Hollywood is set to kick off the awards season with the Golden Globes, and the box office hit “Barbie” is leading the pack with nine nominations. The awards ceremony, a festive event anticipated by the industry, marks the first major celebration in Tinseltown since labor disputes rocked Hollywood last year.
Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, “Barbie” is poised to claim the trophy for Best Film Musical or Comedy, having grossed $1.4 billion in 2023. The movie faces competition from other notable films, including “The Holdovers” and “Poor Things.”
In the drama category, historical drama “Oppenheimer” holds the spotlight with eight nominations, making it a favorite for Best Movie Drama. The film, centered around the man behind the atomic bomb, had earlier clashed at the box office with “Barbie” in a playful face-off dubbed “Barbenheimer.”
Notable acting nominations include Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Cillian Murphy, and Robert Downey Jr. Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone are also contenders for their roles in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a Martin Scorsese film about the murder of Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma.
Bradley Cooper is in the running for Best Actor and Best Director for the Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro.”
The Golden Globes, known for their more relaxed atmosphere compared to the Oscars, faced potential extinction due to ethical issues and a lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that previously voted on the awards. Reforms were implemented, and this year’s ceremony boasts a more diverse voting body of 300 journalist members from 75 countries.
The ceremony, hosted by comedian Jo Koy, is set to be a star-studded event, with nominees such as Taylor Swift possibly in attendance. The winners will not only enjoy the recognition but also gain momentum in the race for the Academy Awards in March.
While “Barbie” is expected to shine, some unexpected moments, particularly in categories like Best Original Song, could add an element of surprise to the festivities. The Golden Globes will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed for Paramount+ subscribers with Showtime.
