Golden Globe nominations bring history-making first for female directors and unexpected snub

The Queen’s Gambit

The nominations for this year’s Golden Globe Awards have been announced, with a history-making first in one film category and a surprising omission for TV.

Disney+ sci-fi The Mandalorian, HBO’s Lovecraft Country and Netflix shows The Crown, Ratched and Ozark, were all nominated for best TV drama, with Netflix doing particular well, scooping a third of all film and TV nominations across the whole awards.

One notable exception from the list, however, was critically acclaimed BBC-HBO drama I May Destroy You, which did not receive a single nomination in this or any other category.

The intensely personal drama, starring, written, directed and produced by Michael Coel is based upon the creator’s own real-life sexual assault. It made waves on both sides of the Atlantic upon release last year and both the public and critics appear baffled by its absence.

In the running for best musical or comedy TV series, meanwhile, are CBC’s Schitt’s Creek, Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, Hulu’s The Great, HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Emily In Paris.

Nominees for the best limited series, anthology or film made for TV were Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox, HBO’s The Undoing, BBC/Hulu’s Normal People and BBC/Amazon’s Small Axe.

Jason Bateman (Ozark), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Al Pacino (Hunters) and Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason) are all in the running for best actor in a TV drama. Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Laura Linney (Ozark), Sarah Paulson (Ratched), Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin (The Crown) are meanwhile up for best actress in the same category.

On the film side, and marking a first in Golden Globes history, three female directors – Regina King (One Night in Miami), Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) – have been nominated for best director. It is the first time more than one woman has been nominated for the prize in a single year, with only five previously nominated five women in the award’s 77-year history. Aaron Sorkin (The Trial Of The Chicago 7) and David Fincher (Mank) round out the nominees in that category.