destroy You.  

Also Read: Netflix Rules Golden Globe Nominations

Netflix’s Bridgerton is a late entry to the TV awards fray, having been released on Christmas Day. But with Netflix noting that more than 63 million people have tuned in to binge the period-drama delight, Bridgerton is a possible Golden Globes drama nominee ahead of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s nominations on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

The frothy series — stuffed full of jaw-dropping costumes, flashy jewelry and sky-high wigs — should appeal to the international journalists who make up the HFPA, with its setting in 1813 London and its cast of British actors. 

Bridgerton showed up right when it was needed — at the end of a difficult 2020 that included the first-ever modern global pandemic, which kept people around the world in their homes for most of the year, as well as a contentious presidential election and frequent protests against racial injustice and police brutality.

“Television was more important than ever this year,” Aaron Barnhart, TV critic for website Primetimer, said. “This is a relatively late air date for the Globes, which gives them a chance to position themselves as the predictor of Emmy winners. The Golden Globes have such a high visibility that they could actually wind up being the premiere television award, supplanting the Emmys.” 

Whether that turns out to be true remains to be seen, but the HFPA has its work cut out for it selecting among all of this year’s worthy options. 

‘The Crown’ Shines in Drama

Netflix’s The Crown, with its more serious tone and sedate look than bright Bridgerton, is probably the lead drama contender in 2021, especially without last year’s winner, HBO’s Succession, in the mix. Both last year’s winner, Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, and Emma Corrin, with her uncanny and tragic portrayal of Princess Diana, are considered lead contenders for best actress nominations. While the two could split the vote, the HFPA is loath to repeat itself, which could push Corrin higher in contention. Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles, with his back hunched and his hands perpetually in his pockets, also is a best actor contender.

“The Crown was more scandalous and less interesting this season,” Barnhart said. Barnhart would like to see Tobias Menzes, who plays Prince Philip and has been seen on such shows as Game of Thrones and Outlander, get a nomination, as well as Erin Doherty, who plays the very stiff-upper-lipped Princess Anne.

Also considered likely drama nominations are Netflix’s oft-nominated Ozark, which aired season three in 2020, and AMC’s Better Call Saul, which is widely considered one of TV’s best shows but hasn’t earned anywhere close the number of accolades as its progenitor, Breaking Bad. 

Ozark’s Laura Linney, Jason Bateman and Julia Garner are all likely to score best actress, best actor and best supporting actress nods, with Garner having won the Emmy for this role in 2019 and 2020. Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk, portraying attorney Jimmy McGill’s transformation into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, also is expected to be listed among the best TV drama actors.

Both HBO’s wild Lovecraft Country and its period piece Perry Mason should score noms, with Perry Mason star and producer Matthew Rhys leading the list of expected best-actor nominations. Rhys won the Emmy in 2018 for playing Russian spy Phillip Jennings in FX’s The Americans. Lovecraft Country leads Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett also are both expected to appear on the best actor and best actress lists.

Finally, Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian is a popular favorite, with fan love high for Baby Yoda/Grogu. Star Pedro Pascal, who played one of the villains in WarnerMedia’s Wonder Woman 1984, also could be nominated.

‘Creek’ Still Rising

On the comedy side, Pop TV/Netflix’s Schitt’s Creek is still riding high, with its cast — and particularly Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy as Moira and Johnny Rose — expected to grab Globes. That would be a first for the veteran Canadian comedic performers.

But with Schitt’s Creek having swept the comedy Emmys, the HFPA may want to veer to something new. Options include Hulu’s The Great, starring likely nominees Elle Fanning and Nicolas Hoult, or Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso, starring and created by Jason Sudeikis, which was born out of a content marketing play for NBC Sports. 

“I could see Ted Lasso getting the comedy award because it finished so strong,” Barnhart said. “It threw you off with the first couple of episodes, and then it went deep with its characters and wrapped up so satisfyingly so that you’re looking forward to season two. Who would have thought that this little promotional campaign would have become this?”

Last year’s winner, Hulu’s Ramy, remains in play, especially with a guest turn from double Oscar winner Mahershala Ali.

FX has fan-fave vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, and a late entry is HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant starring and executive produced by Kaley Cuoco, who also is a contender for best actress in a comedy.

Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, which, like Bridgerton, is a period piece driven by buzz as well as the performance of lead actress Anya Taylor-Joy, has risen to the top of the contenders’ list for limited series. It’s joined by Netflix’s Unorthodox, which scored eight Emmy nominations and won best director of a limited series for Maria Schrader. Other contenders include FX’s Mrs. America, starring Cate Blanchett, and perennial nominee Fargo, now in its fourth iteration and starring Chris Rock. 

HBO should be competing in this category with The Undoing, starring likely nominees Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and executive produced by David E. Kelly, as well as Michaela Coel’s auteur-driven I May Destroy You. Steve McQueen’s anthology Small Axe, which plays like a series of short films on Amazon, will likely show up here, as well as Hulu’s tortured but beautiful Irish romance Normal People.