8 Things That Could Make the 2021 Golden Globes Worth Watching

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It’s 2021, and we are still celebrating “firsts” in the entertainment world. Chloé Zhao landed a nomination in the Best Director category and made Golden Globe history in the process. The nom for her film Nomadland makes her the first Asian woman to be nominated for directing. King is also the second Black woman to be named in the category in Globes history. (Ava DuVernay became the first to be nominated in that category in 2014 for Selma.) If King wins for One Night in Miami, she would be the first Black director to take home the trophy.

Anya Taylor-Joy is up for the Best Performance in a Motion Picture award for her role in Emma. If the Argentinian actress wins, she would be the first Latina to succeed in this category. Dev Patel is nominated for his role in The Personal History of David Copperfield. A win would make Patel, who is of Indian descent, the first Asian actor to win in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture category.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s two performances received recognition this year. The actor was nominated for both Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and The Trial of the Chicago 7. The actor could become the first man to win two acting awards on the same night. According to Variety, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Plowright, Helen Mirren, and Kate Winslet have all previously achieved this. If he takes home the award for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, he would be the first person to win twice for playing the same character since he won in 2007 for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. 

If the film takes Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) this year, it will become the first live-action sequel to win this category. His co-star in the movie, Maria Bakalova, is also up for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) award. A win would make her the youngest winner for a debut performance in this category’s history.

There are plenty of household names on the list who will be appearing at the awards show for the first time as nominees. The timeless Catherine O’Hara is a first-time nominee, and it’s all thanks to her role on Schitt’s Creek. The show’s last season also gave Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, and Eugene Levy their first nominations. Kaley Cuoco scored her first best television actress nom for her role as Cassandra Bowden in HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant—and she definitely earned it. The incredibly talented Leslie Odom Jr. is getting recognized by the Globes for his role as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami. He’s up against Judas and the Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya, who is also nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Jason Sudeikis, John Boyega, Andra Day, James Corden, and Elle Fanning are other first-timers to look out for.

There’s no expiration date on talent, and it’s never too early to walk away with a trophy in hand, either. Some nominees this year are defying stereotypes and proving that there is no real age limit when it comes to creating art. Anthony Hopkins landed a Best Actor in a Drama nomination for his role on The Father at age 83, making the Hollywood legend the oldest nominee—and potentially the oldest winner—in the category’s history. On the other hand, 12-year-old Helena Zengel could be the youngest winner of an acting Golden Globe award for her supporting role in News of the World.

Sure, the HFPA left out the famed director’s critically acclaimed Netflix film Da 5 Bloods from this year’s list of nominees, but at least his kids get to make history, right? The organization announced that Satchel and Jackson Lee will be this year’s Globes Ambassadors and will help hand out the trophies. Satchel and Jackson are the children of the five-time Golden Globe-nominated director and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee. Jackson will be the first Black male Ambassador, and this will also be the first time in HFPA history that two siblings of color are Ambassadors.

Virtual awards shows are nowhere near as entertaining as the real thing. While most of the nominees will call in from wherever they are, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that presenters would be joining the hosts at their respective locations. The HFPA announced the list of presenters taking the stage earlier this month. It includes Awkwafina, Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, Kate Hudson, Margot Robbie, Kenan Thompson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosie Perez, Cynthia Erivo, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Wiig, Renée Zellweger, Kevin Bacon, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Douglas, and more.

The 2021 Golden Globes will honor Jane Fonda with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. The lifetime achievement recognition will pay homage to the seven-time Globe-winning actress’s long career and contributions to television and film. The activist is joining other Cecil B. DeMille award honorees including heavyweights like Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeff Bridges. Norman Lear will also be honored with the Carol Burnett Award. Lear will be the third recipient of the recently created award, which celebrates a person’s contributions to television. Lear will be the third recipient of the award, following Ellen DeGeneres in 2020 and Burnett in 2019.