Hollywood awards season officially begins Sunday with the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, a looser alternative to the Oscars that recognizes achievement in film and television.
Here’s a look at what to expect from a show that bills itself as “the Hollywood party of the year.”
How to watch
The Globes will take place on Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8 p.m. ET. The show will be broadcast on the Paramount+ platform in the United States (CBS acquired the broadcast rights to the Globes in November 2023, replacing NBC.)
NBC News staff will also post live updates Sunday on NBCNews.com.
Who hosts?
Emmy and Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian Nikki Glaser will make her Globes hosting debut. She is the first woman to host the ceremony solo. In recent years, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have hosted together four times, while Sandra Oh shared hosting duties with Andy Samberg in 2019.
In an interview with the Globes’ official website, Glaser said headlining the show was “scary” but that she was excited about the challenge.
“It’s a well-lit room, which is not conducive to comedy; there are a lot of people I admire, which is also not conducive to comedy. It’s live, so you can’t do covers,” Glaser said. “The difficulty level is at its peak, and it’s exciting for me.”
Glaser is coming off a high-profile year. “Nikki Glaser: Someday You Will Die,” her second HBO stand-up special, debuted on the network in May. She also appeared in Netflix’s “The Roast of Tom Brady.”
What are the key films?
The Globes, unlike the Oscars, divide the best picture award into two categories: drama and musical/comedy. This is a model that allows voters to recognize a wider range of film projects, with six participants in each race.
The editors of Gold Derby, an awards prediction site, say the drama films with the best odds are “The Brutalist,” an epic saga about the postwar immigrant experience, and “Conclave,” a thriller on the top-secret battle for the papacy. . Other drama series nominees are “A Complete Unknown,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Nickel Boys” and “September 5.”
In the musical/comedy category, Gold Derby editors say the odds favor “Anora,” a wild portrait of a Brooklyn sex worker, and “Wicked,” an adaptation of the popular musical by Broadway. Other contenders include “Challengers,” “Emilia Pérez,” “A Real Pain” and “The Substance.”
Both “Conclave” and “Wicked” were released by units of NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
Gold Derby predictions aside, the film entering the night with the most nominations is “Emilia Pérez,” a groundbreaking song-and-dance spectacle about a Mexican drug cartel boss who undergoes surgery gender affirmation surgery and tries to start a new one. life as an anti-violence humanitarian. The film, distributed by Netflix, received 10 nominations.
What about blockbusters?
The group behind the Globes introduced a new category last year: film and box office achievement. It’s an area that allows voters to recognize films that have “garnered broad support from global audiences” (read: ticket sales); Last year the prize went to “Barbie”.
Eight blockbuster films are in the running this year: “Alien: Romulus,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Gladiator II,” “Inside Out 2,” “Twisters,” “Wicked” and “The Wild Robot “. .”
“Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” were the two highest-grossing titles of 2024, each raking in more than $600 million at the domestic box office. But don’t be surprised if the award goes to the third highest-grossing album: “Wicked.”
Who are the leaders of television?
Globes voters also recognize achievements in television. In the drama series race, Gold Derby gives the best chance to “Shōgun,” a saga set in feudal Japan. (The acclaimed series won the equivalent of the most recent Emmy Awards.) Other nominees in the drama series category are “The Day of the Jackal,” “The Diplomat,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Slow Horses.” » and “Squid Game”.
In the field of comedy series, “Hacks” seems to be gaining momentum after winning the equivalent trophy at the last Emmys. Other contenders in the category are “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “The Gentlemen,” “Nobody Wants This” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Historic nominations?
Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the title character in “Emilia Pérez,” made history as the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for a Globe for a leading role in film. Gascón’s victory would be an LGBTQ+ milestone for the ceremony.
Other performers in the best musical/comedy actress category are Amy Adams for “Nightbitch,” Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked,” Mikey Madison for “Anora,” Demi Moore for “The Substance” and Zendaya for “Challengers.”
Denzel Washington, nominated for his supporting role in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” enters the series as the most nominated black artist in Globes history, with 11 career nominations to his name.
Who is presenting?
This year’s strong roster of A-list presenters includes Andrew Garfield, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Ramos, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ariana DeBose, Aubrey Plaza, Auliʻi Cravalho, Awkwafina, Brandi Carlile, Catherine O’Hara, Colin Farrell, Colman Domingo , Demi Moore, Dwayne Johnson, Édgar Ramírez, Elton John, Gal Gadot, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Coolidge, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Hudson, Kathy Bates, Ke Huy Quan, Kerry Washington, Margaret Qualley, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Keaton, Michelle Yeoh, Miles Teller, Mindy Kaling, Morris Chestnut, Nate Bargatze, Nicolas Cage, Rachel Brosnahan, Rob McElhenney, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sarah Paulson, Seth Rogen, Sharon Stone, Vin Diesel, Viola Davis and Zoë Kravitz.
Who will benefit from special recognition?
Two entertainment industry luminaries are set to receive special awards. Ted Danson will receive the Carol Burnett Award for “outstanding contributions to television, on or off screen.” The award has previously gone to Ryan Murphy, Norman Lear, Ellen DeGeneres and – yes – Carol Burnett.
Viola Davis, part of an elite group of artists who have won all four EGOT trophies (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), will be honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for “outstanding contributions to entertainment world.” In recent years, the same award has gone to Eddie Murphy, Jane Fonda, Tom Hanks, Jeff Bridges and Oprah Winfrey.
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