2020 Golden Globes: Surprises And Snubs

By Corey Atad and Rachel West. 9 Dec 2019 10:11 AM

Every year, the Golden Globes surprises awards watchers with unexpected nominations and an unexpected lack of nominations. Here are the ones that jumped out at us.

Photo: Netflix

Photo: Apple TV+

Photo: Universal Pictures

Photo: F Duhamel/Annapurna/MGM/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Photo: Claire Folger/Lionsgate/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: A24

Photo: HBO

Photo: E Aragones/Amazon/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

Photo: Wilson Webb/Annapurna/Kobal/Shutterstock

Photo: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

START OVER

Next Gallery: Star Spotting: Michael Douglas And Catherine Zeta-Jones Hold Hands At Monaco Grand Prix

More Galleries

1 of 14

Snub: Robert De Niro
Photo: Netflix
“The Irishman” got a lot of love with five nominations, but while co-stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci were recognized, the film’s lead Robert De Niro is not. The category has been a particularly tough race this year with Joaquin Phoenix and Adam Driver long considered the front runners, and Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas being lauded as giving career-best performances this year.
Surprise: 'The Morning Show'
Photo: Apple TV+
Apple's first foray into original scripted television with "The Morning Show" didn't get the hottest reviews but that didn't stop it from getting love at the Golden Globes. The series racked up nods for Best TV Drama and Best Actress for both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Snub: 'Cats'
Photo: Universal Pictures
Taylor Swift managed to get a nomination for her song "Beautiful Ghosts" but the musical it's featured in was snubbed by the Golden Globes in the Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical category, despite being one of the few big musicals of the year.
Surprise: Beanie Feldstein
Photo: F Duhamel/Annapurna/MGM/Kobal/Shutterstock
The love for “Booksmart” has been strong since Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut about two high school girls living a wild night out together before graduation premiered in March. Feldstein has already proven to be an incredibly likable actress, previously winning fans over as the sidekick in “Lady Bird”. Her “Booksmart” co-star Kaitlyn Dever also managed to snag a nomination for a very different role as a sexual assault victim in ”Unbelievable”.
Snub: 'Game Of Thrones'
Photo: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock
The final season of "Game of Thrones" was controversial among fans but it was still the biggest TV show of the year. The Golden Globes wasn't swayed, though, giving the epic fantasy series only one nomination, Best Actor for Kit Harington's performance as Jon Snow.
Snub: 'Little Women'
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Greta Gerwig's new adaptation of the classic "Little Women" is one of the most anticipated films of the holiday season, and it's getting rave reviews, but at the Golden Globes it only managed to snag nods for Saoirse Ronan in the Best Actress category and Best Original Score, getting snubbed in the Screenplay, Director and Best Picture categories.
Surprise: Ana de Armas
Photo: Claire Folger/Lionsgate/Kobal/Shutterstock
There’s no doubt audiences and critics are loving Rian Johnson’s clever fast-paced whodunit “Knives Out” but co-star Daniel Craig’s nomination in the Best Actor category isn’t as much a surprise as de Armas. De Armas is another actress whose name has been largely left out of awards conversations, but it’s great to see the Cuban actress, as the anchor of the film, stand out in the A-list ensemble cast.
Snub: 'Uncut Gems'
Photo: A24
Adam Sandler is getting some of the best reviews of his career for his new film "Uncut Gems", but the thriller failed get even a single nomination.
Snub: Jeremy Strong
Photo: HBO
HBO's "Succession" got plenty of love from the Golden Globes, with nominations for Best TV Drama, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, but actor Jeremy Strong, whose performance was widely praised in season 2, was snubbed for an acting nomination.
Surprise: Emma Thompson
Photo: E Aragones/Amazon/Kobal/Shutterstock
Actress-screenwriter Emma Thompson was a surprise addition to the Best Actress In A Comedy Or Musical category. She’s been largely absent from the awards conversation for "Late Night", the comedy with Mindy Kaling.
Snub: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and 'Veep'
Photo: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ reign on “Veep” officially comes to an end without a nomination in the TV Comedy category. While the series and the actress were nominated for an Emmy for the show’s final season, “Fleabag” and Phoebe Waller-Bridge landed the surprise wins over the veteran actress.
Snub: Female Directors
Photo: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
Two years after Natalie Portman called out the Golden Globes on stage for not nominating a single female director, the HFPA has once again fielded an all-male Best Director lineup, snubbing acclaimed work by Greta Gerwig on "Little Women", Lulu Wang on "The Farewell", Marielle Heller on "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", Lorene Scafaria on "Hustlers", and more.
Surprise: Cate Blanchett
Photo: Wilson Webb/Annapurna/Kobal/Shutterstock
"Where'd You Go, Bernadette" was one of 2019's more notorious box office flops, but that didn't stop star Cate Blanchett from getting recognized by the Golden Globes. The actress was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Snub: 'When They See Us'
Photo: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix
Despite huge critical acclaim earlier in 2019, Ava DuVernay's drama "When They See Us" based on the real-life story of the so-called Central Park Five failed to pick up any nominations at the Golden Globes.

2020 Golden Globes: Surprises And Snubs

More Galleries

Latest Galleries