Barbie domination and Succession v The Crown – what to look out for at the Golden Globes

With a reputation as the more irreverent counterpart to the Oscars, the Golden Globes was always the fun ceremony that kicked off awards season with caustic humour, a recognition for comedy and TV, and a lot more booze and bad behaviour.

After several years of controversy over a lack of diversity and allegations of inappropriate “freebies”, the ceremony was held in private and boycotted by celebs in 2022 and didn’t quite fully bounce back in 2023. The hope now is that it can return to its former status as the second most high-profile show of awards season – and, arguably, the funniest.

The Golden Globes has been reinvented all shiny and new, with a fresh organising body and a membership revamp increasing numbers to a more diverse group of more than 300 people from around the world.

Following the actors’ and writers’ strikes, the timing is perfect. Hollywood is ready for some fun again – and thanks to the marketing phenomenon that was Barbenheimer, there are blockbuster films in the mix. Ahead of the ceremony, here are a few potential record-breakers and interesting facts about the nominees.

Come on Barbie, let’s go win all the awards

It topped $1bn in box office sales around the world and, some might say, was largely responsible for a chunk of Oppenheimer’s success too – with nine nominations, it seems inevitable that Barbie will dominate the Golden Globes this year.

It seems a dead cert for best comedy or musical film, as well as the new award for cinematic and box office achievement (you can’t argue with those stats). Stars Margot Robbie and Ryan “Kenergy” Gosling are also up for acting awards, while Greta Gerwig is in the running for best director.

However, three of its nods are in the same category, for best original song – Dance The Night, I’m Just Ken and What Was I Made For? – meaning it can only win a total of seven awards, as could Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Oppenheimer is nominated for eight and could win all of them, which would break La La Land’s record of seven in 2016.

With the new membership this year, voting is harder to predict – but all that said, Barbie is still probably the one to put your money on for the biggest haul.

Bradley Cooper: Best director and best actor?

In Maestro, Bradley Cooper stars as music legend Leonard Bernstein in an intimate portrait chronicling the conductor and composer’s complicated relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, played by Carey Mulligan. Cooper directed, co-wrote and co-produced the film.

Cooper’s nods for best actor (drama) and best director become his fifth and sixth in total, but he is yet to take a Golden Globe home.

Fans of the actor might also remember he was up for the same two gongs for A Star Is Born in 2019, but lost out to Alfonso Cuaron (Roma) in the directing category and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) in the acting category.

So could the star’s first win also be part of a double?

He’s certainly a favourite in the acting category, despite facing tough competition from nominees including Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers Of The Flower Moon) and Andrew Scott (All Of Us Strangers).

The directing category sees him up against Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, as well as Scorsese for Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Emma Stone nominated for film and TV

Also up for two gongs is Emma Stone, a now eight-time nominee who won the best actress (musical or comedy) award for her performance in La La Land in 2017.

This year, she’s up for the same prize for her critically acclaimed performance in Poor Things – “utterly filthy and a true original” is Empire’s review, while Stone’s portrayal of Bella Baxter, a young woman having a sexual awakening after being brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist in the film, is described as “entirely astounding” in the Los Angeles Times.

Stone is also nominated for best actress in a TV drama for her role in the black comedy series The Curse.

In the film category, Stone is definitely a best actress favourite for Poor Things – although the sheer power of Robbie’s Barbie may be hard to beat.

The TV category is even tougher, with Bella Ramsey (The Last Of Us) and Sarah Snook (Succession) also among those in the running for best actress.

The double would be a tricky feat to pull off, only previously achieved by Joan Plowright (Stalin and Enchanted April in 1993); Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas In The Mist and Working Girl in 1989); Helen Mirren (Elizabeth I and The Queen in 2007); and Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road and The Reader in 2009).

Steve Martin has never won before

Surprisingly for an awards ceremony that celebrates comedy right up there alongside the serious stuff, Steve Martin has never won a Golden Globe. From 1982 to 1996, he had five film nominations – Pennies From Heaven, All Of Me, Roxanne, Parenthood, Father Of The Bride Part II – but no trophy.

Since 2022, his performance as an amateur sleuth in comedy series Only Murders In The Building, in which he stars alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez, has landed him a nod every single year.

Could 2024 be eighth time lucky? He’s up against co-star Short, a three-time nominee, as well as other stars including Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear).

Meryl Streep for Number 10?

Having joined the cast of Only Murders In The Building in 2023, Meryl Streep earns her 34th Golden Globe nomination for her performance as an actress who never got her big break. It broke her own record for all-time nods and a win in the best supporting performance category could see her gain her 10th overall.

Unsurprisingly for one of the most decorated stars of all time, she’s a favourite to take home the prize, but faces competition from stars including Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) and Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown).

Succession v The Crown

In Golden Globes history, Mad Men and The X-Files tie for most wins in the best drama series category, with three each – but a win for either Succession or The Crown would equal their record.

The Last Of Us, The Morning Show, The Diplomat and 1923 are also in the running, but this seems like Succession’s year once again.

The series leads the TV field with nine nods, and stars Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong are also in the running to win a second acting gong for their performances in the series – Cox previously won in 2020, while Strong won in 2022.

Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Alan Ruck, J Smith Cameron and Alexander Skarsgard are also up for awards in the acting categories.

Should The Crown’s Imelda Staunton beat Snook in the best actress category, she would become the series’ fourth actress to take home the prize, following in the regal footsteps of Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, who also played the Queen, and Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in her younger years.

Winners will be announced at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, hosted by comedian Jo Koy on Sunday – starting at 1am on Monday UK time.