Golden Globes 2024
Hoping to put the controversies of the past behind us, the beleaguered awards are making a glorious return, with two blockbusters topping the list
While “Barbenheimer” may have been the dominant box office story of 2023, the new year promises a new kind of battle as the two hit films compete for awards, starting with the Golden Globes this weekend.
Greta Gerwig's Mattel comedy “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb drama “Oppenheimer” lead the field this year with eight and seven nominations respectively, and while they largely compete in separate genre categories – comedy/musical and drama – it's likely that the two films will continue to monopolize the evening. Last year, the two films combined grossed over $2 billion at the global box office.
Golden Globes 2024: Who will win and who should win the film awards
It will provide a much-needed boost of widespread commercial attention to the Globes, which are still generating bad press after a series of revelations and revelations in 2021, exposing corrupt practices and concerns about a lack of diversity. As a result, both stars and a television network were missing from the 2022 ceremony, and while there was a star-studded televised return last year, questions remain about the future.
Over the past 12 months, the Globes have evolved into a for-profit organization, welcoming 215 new voters and increasing their total membership to 310. At the start of 2021, that number was just 87, with no Black members. Now “58% identify as ethnically diverse,” and President Helen Hoehne now calls it “the most culturally diverse major awards organization” in the industry.
Voters now represent 76 countries and this year's nominations include strong performances for a number of international films, including “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Fallen Leaves,” “The Boy and the Heron” and “The Zone of Interest.”
Lily Gladstone. Photo: Gregory Pace/REX/Shutterstock
This year also sees a number of firsts: Beef stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun become the first actors of Asian descent to win in the limited TV series category, and Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone is the first local actress to be nominated for Best Actress, which many predict will be the winner.
Scorsese's historical drama will compete with Oppenheimer for the title of Best Drama. The two films are considered front-runners, while their stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy will also be vying for the Best Actor title and will compete alongside the highly sought-after Bradley Cooper for his Leonard Bernstein biopic maestro.
In the comedy/musical categories, Barbie will face “Poor Things,” Yorgos Lanthimos' unusual follow-up to “The Favourite,” which reunites him with Emma Stone, and “The Holdovers,” a Christmas tale starring Paul Giamatti.
Gerwig, Nolan and Scorsese will all be vying for Best Director.
As for television, Succession's final season is predicted to triumph on the drama side, with comedy awards likely to be shared by Abbott Elementary and The Bear.
Jo Koy. Photo: Robin Marshall/Rex/Shutterstock
There will also be two new categories on the night: “Best Standup Comedian on TV” and an award for box office success. Taylor Swift could win her first Golden Globe for the theatrical release of her successful Eras tour.
It was a wild scramble for a presenter with comedian Jo Koy, announced at the end of December and only two weeks away from broadcast. “I’m going to make fun, but I want to do it in a way where we’re still celebrating,” he told Variety this week. “The industry has been hit hard. Hollywood was shocked. Everyone was shocked. It wasn't just the writers. It wasn't just the actors… So, let's celebrate. Let's enjoy this. We have a great performance. That's the approach I want to take here. This is a great moment for all of us.”
The Globes will be the first major red carpet event since the end of the writers' and actors' strike and the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In October, the Globes donated $75,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists in response to the conflict. A statement said the organization “shared the deep sadness and horror felt following the tragic and deeply hurtful events.”
At previous ceremonies, stars such as Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams gave political speeches on topics such as Donald Trump's presidency and restricted abortion rights. Last year there was also a special video message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Table decoration at the Golden Globes. Photo: Robin Marshall/REX/Shutterstock
There was no confirmed political activity during Sunday's ceremony or on the red carpet, where stars had previously worn ribbons in support of various causes.
The evening promises a return to old-fashioned Globes glamor with A-list celebrities presenting awards including Oprah Winfrey, Florence Pugh, Angela Bassett and Will Ferrell. Winners will also receive gift bags worth an estimated $500,000, including a five-day luxury yacht trip through Indonesian waters worth $50,000.
“People watching at home tune in to see their favorite stars, TV shows and movies, and we are here to honor them and have a good time,” producer Ricky Kirshner told the LA Times. “I don’t think people at home really care at this point about what happened in the past.”
The Globes are seen as an important indicator for the Oscars, whose nominations will be announced on January 23rd.
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