The Biggest Takeaways From the 78th Golden Globes Nominations

With the announcement of the 2021 Golden Globes nominations earlier today, AWARDS SZN 2K21 is officially underway. This year's Golden Globes is due to be a different affair in presentation, with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler set to stream in live from two different places in the country, but also because of how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the conversation in the entertainment industry, specifically on the television side.

You know how these go, though; an awards body—the Hollywood Foreign Press Association this time around—presents their nominees in a number of categories, then we spend the morning dissecting each category, trying to figure out the films, series, and actors who were either outright snubbed or are looking to make hella noise during the live broadcast on Feb. 28, 2021. There's a lot to celebrate about this year's crop of Golden Globes nominees, but there's also a number of questions, comments, and observations that have to be introduced before we put on our prognosticator caps and try to predict who will take the Globes home.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the 78th annual Golden Globes nominations. At the very least, you can use this information to impress your friends when the Globes comes up in conversation. You're welcome, by the way!

After her historic Emmy win for Euphoria, it almost seemed like Zendaya was a shoo-in for the Best Actress category for her role in Netflix's Malcolm & Marie. For as long as the black-and-white Netflix film is playing on your screen, it’s hard to take your eyes off of her. Her every movement, her every glance, and every word she utters is captivating and heartbreaking, and you feel the character’s pain and frustrations. Her performance wasn’t loud or overly emotional, but it felt real.

Two-handers place a lot of pressure on the actors to tell a story in a way that grabs the audience. But the actress did the best with what she was given—and that deserved some recognition. Perhaps it was naive to believe that she would be nominated again, but there was plenty of buzz surrounding her performance to make anyone think that she would be in the running during awards season this year. She would have fit right in with the other nominees in the Golden Globes Best Actress category, which includes Viola Davis, Vanessa Kirby, Andra Day, Carey Mulligan, and Frances McDormand. —Karla Rodriguez

On the low, this year’s Golden Globes could be Sacha Baron Cohen’s night. He returned to his Borat bag with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which got picked up by Amazon Prime and netted him a Best Actor nomination for his work. Over on Netflix, he was a part of Aaron Sorkin’s ensemble piece The Trial of the Chicago 7, garnering him a Best Supporting Actor nomination to boot. Add onto that a Best Picture nom for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s star might be shining super bright by the end of the night. Then the question will be: is the Oscars set to give him props as well? Will he be looking to capitalize on this by taking on more work? The world could be Borat’s oyster! —khal

After selecting Spike Lee’s children to be ambassadors for the Golden Globes this year, the Globes decided to shut out Lee’s brilliant Da 5 Bloods completely? Not only did the Netflix film feature one of Chadwick Boseman’s final performances on-screen—one that showed a different side of the actor—but it featured what still feels like a performance from Delroy Lindo that warrants AWARDS SZN accolades. Lindo’s a master craftsman, especially when he’s working within Spike Lee’s vision, and for the Globes to not see that…? Hopefully the Academy makes it right. —khal

What’s good with the AWARDS SZN snubs continuing for one of the best parts of AMC's Better Call Saul? Of course Bob Odenkirk deserves his nomination for Better Call Saul—he’s doing the damn thing. We aren’t going to front like Rhea as Kim Wexler didn’t bring it during Season 5, arguably one of the best seasons of this show… and arguably the entire Breaking Bad universe. Kim is Jimmy’s primary sparring partner, and we got to see her flex throughout this season, dealing with the emotional toll of living with Saul freaking Goodman. I, for one, object to this continued disrespect. —khal

The late, great Chadwick Boseman’s work in Da 5 Bloods may not have been deemed fit for Globes nomination, but it was great to see that his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom got the nomination many assumed he’d get. In a film featuring Viola Davis shouldering a massive load as an actress, Boseman stood out, having one of the better arcs of the film as a whole. Dare we say Boseman has a strong chance of taking away a posthumous Globe for his work, although he’s got some strong competition with Gary Oldman (Mank) and Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) standing against him. It’d make for an ill moment, but that doesn’t always mean it’ll happen. —khal

With all of the hype and praise being given to Michaela Coel’s BBC/HBO series I May Destroy You in 2020, it’s truly shocking to see that the series, which takes us into the complex world of surviving sexual assault, didn’t receive a nomination. The multi-talented Coel not only created the series, but starred in it, wrote every episode, and directed seven out of the series’ 10 episodes. It’s a huge undertaking on an extremely important topic. One has to imagine that it was just straight-up ignored as opposed to seen as undeserving; whatever the case may be, somebody messed up. It’s getting props over at GLAAD Media Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and other awards bodies, but it still feels like the major players should be giving Michaela Coel and this series their props. —khal

One of the most surprising films of 2020 was Promising Young Woman, a pitch-black comedy about a woman seeking revenge in a world where women aren’t heard as often when they speak on issues like sexual assault. It’s arguably one of the most important stories to come out of 2020, and it receiving four nominations—Best Director for first-time director Emerald Fennell, Best Actress for Carey Mulligan’s amazing performance, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture—feels like a win in and of itself. It needs to actually win some of these awards, though. Again, with the #MeToo movement sweeping across Hollywood for years, it’d be much more meaningful for a film dealing with the issues at the core of the movement to receive this kind of AWARDS SZN praise. At the very least, the hope is that more people actually get to SEE the film. —khal

The Globes got a few things right this year, and giving Daniel Kaluuya receives his second Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his work as Chairman Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah was one of them. (The film also received a Best Song nomination for H.E.R.’s “Fight For You”.) Kaluuya became the Chairman in this film, lighting up every scene he set foot in. That said, LaKeith Stanfield could’ve gotten a Supporting Actor nod. Dominique Fishback deserved a Supporting Actress nod. The film itself could’ve gotten more nominations. It’s interesting how these things work, but if it’s up for Best Actor and Best Song, we gonna ride for those nominations. —khal

Soul is up for the Best Animated Motion Picture Award—and it’s easily one of the most predictable wins. The Disney-Pixar film is one of the first animated movies in a long time that has made us all collectively feel something, no matter our age. Sure, the story had its flaws, but its message about making the most out of life and finding what makes us feel the most alive stayed with viewers. The movie tapped one of Hollywood’s most talented people ever, Jamie Foxx, as the lead. By voicing Joe Gardner, Foxx became the first Black lead in a Disney-Pixar movie. After this nomination and the public’s reception, I’m certain he won’t be the last. —Karla Rodriguez

Regina King has been finally receiving her props, recently taking home a Golden Globe and Oscar for her work in If Beale Street Could Talk, as well as multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in television. She’s low-key been sitting in the director’s chair for a number of television shows, no doubt getting ready for her first feature-length directing gig, One Night in Miami…, a film detailing the one night that Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown sat in a hotel room and discussed the plight of the Black community and their place in it. King’s direction shows promise—can’t wait to see what she has up next!—and Leslie Odom, Jr. (of Hamilton fame) as Sam Cooke getting a Best Supporting Actor nomination and a Best Song nomination? This feels like the beginning of the next wave of Black creatives making waves in Hollywood. —khal

The week following Bridgerton's Christmas Day premiere, it almost felt like everyone on social media was watching the show. So much so that Netflix announced that the series was viewed by more than 82 million accounts in its first month, making the period drama the streaming giant’s biggest series ever. A show’s popularity or reach doesn’t always determine whether or not it will receive nominations, though. Fans might have loved the show, but it looks like the Hollywood Foreign Press might not have felt the same since the show got no love this year. The Shonda Rhimes production might receive more recognition down the line, but that’s hard to say when the stars behind some of her biggest hits like Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder have gone home empty-handed year after year. We will have to wait and see if the show wins over critics when it returns for Season 2 next year. —Karla Rodriguez

The people over at Netflix have 42 reasons to celebrate today. The streaming giant came out victorious for the projects they released during a year when people’s TV and movie consumption went through the roof. Netflix received 20 Golden Globe nods for its TV shows and 22 for its motion pictures. The streaming service got nearly three times as many nominations as its competitor HBO Max. They dominated the television categories, getting three out of the five nominations in the Best Drama TV series category for The Crown, Ozark, and Ratched. The Crown alone received six nominations, while the films Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 received six and five, respectively.

It seems like just yesterday that it was debated if streaming content would be eligible for nominations. Fast-forward to 2021, and they have found the recipe to not only be included but to also be leading the pack. The streaming giant is offering a lot more content this year—with a new movie dropping every week—so be prepared for them to sweep even more in the next award season. —Karla Rodriguez