2021 Golden Globes Award Predictions
The 2021 Golden Globes Award nominations have been announced so now is the time to binge-watch all the things we missed throughout the year.
I, for one, didn’t watch nearly as many movies as I usually do. I love the entire theater experience so without being able to go I found myself binging more TV. The other thing that has limited my viewing is there are quite a few (like Nomadland and Music) that are nominated but aren’t out yet. I’ll be sure to watch when I can, and definitely before the Oscars.
The awards ceremony has been pushed out a month from January to February due to Covid-19, but I’m excited to see two of my fav hosts (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) back together for a virtual gig. The ceremony will be hosted on February 28th, virtually, on both coasts. Should make for an interesting evening.
So, with no professional film or television training to speak of, here are my picks for the 2021 Golden Globes.
Best Picture – Drama
Nominations
Prediction: Promising Young Woman
When I originally watched ‘Promising Young Woman’ (check out the full review here) I called that it would be a contender during awards season. It’s not hard to see why. The topic (sexual assault and the aftermath) is important and heavy, but they’ve approached it in a surprising way. The casting is great, the acting is believable, and the costuming and music are spot on. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…the film can be triggering.
Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Nominations
- Viola Davis | Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Andra Day | The United States vs. Billie Holiday
- Vanessa Kirby | Pieces of a Woman
- Frances McDormand | Nomadland
- Carey Mulligan | Promising Young Woman
Prediction: Carey Mulligan | Promising Young Woman
The casting is great and the acting is believable…see above. Carey Mulligan, a British actor whom you would never know isn’t American from her accent, is already an Oscar nominee for An Education. She got that nomination at 24, her acting is legit. That also happens to be the last time she was a Golden Globe nominee. So I’m calling it, she’ll win this category and be nominated for an Oscar too.
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominations
- Riz Ahmed | Sound of Metal
- Chadwick Boseman | Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Anthony Hopkins | The Father
- Gary Oldman | Mank
- Tahar Rahim | The Mauritanian
Prediction: Chadwick Boseman | Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Full transparency…I haven’t watched any of these movies yet. I know…I know. But TBH, with the heaviness of Covid looming all the time, dramas just haven’t been what I’ve been gravitating towards. I’m calling a posthumous award for Chadwick Boseman though. His performance in Black Panther was so important and so believable, an entire generation knows its Wakanda Forever.
Best Picture – Musical/Comedy
Nominations
- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Hamilton
- Music
- Palm Springs
- The Prom
Prediction: Hamilton
I think it’s a toss-up between Borat and Hamilton but I’m going with Hamilton here. I don’t think you can’t not give the award to a piece of work that has had such a profound impact on so many people’s lives. Is that an odd thing to say about a musical? Maybe. But to hear and to see history in a way that we never have before? No pure entertainment piece can compare to that.
Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical/Comedy
Nominations
- Maria Bakalova | Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Kate Hudson | Music
- Michelle Pfeiffer | French Exit
- Rosamund Pike | I Care A Lot
- Anya Taylor-Joy | Emma
Prediction: Maria Bakalova | Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Another confession…I’ve only seen Borat in this category but I have no reservations about predicting Maria will win. Sure, Borat is a cringeworthy comedy with a microscope on how unbelievable society really is. But I remember as I was watching the film I was asking myself how she could get through the scenes with a straight face. I didn’t know her before, but she is a very talented actress. I’m sure we’ll hear from her again.
Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical/Comedy
Nominations
- Sasha Baron Cohen | Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- James Cordon | The Prom
- Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton
- Dev Patel | The Personal History of David Copperfield
- Andy Sandberg | Palm Springs
Prediction: Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton
Again, another toss-up between Borat and Hamilton. What Sasha Baron Cohen does with that character is wild, and I may be a bit biased but I’m giving this to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Let’s not forget his performance was LIVE. And we are supposed to only award him on this one performance, but the truth is he performed this 8 times a week (I think) and he created it. I know it’s not an award for that…but sometimes the subconscious gives awards, OK???
Best Picture – Animated
Nominations
- The Croods: A New Age
- Onward
- Over The Moon
- Soul
- Wolfwalkers
Prediction: Soul
Ha! Here we are again in the confessional. Have I seen all the other nominees? Of course not! Does that mean that I don’t feel confident in calling it for Soul? Nope. I feel very confident. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve spoken with people about this movie. There may be some controversy surrounding the fact that a white woman takes the body of a Black man for a lot of it, but this is a situation of progress, not perfection. What Disney did get correct was developing a story with its first Black lead character, bringing on its first Black feature director, and tackling a profound topic like the afterlife the only way Disney can.
Best Drama Series
Nominations
- The Crown
- Lovecraft Country
- The Mandalorian
- Ozark
- Ratched
Prediction: The Crown
If you look at the sheer amount of nominees in the acting categories in The Crown, it’s clear to see that they are a front runner. It won this award in 2017 and has been nominated two other times, I’m calling that this year will be the second win. A major focus of season 4 is Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s courtship and marriage and the team did a beautiful job. I have a feeling this is going to be a fan favorite.
Best Actress – Drama Series
Nominations
- Olivia Coleman | The Crown
- Jodie Comer | Killing Eve
- Emma Corrin | The Crown
- Laura Linney | Ozark
- Sarah Paulson | Ratched
Prediction: Emma Corrin | The Crown
Princess Diana was shy, but loved the spotlight. She was was young and naive, but knew what she was doing. She was a complex woman loved by all, the she was The Peoples Princess. The fact that Emma Corrin was able to take on this major role and really do it justice…I’m calling the award for her.
Best Actor – Drama Series
Nominations
- Jason Bateman | Ozark
- Josh O’Conner | The Crown
- Bob Odernik | Better Call Saul
- Al Pacino | Hunters
- Matthew Rhys | Perry Mason
Prediction: Jason Bateman | Ozark
Ozark season 3 came out almost a year ago, and A LOT has happened over the past year so I’m hoping Jason Bateman doesn’t get overlooked. His performance as Marty Byrde, a dirty accountant turned dirtier, is epic as he tried holding his family together/staying alive/building a business.
Best Musical/Comedy Series
Nominations
Prediction: The Great
I’m going out on a limb to call The Great, as I did when I first watched it (full review here). But if history is any indication, this award will go to Schitt’s Creek. And although I hadn’t watched that series before the Emmy’s, I have now. Don’t get me wrong, I am OBSESSED with Schitt’s Creek and it is everything that we need. But The Great is on a different level, artistically, while still being wildly entertaining.
Best Actress – Musical/Comedy Series
Nominations
- Lily Collins | Emily in Paris
- Kaley Cuoco | The Flight Attendant
- Elle Fanning | The Great
- Jane Levy | Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
- Catherine O’Hara | Schitt’s Creek
Prediction: Elle Fanning | The Great
I don’t think The Great would be the same without Elle Fanning. However, Schitt’s Creek wouldn’t be the same without Catherine O’Hara playing Moira Rose either, so there’s that. But it takes a special kind of acting and actor to play the part in historical fiction with such a modern twist.
Best Actor – Musical/Comedy Series
Nominations
- Don Cheadle | Black Monday
- Nicholas Hoult | The Great
- Eugene Levy | Schitt’s Creek
- Jason Sudekis | Ted Lasso
- Ramy Youssef | Ramy
Prediction: Jason Sudekis | Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso could have gone very, very wrong. I went into this series expecting it to be an SNL Skit, an in your face physical comedy. But oh no, it was not. I hadn’t realized how good of an actor Jason Sudekis was until I watched him play the part of the impossibly positive American soccer coach who really embodies the phrase, ‘it’s not if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game’. You can’t not like him.
Best Limited Series
Nominations
Prediction: Normal People
This is a very competitive category, and I’m not sure that Hulu gets as much visibility as some of the other streaming services. While I didn’t read the book that this series is based on, I was obsessed when I watched Normal People. And what makes it special is in the simplicity that it’s not special. It is normal. And normal is complicated. I was devastated when I watched the last episode and realized it was a limited series and not a new series.
Best Actress – Limited Series
Nominations
- Cate Blanchette | Mrs. America
- Daisy Edgar-Jones | Normal People
- Shira Haas | Unorthodox
- Nicole Kidman | The Undoing
- Anya Taylor-Joy | The Queen’s Gambit
Prediction: Shira Haas | Unorthodox
It’s not many shows that keep me from going to sleep, but I found myself in the wee hours of the morning unable to turn away. I am completely facisinated into glimpses of lives that I’m not familiar with. Most of the limited series is following Shira’s portrayl of Esther, most of it not in Enlgish, but much of it with no words as all. When an actor doesn’t even need to say lines, and you can’t look away, that is another level of acting.
Best Actor – Limited Series
Nominations
- Bryan Cranston | Your Honor
- Jeff Daniels | The Comey Rule
- Hugh Grant | The Undoing
- Ethan Hawke | The Good Lord Bird
- Mark Ruffalo | I Know This Much is True
Prediction: Hugh Grant | The Undoing
OK, so maybe don’t pay attention to this one. The only nominee I’ve seen is Hugh Grant in The Undoing and he did a fantastic job, but with Mark Ruffalo having won the Emmy for this same category, I won’t be surprised if he gets it again.
Best Supporting Actress – Series
Nominations
- Gillian Anderson | The Crown
- Helena Bonham Carter | The Crown
- Julia Garner | Ozark
- Annie Murphey | Schitt’s Creek
- Cynthia Nixon | Ratched
Prediction: Gillian Anderson | The Crown
It’s hard to compete when an actor is playing a real person, and while I don’t remember watching much of Margaret Thatcher live, through Gillian Anderson’s performance I can completely see it. Not only did was she acting in such a high-profile role, her prosthetics and vocal work are also impressive.
Best Supporting Actor – Series
Nominations
- John Boyega | Small Axe
- Brendan Gleeson | The Comey Rule
- Daniel Levy | Schitt’s Creek
- Jim Parsons | Hollywood
- Donald Sutherland | The Undoing
Prediction: Jim Parsons | Hollywood
I’m not a watcher of The Big Bang Theory so I’m not super familiar with Jim Parsons’ work (although I did see him once in an NYC Mexican restaurant) but his portrayal of Henry Wilson in Hollywood is layered. Again, I won’t be surprised if Dan Levy wins, and it’s not that he doesn’t deserve it, but it’s tricky to put a comedy performance up against a dramatic one.
If you don’t have Hulu yet they do offer a free trial so you can watch both The Great and Normal People before the awards ceremony. Check out the free trial here!
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