The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), responsible for the Golden Globes nominations, has always managed to get itself into a tangle one way or another over the years. As always, the nominations for 2025 - for which HFPA can be blamed - delivered more snubs than actual (deserving) nominees. With the Oscars, the criticism may be less since they have fewer main categories, but the Globes cannot make the same excuse. Here are some of the major snubs and surprises:

Snubs

Denis Villeneuve was snubbed for Best Director for Dune: Part Two, despite having being nominated for Dune in the same category back in 2022.

Saoirse Ronan was snubbed in the Best Actress Drama category for her remarkable performance(s) in Blitz and The Outrun.

Paul Mescal was not nominated for Gladiator II. While this movie may not be as iconic as the original Gladiator from 2001, which won Best Film Drama and earned Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix acting nods, Mescal still deserved a nod, if not a win. And speaking of Gladiator II, director Ridley Scott was snubbed as well.

Joker: Folie à Deux, unlike its predecessor (Joker), was neither a critical nor a commercial success. However, everyone who watched the movie believed that Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga should have been nominated in the acting categories, especially since the Globes have a separate category for Best Actor and Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Keeping this in mind, their snubs really make no sense.

Special Ops: Lioness failed to receive any nominations, surprising many, many fans. It deserved a nomination far more than the underwhelming The Day of the Jackal, in the Best Television Series Drama.

Zoe Saldana was snubbed in the Best Actress Drama category for her remarkable performance in Special Ops: Lioness

Director Jon M. Chu was snubbed for Best Director, even though Wicked was both a critical and commercial hit. What a shame.

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite pushed the Academy to make changes (a few years back), you’d think that other award shows would follow suit. And yet, here we are again. Several films with a diverse cast or directors were once again overlooked.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the lead actress in Hard Truths, was snubbed in the Best Actress Film Drama category, even though she had been nominated at various other awards and even received award(s) by New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and British Independent Film Awards. With so much acclaim, it’s mind-boggling that the Globes snubbed her performance. Utterly strange.

Danielle Deadwyler was once again snubbed for her performance in The Piano Lesson, similar to her 2023 snub for Till. While on the subject, The Piano Lesson’s lead actor John David Washington and director Malcolm Washington were also snubbed.

Sing Sing lead actor Colman Domingo was nominated for Best Actor Film Drama, but the film was snubbed and not nominated for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor nominations.

Surprises

There were only a few pleasant surprises. The snubs hurt more, but onto the surprises…

Allison Janney received a nomination for her two-episode arc in The Diplomat. While a surprise, she certainly commanded the screen when present and was as outstanding as her past performances in television shows as well as films. Yes, she’s my favorite.

Kate Winslet’s nomination for Lee as Best Actress in a Film Drama was expected and fair, but it was a surprise to see her get nominated in the Best Actress Limited Series for the satirical comedy, The Regime. She brought the funny and we laughed and laughed.

Hans Zimmer’s nomination for Best Original Score Film for Dune 2 was another surprise, since he had been ruled ineligible by the Oscars because Dune 2’s original score was deemed too close to Dune’s original score. Having seen both films, I disagree and hope he does win.

Payal Kapadia landed an exceptional Best Director nomination for her film All We Imagine as Light. And though, (not connected to this story), it is surprising that the Indian Oscars Committee snubbed this film and submitted Laapataa Ladies as their official submission. Was it because Laapataa Ladies was produced by Aamir Khan? We think so.

Emilia Perez set a record with 10 nominations in the Musical/Comedy categories, making it the second-most nominated film in Golden Globes history. Lead actress Karla Sofía Gascon became the first out transgender performer nominated in film categories. Here’s hoping that Emilia Perez receives a few trophies. Good Luck to all the nominees.

TELEVISION

Best television series – drama

The Day of the Jackal

The Diplomat

Mr and Mrs Smith

Sh gun

Slow Horses

Squid Game

Best television series – musical or comedy

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

The Gentlemen

Hacks

Nobody Wants This

Only Murders in the Building

Best television limited series, anthology series or television film

Baby Reindeer

Disclaimer

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Best female actor in a television series – drama

Kathy Bates for Matlock

Emma D’Arcy for House of the Dragon

Maya Erskine for Mr and Mrs Smith

Keira Knightley for Black Doves

Keri Russell for The Diplomat

Anna Sawai for Sh gun

Best male actor in a television series – drama

Donald Glover for Mr and Mrs Smith

Jake Gyllenhaal for Presumed Innocent

Gary Oldman for Slow Horses

Eddie Redmayne for The Day of the Jackal

Hiroyuki Sanada for Sh gun

Billy Bob Thornton for Landman

Gary Oldman for Slow Horses

Best female actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This

Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri for The Bear

Selena Gomez for Only Murders in the Building

Kathryn Hahn for Agatha All Along

Jean Smart for Hacks

Best male actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This

Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside

Steve Martin for Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel for Shrinking

Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White for The Bear

Best female actor in a television limited series, anthology series or television film

Cate Blanchett for Disclaimer

Jodie Foster for True Detective: Night Country

Cristin Milioti for The Penguin

Sofía Vergara for Griselda

Naomi Watts for Feud: Capote vs the Swans

Kate Winslet for The Regime

Best male actor in television limited series, anthology series or television film

Colin Farrell for The Penguin

Richard Gadd for Baby Reindeer

Kevin Kline for Disclaimer

Cooper Koch for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Ewan McGregor for A Gentleman in Moscow

Andrew Scott for Ripley

Best supporting female actor on television

Liza Colón-Zayas for The Bear

Hannah Einbinder for Hacks

Dakota Fanning for Ripley

Jessica Gunning for Baby Reindeer

Allison Janney for The Diplomat

Kali Reis for True Detective for Night Country

Liza Colón-Zayas for The Bear

Best supporting male actor on television

Tadanobu Asano for Sh gun

Javier Bardem for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Harrison Ford for Shrinking

Jack Lowden for Slow Horses

Diego Luna for La Maquina

Ebon Moss-Bachrach for The Bear

Best standup comedy on television

Jamie Foxx for Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was

Nikki Glaser for Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die

Seth Meyers, Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking

Adam Sandler for Adam Sandler: Love You

Ali Wong for Ali Wong: Single Lady

Ramy Youssef for Ramy Youssef: More Feelings

Film

Best film – drama

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nickel Boys

Best film – musical or comedy

Anora

Challengers

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Wicked

Best female actor in a film – drama

Pamela Anderson for The Last Showgirl

Angelina Jolie for Maria

Nicole Kidman for Babygirl

Tilda Swinton for The Room Next Door

Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here

Kate Winslet for Lee

Best male actor in a film – drama

Adrien Brody for The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet for A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig for Queer

Colman Domingo for Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes for Conclave

Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice

Best female actor in a film – musical or comedy

Amy Adams for Nightbitch

Cynthia Erivo for Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón for Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison for Anora

Demi Moore for The Substance

Zendaya for Challengers

Best male actor in a film – musical or comedy

Jesse Eisenberg for A Real Pain

Hugh Grant for Heretic

Gabriel LaBelle for Saturday Night

Jesse Plemons for Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell for Hit Man

Sebastian Stan for A Different Man

Best film – animated

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Moana 2

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best film – non-English language

All We Imagine As Light

Emilia Pérez

The Girl With the Needle

I’m Still Here

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Vermiglio

Best female actor in a supporting role in a film

Selena Gomez for Emilia Pérez

Ariana Grande for Wicked

Felicity Jones for The Brutalist

Margaret Qualley for The Substance

Isabella Rossellini for Conclave

Zoe Saldana for Emilia Pérez

Best male actor in a supporting role in a film

Yura Borisov for Anora

Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain

Edward Norton for A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce for The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong for The Apprentice

Denzel Washington for Gladiator II

Best director – film

Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker for Anora

Edward Berger for Conclave

Brady Corbet for The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat for The Substance

Payal Kapadia or All We Imagine As Light

Best screenplay – film

Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker for Anora

Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold for The Brutalist

Jesse Eisenberg for A Real Pain

Coralie Fargeat for The Substance

Peter Straughan for Conclave

Best original score – film

The Brutalist

Challengers

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

The Wild Robot

Best original song – film

‘Beautiful That Way’ from The Last Showgirl

‘Compress/Repress’ from Challengers

‘El Mal’ from Emilia Pérez

‘Forbidden Road’ from Better Man

‘Kiss the Sky’ from The Wild Robot

‘Mi Camino’ from Emilia Pérez

Cinematic and box office achievement

Alien: Romulus

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Deadpool & Wolverine

Gladiator II

Inside Out 2

Twisters

Wicked

The Wild Robot