US NEWS: Hollywood’s award season kicked off with a bang on Monday as the Golden Globe nominations highlighted the enduring appeal of Warner Bros. Discovery, a studio currently at the center of a high stakes acquisition battle. With 16 nods spanning film and television, Warner Bros. emerged as a powerhouse, underscoring why suitors like Netflix are eager to snap it up.
The announcements came just days after Netflix revealed plans to buy Warner Bros. studio and its streaming arm, only for Paramount to counter with a hostile takeover bid for the entire company earlier that same morning. Industry observers note that these nominations serve as a vivid reminder of the creative assets any buyer would inherit, from blockbuster films to acclaimed series.
Warner Bros. saw strong recognition for its key cinematic releases. The film One Battle After Another led all movies with nine nominations, while Sinners also garnered multiple nods. On the small screen, HBO’s The White Lotus topped the television field with six nominations, reinforcing the studio’s dominance in prestige programming.
However, the independent outfit Neon stole the show overall, amassing 21 nominations, the highest total among all distributors. This haul included four best picture contenders, all international features: It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and No Other Choice. Such selections reflect the Golden Globes’ distinctive voting body, composed of over 300 foreign journalists, a group entirely separate from the Academy Awards’ more than 10,000 members. As the first major awards event of the season, the Globes often signal trends for what lies ahead, with the ceremony slated for broadcast on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus come Sunday, January 11.
Netflix held its own with 13 nominations, fueled by standout titles like its Frankenstein adaptation and the animated feature KPop Demon Hunters. In the best drama film category, Neon claimed three spots alongside Netflix’s Frankenstein, Warner Bros.’ Sinners, and Focus Features’ Hamnet. The comedy or musical lineup surprised many by snubbing expected favorites such as Wicked: For Good and Jay Kelly, the latter starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, who both earned acting nods despite the film’s omission. Instead, voters favored A24’s Marty Supreme, Warner Bros.’ One Battle After Another, and Neon’s No Other Choice.
Other notable absences included Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man, the latest in the Knives Out series, which received no recognition. In its place, the Globes highlighted Blue Moon, featuring Ethan Hawke as lyricist Lorenz Hart, along with Focus Features’ Bugonia and Netflix’s Nouvelle Vague. Interestingly, both Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague came from director Richard Linklater, though he missed out on a directing nomination for either.
Television categories brought their share of upsets too. Netflix’s hit series Wednesday and Stranger Things were overlooked for best series honors, though Jenna Ortega picked up an acting nomination for Wednesday. Voters leaned toward smaller Netflix shows like The Diplomat in drama and Nobody Wants This in comedy. Apple TV Plus shone in drama with three entries: Pluribus, Slow Horses, and Severance, joined by HBO Max’s The Pitt and The White Lotus.
Comedy series nods felt more predictable, featuring mainstays such as Hacks, Abbott Elementary, and The Bear, plus Apple TV Plus’ The Studio and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.
Adding a fresh twist this year, the Golden Globes introduced a category for best podcast, honoring audio storytellers for the first time. Nominees include familiar names like Amy Poehler with Good Hang With Amy Poehler and Jason Bateman’s SmartLess, alongside Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, Mel Robbins’ The Mel Robbins Podcast, NPR’s Up First, and Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert.
The ceremony will also feature the cinematic and box office achievement award for the third year running, aimed at celebrating crowd pleasing hits to boost viewership and attract star power. Past winners were Barbie and the first Wicked installment. This time around, contenders include Wicked: For Good, Apple and Warner Bros.’ F1: The Movie, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, Warner Bros.’ Sinners and Weapons, Paramount’s Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, Disney’s Zootopia 2, and 20th Century’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. Notably absent was Warner Bros.’ Superman from its DC Studios slate.
Comedian Nikki Glaser returns as host following positive reviews for her debut earlier this year. The previous telecast in 2025, which celebrated films like Emilia Perez and The Brutalist, plus series such as Shogun, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer, drew 9.3 million viewers, a solid recovery from past scandals that nearly derailed the event.
As the industry navigates this wave of consolidation, with concerns mounting over Netflix’s potential shift away from theatrical releases, these nominations affirm Warner Bros.’ legacy of excellence. Whatever the outcome of the deals, the studio’s output continues to captivate awards voters and audiences alike.