“The Banshees of Inisherin,” a darkly comic story of a shattered friendship set against the backdrop of the Irish civil war, led the nominations for the 2023 Golden Globes. It scored eight nods, including best picture in the musical or comedy genre, as well as for Martin McDonagh’s directing and screenplay.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” an innovative sci-fi fable that unfolds across a multiverse, followed close behind with six nominations. “The Fabelmans,” Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical examination of his childhood; “Babylon,” a Rabelaisian look at Hollywood’s silent era; and “Elvis,” a biopic of the rock legend, each had five nominations.
A few years ago, nominations for the Globes were seen as a key marker of awards season — a sign of who was up and who was down in the hunt for Oscars and other trophies. A steady stream of scandals and celebrity defections has muted that impact, so it’s unclear how seriously Hollywood and its cottage industry of awards prognosticators and strategists will take Monday’s announcement.
Unlike the Oscars, the Globes separates comedies and musicals from dramas, allowing the group to broaden its field of honorees. Dramas up for best picture include “The Fabelmans” and “Elvis” (not listed as a musical despite containing nearly two-hours worth of music), as well as “Tár,” an indie about sexual harassment in classical music. There was also room for two blockbusters that theater owners hope can rescue the embattled exhibition business — “Top Gun: Maverick,” the year’s biggest hit, and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which opens on Friday, carrying with it enormous expectations.
Best comedy or musical will be a fight between “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Babylon,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Triangle of Sadness” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
“Abbott Elementary,” a sitcom about the teachers and students in a Philadelphia public school, earned the most nominations of any TV show with five. Those included nods for best television series (musical or comedy), as well as for creator Quinta Brunson’s lead performance.
Five shows — “The White Lotus,” “Dahmer,” “The Crown,” “Pam & Tommy” and “Only Murders in the Building” — scored four nominations apiece. “The Crown” is one of five contenders for best TV series (drama), joining veterans such as “Better Call Saul” and “Ozark,” as well as two new, water-cooler hits, “House of the Dragon” and “Severance.”
To capture the best TV comedy prize, “Abbott Elementary” will need to fend off “Only Murders in the Building,” “Hacks,” and two new shows that have established passionate fanbases, “The Bear,” a dramedy set in the culinary world, and “Wednesday,” a spinoff of “The Addams Family” that has become a megahit for Netflix.
There were some notable snubs and surprises. Will Smith, whose reputation has been damaged after he assaulted Chris Rock during the Oscars telecast, was shut out of the best actor race for his work in “Emancipation.” Amazon’s sprawling and expensive “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” also came up short, failing to earn a single nomination.
But the big headline is that in a year when female auteurs such as Sarah Polley (“Women Talking”) and Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”) created some of the most critically acclaimed films, the best director category is entirely comprised of men. Spielberg and McDonagh will vie for the directing trophy against Baz Luhrmann (“Elvis”), Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and James Cameron (“Avatar: The Way of Water”).
For years, the Globes had seemed like the hipper, boozier cousin of the Oscars, a telecast where anything — from winners missing their awards because they were stuck in the bathroom, to off-the-cuff acceptance speeches — could happen, and often did. But it’s been a rough go for the Globes and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the insular organization of journalists behind the awards, which have seen their reputations tarnished. The nominations come as the Globes are attempting to reinvent themselves, having been dogged by scandals that pushed the awards show to the brink of obsolescence. The 2022 broadcast on NBC was cancelled in the fallout from a report by the Los Angeles Times on the ethical lapses of the HFPA. Particularly damaging was the revelation that none of the group’s 87 members were Black. In the wake of the report, stars steered clear of the group’s events and their publicists threatened a boycott unless reforms were undertaken.
In response, the HFPA has worked to improve the diversity of its membership, adding 21 new journalists, while also strengthening its ethical rules to bar voters from accepting gifts from the studios on the prowl for awards. The group also added 103 voters, who are not members. The Globes now say that more than 10% of its voters are Black.
There’s also a deal in place to sell the Globes to Eldridge Industries, which is owned by Todd Boehly, the owner of the ceremony’s producer, Dick Clark Productions. The Globes will operate as a for-profit enterprise, but will have a charitable and philanthropic arm.
The show will once again air on NBC, which is bringing the broadcast back on a one-year, trial basis. Stand-up comic Jerrod Carmichael will serve as the show’s host. It will be back in person, though it lost its prime Sunday night slot and will instead air on Tuesday, Jan. 10, on NBC and Peacock.
If the Globes can boost interest in the movies up for awards, it can show the power of its broadcast and possibly attract more support. Many of this year’s top contenders, from”The Fabelmans” to “The Banshees of Inisherin,” have barely registered at the box office.
But questions remain. Brendan Fraser, up for best actor for “The Whale,” has signaled he will not attend the show. The actor previously accused former HFPA head Philip Berk of groping him — Berk said he was joking and denied the allegations. “I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser told GQ in a recent cover story. “No, I will not participate… It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”
In a sign of the new economics of the entertainment business, streamers dominated the nominations for television, with HBO Max and Netflix scoring 14 nods apiece. Hulu was close behind with 10 nominations. Searchlight Pictures, an indie label that is owned by Disney, was the most-nominated film company with 12 nods. It was followed by A24, another indie player, which nabbed 10 nominations.
See the full list of nominees below.
Best Motion Picture, Drama
“Avatar: The Way of Water” (20th Century Studios)
“Elvis” (Warner Bros.)
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures)
“Tár” (Focus Features)
“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures)
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)
“Triangle of Sadness” (Neon)
Best Director, Motion Picture
James Cameron (“Avatar: The Way of Water”)
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Baz Luhrmann (“Elvis”)
Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
“Tár” (Focus Features) — Todd Field
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24) — Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Martin McDonagh
“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Sarah Polley
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushne
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Austin Butler (“Elvis”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Hugh Jackman (“The Son”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”)
Jeremy Pope (“The Inspection”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Cate Blanchett (“Tár”)
Olivia Colman (“Empire of Light”)
Viola Davis (“The Woman King”)
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”)
Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Lesley Manville (“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”)
Margot Robbie (“Babylon”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Menu”)
Emma Thompson (“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”)
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Diego Calva (“Babylon”)
Daniel Craig (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”)
Adam Driver (“White Noise”)
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Ralph Fiennes (“The Menu”)
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brad Pitt (“Babylon”)
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”)
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Dolly De Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”)
Carey Mulligan (“She Said”)
Best Television Series, Drama
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“House of the Dragon” (HBO)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Severance” (Apple TV+)
Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Wednesday” (Netflix)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”)
Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”)
Diego Luna (“Andor”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Adam Scott (“Severance”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Emma D’Arcy (“House of the Dragon”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”)
Hilary Swank (“Alaska Daily”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”)
Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”)
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”)
Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”)
Best Supporting Actor, Television
John Lithgow (“The Old Man”)
Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”)
John Turturro (“Severance”)
Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”)
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)
Best Supporting Actress, Television
Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”)
Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”)
Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”)
Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
“Black Bird” (Apple TV+)
“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (Netflix)
“The Dropout” (Hulu)
“Pam & Tommy” (Hulu)
“The White Lotus” (HBO)
Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”)
Colin Firth (“The Staircase”)
Andrew Garfield (“Under the Banner of Heaven”)
Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”)
Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”)
Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”)
Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”)
Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”)
Julia Roberts (“Gaslit”)
Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”)
Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”)
Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”)
Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Under the Banner of Heaven”)
Niecy Nash-Betts (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”)
Aubrey Plaza (“The White Lotus”)
Best Performance by an Actor in Supporting Role, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
F. Murray Abraham (“The White Lotus”)
Domhnall Gleeson (“The Patient”)
Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”)
Richard Jenkins (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”)
Seth Rogen (“Pam & Tommy”)
Best Original Score, Motion Picture
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Carter Burwell
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures) — Justin Hurwitz
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — John Williams
Best Picture, Non-English Language
“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
“Close” (Belgium)
“Decision to Leave” (South Korea)
“RRR” (India)
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing” (Sony Pictures) — Taylor Swift
“Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Roeben Katz, Guillermo del Toro
“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures) — Lady Gaga, BloodPop
“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios) — Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler
“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” (Variance Films) — Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj
Best Motion Picture, Animated
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix)
“Inu-Oh” (GKIDS)
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” (A24)
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Turning Red” (Pixar)