Unpredictability defines Globes lineup

Big studio titles share the field with international dramas

LOS ANGELES:

Hollywood's awards season gathered real momentum on Monday as the Golden Globes unveiled a spread of nominations that thrust the darkly comic thriller 'One Battle After Another' to the front of the race, setting the stage for a potentially unpredictable march toward the Oscars.

The Paul Thomas Anderson film, led by Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his most muscular turns in years, claimed nine nominations and immediately cemented itself as the title many studios will be trying to catch in the months ahead.

'One Battle After Another' follows a burnt-out revolutionary jolted back into action when his teenage daughter is threatened, a premise Anderson has shaped into a blend of political menace, bruised idealism and unexpectedly sharp humour.

The film leads the Globes' comedy and musical categories, where it will square off against 'Marty Supreme' and 'Bugonia', among others, while also sweeping up five acting nominations for DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Teyana Taylor.

Norway's 'Sentimental Value', a quiet but emotionally potent family drama, finished close behind with eight nominations and secured a firm foothold in the drama categories, reinforcing the increasingly international character of this year's awards field.

Supernatural period horror 'Sinners' followed with seven nominations, while 'Hamnet', a Shakespeare family drama with a literary bent, earned six and continued its steady rise with both critics and industry voters.

Guillermo del Toro's long-gestating adaptation of 'Frankenstein' secured five nominations, including one for Jacob Elordi, whose portrayal of the monster has been widely praised for its strange tenderness. Del Toro said the film's recognition was "deeply meaningful".

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo earned acting nods for 'Wicked: For Good', though the final instalment in Universal's two-part musical did not make the cut for best musical or comedy picture despite its formidable box office draw.

The Globes, organised by more than 300 entertainment journalists worldwide, are often treated as an early barometer ahead of the Academy Awards, though their separate drama and comedy categories widen the field of contenders considerably.

Debra Birnbaum, editor at Gold Derby, noted that the international presence in this year's list was unusually strong, highlighting nominations for Jafar Panahi's Iranian revenge drama 'It Was Just an Accident' and Brazil's political story 'The Secret Agent'.

Birnbaum argued that the upsurge in international attention pointed to shifting taste among voters, predicting these films would remain competitive throughout the wider awards season as other guilds announce their shortlists.

The newly introduced podcast category added a modern twist, with nominations for 'Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard', 'Call Her Daddy', 'Good Hang with Amy Poehler', 'The Mel Robbins Podcast', 'Smartless' and NPR's 'Up First'. On television, HBO's holiday-set mystery 'The White Lotus' led all small-screen contenders with six nominations, edging ahead of Netflix's unsettling limited series 'Adolescence', which focuses on the prosecution of a 13-year-old accused of murder.

Netflix topped the television field overall with 22 nominations, strengthening its awards-season muscle at a moment when it is seeking to reshape Hollywood by buying major assets, including HBO, from Warner Bros Discovery.

Neon, the independent studio behind 'Sentimental Value', 'It Was Just an Accident' and 'The Secret Agent', emerged as the most-nominated distributor in film categories with a commanding total of 21.

In the acting races, this year's lead categories were widely expected to be especially crowded, and the final lists did little to contradict that prediction, particularly for lead actress in both comedy and drama.

The comedy or musical category features Emma Stone for 'Bugonia', Cynthia Erivo, Rose Byrne for 'If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You', Kate Hudson for 'Song Sung Blue', Amanda Seyfried for 'The Testament of Ann Lee' and newcomer Chase Infiniti.

The drama list is equally competitive, with nominations for Jennifer Lawrence in 'Die, My Love', Julia Roberts in 'After the Hunt', Jessie Buckley for 'Hamnet', Renate Reinsve, Tessa Thompson in 'Hedda' and Eva Victor for 'Sorry, Baby'. In the drama-film race, 'Sinners' stands as a formidable contender. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film follows twin brothers navigating the violent racial politics of 1930s Mississippi. Both Coogler and Michael B Jordan earned nominations.

Coogler's film has been a dominant force this season, leading the Critics Choice Awards with 17 nominations, helped by its blend of commercial success, cultural relevance and a supernatural streak that surprised many viewers.

Chloe Zhao's 'Hamnet', fronted by Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes, blends historical detail with intimate domestic tension. The film won nominations for both leads as well as Zhao's direction.

With Oscar nominations due on 22 January, awards strategists say the Globes will help clarify a field that remains unusually broad, with major contenders now emerging from the United States, Europe, Brazil, South Korea and Iran. On the television side, the Globes will also celebrate the likes of 'Severance', the dystopian office thriller, and 'Adolescence', whose unsettling subject matter has drawn intense attention since its release earlier this year.

Comedian Nikki Glaser will host the ceremony for the second consecutive year after winning praise for last year's broadcast, which attracted more than 10 million viewers and helped steady the Globes after years of scrutiny and internal reform.

Organisers have spent considerable effort repairing the Globes' reputation following criticism of ethical lapses and a lack of diversity, expanding the voting body and introducing rule changes intended to ensure greater transparency.

This year's list of nominees suggests the reforms may be gaining traction, with a far broader international spread, a wider mix of genres and a willingness to embrace films that fall outside traditional awards-season favourites.

The winners will be named at the Beverly Hills ceremony on January 11, broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, launching what is shaping up to be one of the most open and internationally charged awards seasons in years.