The nominations for the 83rd Golden Globe Awards turned out to be largely predictable, occasionally shocking and above all wildly international on Monday morning.
They were predictable because in category after category, the favorites scored nominations from the 399 global critics who now make up the voting body of the Globes. You couldn’t really say that there was a single surprise in the Best Motion Picture – Drama category (“Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “It Was Just an Accident,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value” and “Sinners”) or in four of the six acting categories.
That’s particularly true in the male actor categories, where the guys who went in as favorites – Michael B. Jordan, Joel Edgerton, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stellan Skarsgård, Benicio del Toro — came out as nominees.
Oh, sure, Emily Blunt for “The Smashing Machine” was a mild surprise in supporting actress, where she grabbed a spot that could have gone to Gwyneth Paltrow for “Marty Supreme,” Wunmi Mosaku for “Sinners” or Regina Hall for “One Battle After Another.” And Eva Victor (“Sorry, Baby”) wasn’t expected to make it into the Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama category over, say, Sydney Sweeney for “Christy” or Jodie Foster for “A Private Life.”
But the real shock came in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category, where the nominees did not include “Wicked: For Good,” “Jay Kelly,” “Song Sung Blue” or “Wake Up: Dead Man.” Instead, voters found room for not one but two largely under-the-radar (but, by the way, quite good) Richard Linklater movies, “Blue Moon” and “Nouvelle Vague.”
The second of those Linklater films may be entirely emblematic of the Globes these days, because it is entirely in French, a tribute to director Jean-Luc Godard that is about and was shot in the style of that iconic director’s 1960s masterpiece “Breathless.” Though it’s made by a director from Texas, it is for all intents and purposes a purposefully international movie – and while the group that hands out the Golden Globes dropped the word foreign from its former name, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, it is now an international organization, with the vast majority of its nearly 400 voters based overseas.
Instead of being a small cadre of full- and part-time journalists who write for international publications but live and work in Los Angeles, as the HFPA was, the Globes is now a much larger and much more scattered group of critics from around the world, and its choices absolutely reflected that.
Fully half of the six nominees in the marquee category, Best Motion Picture – Drama, were in languages other than English: “Sentimental Value” is Norwegian (and some English), “It Was Just an Accident” is Iranian and “The Secret Agent” is Brazilian. Two of the nominees in Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy were “Nouvelle Vague,” in French, and “No Other Choice,” in Korean.
And all through the film categories, non-English movies made their strongest showing ever. Five actors were nominated for performances not in English: Wagner Moura, Renate Reinsve and Lee Byung-hun in lead and Skarsgård and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in supporting. And the two most-nominated international films, “Sentimental Value” and “It Was Just an Accident,” also earned spots in the Best Director and Best Screenplay categories.
Of the 15 film categories, the only ones that contain nothing but English-language nominees are Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, a category designed to spotlight movies that prospective viewers might have seen, along with Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Original Song.
That’s not a bad thing, mind you: At a time when the movie business is reeling, international filmmakers are indeed producing some of the most vital cinema to be found, and in that sense, this year’s Golden Globe nominations are a respectable overview of the state of 2025’s movies, without much evidence of the voters chasing after stars the way the old HFPA often seemed to do.
The TV nominations were a different story, because they had to be: U.S. programs are eligible, so U.S. (and U.K.) programs were nominated, with only a handful of new shows (“Pluribus,” “All Her Fault,” “The Girlfriend”) breaking into the expected lineup of nominees from “The White Lotus,” “The Studio,” “The Pitt,” “Only Murders in the Building.”
But it’s in the film categories where the changes in the Globes have really played out, and where the results of its years-long reclamation project are coming in, and still inconclusive.
Of course, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been doing something similar in its Oscar nominations in recent years. AMPAS came by its increasingly large segment of non-U.S. voters as it tried to become more diverse in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy; the Globes did it in an attempt to save an organization that was reeling from an industry boycott over its insular nature and rampant corruption. If the Oscars’ change was incremental over a number of years, the Globes’ makeover has come more quickly, born out of a desperation to appear more credible.
And if that credibility comes at the price of having hit films (or presumed hit films) like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “F1,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Wicked: For Good” competing mostly in the silly three-year-old Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, so be it. If it means that an indie distributor like Neon, which specializes in international films, picks up more nominations than Warner Bros. or Netflix, you smile and hope they’ll buy some tables at the Beverly Hilton.
If you’re fighting for an organization’s survival, you do what you have to do.
Sometimes, it seems, even the Golden Globes’ surprises are predictable.
2026 Golden Globes Nominees
Best Motion Picture, Drama
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)
“The Secret Agent” (Neon)
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Best Picture, Comedy or Musical
“Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Bugonia” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“No Other Choice” (Neon)
“Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Best Motion Picture, Animated
“Arco” (Neon)
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” (Crunchyroll)
“Elio” (Disney)
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” (GKids)
“Zootopia 2” (Disney)
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (Disney)
“F1” (Apple)
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (Paramount)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Weapons” (Warner Bros., New Line)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal)
“Zootopia 2 (Disney)
Non-English Language Film
“It Was Just an Accident,” France (Neon)
“No Other Choice,” South Korea (Neon)
“The Secret Agent,” Brazil (Neon)
“Sentimental Value,” Norway (Neon)
“Sirât,” Spain (Neon)
“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Tunisia (Willa)
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Guillermo del Toro, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” (Focus)
Lead Actress, Drama
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus)
Jennifer Lawrence, “Die My Love” (Mubi)
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Julia Roberts, “After the Hunt” (Amazon MGM)
Tessa Thompson, “Hedda” (Amazon MGM)
Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby” (A24)
Lead Actor, Drama
Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams” (Netflix)
Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent” (Neon)
Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” (20th Century Studios)
Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Lead Actor, Musical or Comedy
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
George Clooney, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Lee Byung Hun, “No Other Choice” (Neon)
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal)
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Amanda Seyfried, “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchligh)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus)
Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ronald Bronsten, Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme” (A14)
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (A24)
Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell, “Hamnet”
Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Ludwig Göransson, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Jonny Greenwood, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Max Richter, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Hans Zimmer, “F1” (Apple/Warner Bros.)
Kangding Ray, “Sirât” (Neon)
Original Song
“Dream as One,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios): Miley Cyrus, Simon Franglen, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
“Golden,” “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix): EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick
“I Lied to You,” “Sinners” (Warner Bros.): Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq
“No Place Like Home,” “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures): Stephen Schwartz
“The Girl in the Bubble,” “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures): Stephen Schwartz
“Train Dreams,” “Train Dreams” (Netflix): Nick Cave
TV CATEGORIES
Drama
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max)
“Pluribus” (Apple TV)
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
“The White Lotus” (HBO)
Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX on Hulu)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Studio” (Apple TV)
Limited Series
“Adolescence” (Netflix)
“All Her Fault” (Peacock)
“The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
“Dying for Sex” (FX)
“The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)
Lead Actress, Drama
Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (CBS)
Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Helen Mirren, “Mobland” (Paramount Plus)
Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Lead Actor, Drama
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
Diego Luna, “Andor” (Disney+)
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (HBO Max)
Adam Scott, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Lead Actress, Musical or Comedy
Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” (FX on Hulu)
Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face” (Peacock)
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Lead Actor, Musical Comedy
Adam Brody “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Glen Powell, “Chad Powers” (Hulu)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear” (FX on Hulu)
Lead Actress, Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Rashida Jones, “Black Mirror” (Netflix)
Amanda Seyfried, “Long Bright River” (Peacock)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX)
Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)
Lead Actor, Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
Jacob Elordi, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Prime Video)
Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror” (Netflix)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Jude Law, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Supporting Actress
Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Supporting Actor
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Tramell Tillman, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Ashley Walters, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
Bill Maher, “Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?” (HBO)
Brett Goldstein, “Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life” (HBO)
Kevin Hart, “Kevin Hart: Acting My Age” (Netflix)
Kumail Nanjiani, “Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts” (Hulu)
Ricky Gervais, “Ricky Gervais: Mortality” (Netflix)
Sarah Silverman, “Sarah Silverman: Postmortem” (Netflix)
Podcast
“Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” (Wondery)
“Call Her Daddy” (SiriusXM)
“Good Hang with Amy Poehler” (Spotify)
“The Mel Robbins Podcast” (SiriusXM)
“SmartLess” (SiriusXM)
“Up First” (NPR)