The 2026 Golden Globe nominations were unveiled on Monday morning in a ceremony that signaled a dramatic departure from Hollywood’s traditional blockbuster-centric awards culture, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” dominating with nine nominations and independent distributor Neon emerging as an unexpected powerhouse.
Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall announced the nominees at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, revealing a landscape where art house cinema has seized control of what has long been considered the kickoff to Hollywood’s awards season. Neon led all distributors with a stunning 21 film nominations, outpacing traditional studio giants and marking a seismic shift in the Golden Globes’ priorities.
“One Battle After Another,” described as a blisteringly funny look at a repressive society riven by political violence, captured nominations for best picture in the musical or comedy category, best director, and best actor, among others. The film was followed by “Sentimental Value” with eight nominations, “Sinners” with seven, and “Hamnet” with six.
The drama category features a striking collection of smaller-scale productions: “Frankenstein” from Netflix, Focus Features’ “Hamnet,” and three Neon releases — “It Was Just an Accident,” “The Secret Agent,” and “Sentimental Value” — alongside Warner Bros.’ “Sinners.” The musical or comedy slate includes Sony Pictures Classics’ “Blue Moon” and Netflix’s “Nouvelle Vague,” both excellent Richard Linklater films that have grossed just $2 million and $1 million respectively.
Perhaps most notable among this year’s surprises was the conspicuous absence of “Wicked: For Good” from the best picture musical or comedy category, despite the franchise’s massive commercial success. The film did secure five nominations in other categories, including original song nods for “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.”
On the television front, “The White Lotus” led with six nominations, including first-time nominees Carrie Coon, Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins, followed by “Adolescence” with five and “Only Murders in the Building” and “Severance” with four each.
The nominations also featured several unexpected breakthroughs. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson earned his first major award nomination for his turn in “The Smashing Machine”, while Amanda Seyfried, Jacob Elordi, and Jeremy Allen White all secured double acting nominations across different categories.
In a historic first, the Golden Globes introduced a best podcast category, with nominees including NPR productions and comedy podcasts featuring Dax Shepard and Amy Poehler, making it the first major awards show to honor the medium.
The distribution war extended to television, where Netflix dominated with 22 TV nominations, bringing its total across film and television to 35, narrowly edging Warner Bros.’ combined total of 31. Warner Bros. Pictures secured 16 film nominations, positioning itself as Neon’s closest rival in theatrical categories.
Industry observers noted the Golden Globes’ increasingly international character, which reflects the organization’s evolution since disbanding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association two years ago. The current voting body, comprising approximately 300 entertainment journalists from 85 countries, appears to favor internationally-oriented cinema over domestic box office performance.
The organization also added a new category for best cinematic or box office achievement this year, though its nominees — including the Netflix K-pop series “KPop Demon Hunters” — have raised eyebrows among theatrical distributors who question the inclusion of streaming titles in a category ostensibly designed to honor commercial theatrical success.
Helen Mirren will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, while Sarah Jessica Parker will be honored with the Carol Burnett Award during “Golden Eve,” a primetime special airing January 8 on CBS and Paramount+.
The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be broadcast on Sunday, January 11, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, with comedian Nikki Glaser returning as host for her second consecutive year. Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne described the event as “Hollywood’s party of the year,” maintaining the show’s reputation for champagne-fueled revelry in a supper club atmosphere that distinguishes it from the more formal Oscars and Emmys.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The 2026 Golden Globe nominations mark a dramatic shift toward art house cinema, with independent distributor Neon leading all studios with 21 film nominations. Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” dominated with nine nods, while commercial blockbusters like “Wicked: For Good” were notably snubbed from major categories.
This signals the Golden Globes’ new direction under its reformed voting body—favoring critically acclaimed independent films and international cinema over traditional Hollywood box office hits.
