2026 Golden Globe Nominations Reaction
Here we are, it seems like it came fast, the awards season is in full swing. Here are my reactions to the Golden Globe reactions. One Battle After Another got nine nominations, tying Cabaret and Barbie.
Sentimental Value had a strong showing of eight noms as well. As always, this is only a reaction to the film side of the Globes, no TV reactions.
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Dream As One”– Avatar: Fire and Ash
“Golden” –– KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied To You” –– Sinners
“No Place Like Home”– Wicked: For Good
“The Girl in the Bubble”– Wicked: For Good
“Train Dreams” –– Train Dreams
Knew it was a long shot, but I was hoping A$AP would get in for either song from Highest 2 Lowest. The Wicked songs and Golden from KPop are no surprise. I imagine we will see them again at the Oscars. I assume it’ll be one of the Wicked songs that win, but maybe Golden can pull it out.
Also, one of the songs from Lurker would’ve been worthy as well. Train Dreams getting in either shows strength for that film or the weakness for this category this year.
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein)
Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another)
Kangding Ray (Sirāt)
Max Richter (Hamnet)
Hans Zimmer (F1)
Pretty unsurprising group here, the most surprising is Daniel Lopatin for Marty Supreme not getting in. Personally, I’d put him in over Frankenstein and Hamnet. Kangding for Sirat is a shocker.
There is more support for that film than expected. With its slow rollout, it may gain support from here on out as well. Zimmer’s score is one of the few things I liked about F1.
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident)
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell (Hamnet)
Hard to argue with these picks. Since this category isn't split into two, it isn't a major indicator of Oscar success, at least for the films that were left out: Weapons, Blue Moon, 28 Years Later, Sorry, Baby. I expect Coogler and PTA to win at the Oscars. I wonder if the Globes split their awards, giving one here and the other for director.
Best Director – Motion Picture
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)
Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident)
Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
Chloe Zhao (Hamnet)
Obviously, the DGAs will be the big indicator, but I don’t know if there is anyone outside of this six who stands a chance at getting in. So, the Oscar five likely comes from here, I think it depends on the strength of Frankenstein if Guillermo gets in. He is loved by the Academy, but it’s the most divisive film here.
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Paul Mescal (Hamnet)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly)
Stellan Sarsgaard (Sentimental Value)
Same six as the Critic’s Choice. I fully expect the Oscar five to come from this six. Del Toro, Penn, Sarsgaard, and Mescal are locks; that final spot is between Elordi and Sandler. Sandler has never really had the respect of the Academy. Elordi is the rising star and arguably the best part of Frankenstein.
Maybe it’s someone completely different. Billy Crudup for Jay Kelly, or Delroy Lindo for Sinners.
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine)
Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Of these six, I don’t see Emily Blunt coming in at the Oscars. The Globes love their stars, and this is a way to get one to the ceremony (Sorry, Emily). I also don’t see both ladies from Sentimental Value getting in.
Inga seems to have the support and the better part in the film. I wonder if Wunmi Musaku from Sinners gets in that fifth slot as she did at the Critics’ Choice.
Also…HELL YEAH AMY MADIGAN! It’s real, and it’s happening. If she gets either a SAG or BAFTA, I’m very confident she’s getting an Oscar nomination.
This feels like Ariana is going to win. Even though Wicked: For Good didn’t get great reviews. People really like her in it. There could also be a huge swell for One Battle After Another, and Teyana wins; it would be a great win!
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
George Clooney (Jay Kelly)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Lee Byung-Hun (No Other Choice)
Jesse Plemons (Bugonia)
A two-horse race here and for the Oscar between Timothee and Leo. Love that Ethan got a bump here, it’s one of my favorite performances of the year. Jesse is always great and was excellent in Bugonia. I still need to see Jay Kelly and No Other Choice, but cool that the Globes recognized Lee Byung-Hun here.
The Globes really seem to want to be taken seriously because Friendship should be represented here with Tim Robinson. Yes, he’s not going to get any other awards recognition, but that doesn’t mean he is not worthy here, and it could’ve been a cool nomination.
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)
Cynthia and Kate were locks for this category when their movies were announced. Rose Byrne is emerging as a favorite. Possibly the only one that could challenge Jessie Buckley. Happy for Emma (some of her best work in years) and for Amanda, cannot wait to see The Testament of Ann Lee.
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein)
Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere)
These male lead categories seem flipped from usual. Usually, the Drama leads are the more likely Oscar nominees. But I only see two repeating there from here. Michael and Wagner. Ethan, George, and maybe Joel, depending on the strength of Train Dreams, could be getting that fifth slot.
White, Johnson, and Isaac’s awards road probably ends here.
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Julia Roberts (After the Hunt)
Tessa Thompson (Hedda)
Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)
EVA MADE IT!!!!! One of the best films of the year, and she gives a brilliant performance. If you have not seen Sorry, Baby, go watch it on HBO Max. Surprised by Tessa here, she seemed to have fallen by the wayside, but clearly, there is still respect for her performance.
Julia is getting that star nom; the Globes want to party with her. I hope J-Law can repeat at the Oscars, but Die My Love seems divisive. I expect Jessie and Renate to repeat at the Oscars.
There seem to be eight of these ten female lead nominees fighting for those five spots. We’ll get a clearer picture once BAFTA and SAG nominations come out.
Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language
It Was Just an Accident – France
No Other Choice – South Korea
The Secret Agent – Brazil
Sentimental Value – Norway
Sirāt – Spain
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Tunisia
Excited for Park Chan-Wook to get in. I hope he can repeat at the Oscars finally. It Was Just an Accident seems likely to win, especially given the news of Jafar’s latest prison sentence. But the Brazilian contingent is strong and will play a factor at the Oscars. Sentimental Value is also very strong and could easily win here.
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
KPop Demon Hunters
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Sinners
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
Zootopia 2
Hilarious Avatar was nominated for this, and it has not even been released…Almost like this award is a joke. Cool that Weapons got in though.
BEST Motion Picture – Animated
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu NO Yaiba Infinity Castle
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
I’ve only seen two of these films. I don’t know what, or if any of the Anime films will make it into the Oscars. But they’re becoming much more popular and certainly stand a chance. I assume Zootopia 2 runs this category this awards season.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Nouvelle Vague
One Battle After Another
No Wicked: For Good is surprising, but it’s not very good. This could be telling of its Oscar chances, especially now that Marty Supreme is coming out soon, and more people will see it. I’m glad both Linklater films got in here, though I wasn’t a huge fan of Nouvelle Vague; I loved Blue Moon. Eddington should be here (one of the funniest of the year) as well as Friendship.
This is One Battle After Another’s to lose.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
I could honestly see all six of the films getting slotted into the Academy’s 10-film Best Picture line-up. I think the only vulnerable one is Frankenstein. Seems that Frankenstein, Train Dreams, or Jay Kelly will get the Netflix spot. Train Dreams has the most universal love. But the Guillermo contingent is strong. Jay Kelly not getting a BP nomination here might be telling.
Right now, if I had to guess, here’s my Oscar ten for Best Picture:
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
Hamnet
Train Dreams
Marty Supreme
Frankenstein
Bugonia
Right now, I’ll say Bugonia gets the tenth for Yorgos voters. I also think, as of now, it looks like Netflix gets two BP spots.
