Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman, and Kodi Smit-McPhee will carry local hopes in the film categories at January’s Golden Globes, while Sarah Snook and producer Tony McNamara are set to fly the flag in the television awards.
Campion’s 1920s drama and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast led the way at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announcement, earning seven nominations each, including Best Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture Director, and Best Motion Picture Screenplay.
Smit-McPhee, who plays Peter Gordon in the film, is also nominated for Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture alongside Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar), Jamie Dornan (Belfast), Ciarán Hinds (Belfast), and Troy Kutsar (CODA).
In the Best Actress Motion Picture category, Kidman will be aiming for her sixth Golden Globe, having gotten the nod for her portrayal of Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos. She will face competition from Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), Lady Gaga (House of Gucci), and Kristen Stewart (Spencer).
Of the television nominees, HBO’s Succession was the most represented title with five nods, including for Snook in Best Supporting Actress – Television. The first-time nominee will battle it out against Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick), Andie MacDowell (Maid), and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) for the award.
Tony McNamara’s The Great is again up for Best Musical/Comedy Series alongside Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Reservation Dogs, and Ted Lasso. Stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning are also nominated for Best Television Actor – Musical/Comedy Series and Best Television Actress – Musical/Comedy Series, respectively.
In the distributor stakes, Netflix again set the pace in the film nominations with 17, but it was HBO/HBO Max that topped the television categories with 15.
The nominations come at a time of increased scrutiny for the HFPA, which has been battling to redeem its image in the wake of a Los Angeles Times expose that highlighted unethical practices and a lack of diversity among its membership, including no Black members.
In May, the association announced it had voted to adopt a plan for radical reform, including identifying new members to increase the membership by more than 50 percent across the next 18 months. Following the announcement, telecast partner NBC said it would not air the 2022 ceremony, noting in a statement that “change of this magnitude takes time and work.”
According to Deadline, HFPA president Helen Hoehne acknowledged the controversy at the nominations announcement, describing 2021 as “a year of change and reflection” for the association.
The 79th Golden Globe Awards will be held on January, 9.