The 2026 Golden Globe Nominations: Snubs and Surprises
It was one nomination after another for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another when Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall read off the 2026 Golden Globes nominations, but Wicked: Ford Good wasn’t quite as “popular” with voters as its predecessor. The Golden Globe nominations for television and film always bring a few surprises and snubs, but this year’s choices may have upended some conventional wisdom about awards season.
One Battle After Another led the film pack with nine nominations, including the major categories of Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay, and nods for all of its leads (Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn). Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value was next with eight nominations, followed by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners with seven, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet with six, and Frankenstein and Wicked: For Good (more on Wicked below) with five each.
In the television categories, the third season of The White Lotus led with six nominations, followed by Stephen Graham’s limited drama Adolescence, which clocked five (including for its 15-year-old lead, Owen Cooper), and Only Murders in the Building and Severance (including for Britt Lower, Adam Scott, and Trammel Tillman) at four each. It was a big morning for Netflix overall, which unsurprisingly came ahead as the streamer with the most TV nominations (22).
The main ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 11 at the Beverly Hilton, with comedian Nikki Glaser returning as host. They’ll also air CBS and stream on Paramount+. Given that the Globes are often read as a harbinger of how the Oscars race might play out, let’s take a look at how this year is already shaking out:
Snub: Wicked: For Good
The second film in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation was snubbed in the Best Picture category. This is a departure from last year, when Wicked: Part One received Best Picture nods at both the Globes and the Oscars. Its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were still nominated for their performances, but Chu was once again left out of the Best Director conversation—a trend that’s followed him since his Crazy Rich Asians days.
Surprise: Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi received not one but two acting nods. The first isn’t surprising—his portrayal of The Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was regarded as one of the best performances of the year, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognized that with a Best Supporting Actor nomination. But his role as a WWII prisoner of war in the Australian miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which barely registered with US audiences, at least, also got an unexpected nod.
Snub: Wunmi Mosaku
Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners was devoured by audiences this year (it currently holds the box office record as the highest-grossing original film of the 2020s). But its leading lady, Wunmi Mosaku, who played Michael B. Jordan’s love interest and a key part of the film’s plot, was overlooked by the HFPA.
Snub: Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney’s turn as groundbreaking boxer and domestic violence survivor, Christy Martin, in Christy, had all the elements of classic awards bait, but it wasn’t enough to be recognized by the HFPA this year.
Surprise: Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby
A pleasant but well-deserved surprise for Eva Victor (and for indies in general).
Surprise: Amanda Seyfried
Like Elordi, Amanda Seyfried was nominated in two separate acting categories, with one being a bit more surprising than the other. Best Female Actor in a Musical or Comedy for The Testament of Ann Lee? Not surprising. But recognition for her role in Peacock’s crime drama miniseries The Long Bright River? More so.
Snub: Josh Safdie
Audiences haven’t had a chance to see Josh Safdie’s ping pong epic, Marty Supreme, yet (it comes out on Christmas Day), but the HFPA has weighed in on its merits. Though they recognized the film in the Best Picture, Screenplay, and Lead Actor (Timothée Chalamet) categories, they snubbed Safdie for Best Director (especially disappointing as the film marked his first solo feature without his brother, Benny).
Snub: The women of Marty Supreme
Gwyneth Paltrow, who came out of retirement for her role as a silent film era starlet, and Odessa A’zion, who plays Chalamet’s main love interest, were also overlooked.
Surprise: Richard Linklater
The legendary director had two hits with the HFPA this year: his films Blue Moon (its star, Ethan Hawke, also got a nod) and the French-language Nouvelle Vague (about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless) were both recognized in the Best Picture category. That means Linklater will be competing against himself, but surely he hardly minds.
Snub: Rachel Sennott
HBO’s new twentysomething dramedy I Love LA is already getting Girls comparisons, but its creator and star, Rachel Sennott, was overlooked by the Globes. It’s only in its first season, though, and Sennott is clearly just getting started.
