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The Golden Globe nominations for 2026 are out and the list brings a mix of expected wins, sharp surprises and a few outright shocks. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo both earned acting nods for their work in Wicked: For Good, yet the film itself did not make the cut for best musical or comedy. Given the film’s huge box office success, that absence has become one of the main talking points of the day.
In film, One Battle After Another leads the pack with nine nominations. Paul Thomas Anderson’s ambitious story about a former revolutionary trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter has been a favourite of critics, and its large ensemble cast helped push its nomination count even higher. Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro all appear in the acting categories. The film also picked up nods for best picture, director, screenplay and score. At more than two and a half hours long, the film had a steady if not breakout run at the box office, but the scale and ambition behind it have made it a major awards season contender.
Close behind is Sentimental Value with eight nominations. The film, which follows two daughters reconnecting with their estranged father, continues to gather praise in the international film conversation. Other strong performers include Sinners with seven and Hamnet with six. Frankenstein and Wicked: For Good landed five each, although only one of those results is being celebrated.
Several films that were expected to appear in the lineup were shut out entirely. Action thriller A House of Dynamite and sports biopic Christy did not receive a single nod. On the other hand, a few surprising names made the cut. Amy Madigan scored a supporting actress nomination for Weapons, and Eva Victor earned a best drama actress nomination for her role in Sorry Baby, an independent film about a woman rebuilding her life after a sexual assault.
Television delivered its own strong showing. Netflix drama Adolescence continued its awards streak with five nominations. Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty all received recognition for their performances in the tense British series about a teenage boy accused of stabbing a classmate. Other programmes in the running include The White Lotus, Severance, Slow Horses, Abbott Elementary, Hacks and The Bear.
British involvement in the film categories is lighter this year, with only Cynthia Erivo and Emily Blunt representing the UK. Irish stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal add to the regional presence, with Buckley seen as a likely frontrunner in her category.
With the ceremony set for 11 January in Los Angeles, the race is now underway. The mix of international films, returning favourites and unexpected newcomers sets up what looks to be one of the more unpredictable Golden Globe seasons in recent years.
