Golden Globe Nominations 2025: The Biggest Snubs and Surprises (2025)

SNUB: “Nosferatu”

This awards season has had such a wide open Best Picture race that there are enough snubbed dramas to fill the category. While we will get into the lack of nominations for “Sing Sing” and “Blitz,” it is worth highlighting that Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” was completely shut out. The big swing from Focus Features, which forgoed any film festival screening prior to its planned Christmastime release, does read as something the organization would have gone for in the past. After all, the awards ceremony used to crown the children of famous stars Mr. and Ms. Golden Globes, so one would surmise breakout star Lily Rose-Depp would be on their radar. While some may chalk it up to general hesitation around including horror films in the awards conversation, the Golden Globes went all in on the even more gruesome “The Substance.” Alas, maybe the next person to adapt the iconic, cinematic vampire story will have better luck with the group. —Marcus Jones

SNUB: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths” and June Squibb, “Thelma”

Much ink has been spilled about the extremely competitive Best Actress race this year, yet it still comes as a surprise that this pair of veteran actresses did not receive nominations when they both so clearly fall into the genre boxes imposed upon contenders. Golden Globes members are primarily film journalists, meaning they are likely to have more overlap with critics groups than Oscar voters, yet even though both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association recently awarded “Hard Truths” star Marianne Jean-Baptiste for her performance over her fellow contenders, she was left out of the Drama category (a unfortunate commonality with Black actresses vying for Globes.)

Similarly, June Squibb in her first starring role, in Sundance breakout “Thelma,” has been one of the leading comedic performances vying for awards attention. And though Squibb is not an example of one of the A-Listers the voters are dying to court, the 95-year-old was a Golden Globes nominee for her supporting performance in “Nebraska,” which was a more exclusive category for them to have recognized her in. —MJ

SURPRISE: Gabriel LaBelle, “Saturday Night”

Jason Reitman’s real-time feature imagining the heightened stress of “Saturday Night Live”s historical premiere was fairly absent from the Golden Globe nominations, except for this acting nod to LaBelle, who played series creator Lorne Michaels. LaBelle bears the heft of the screen time as Michaels’ darts between departments, juggling the responsibility of handling actors, answering to executives, and convincing a strained crew that they’re working on something revolutionary and not a trainwreck waiting to happen. But the actor’s portrayal of Michaels’ specific cocktail of visionary ambition, youthful arrogance, and pure, unadulterated stress is enough to convince an audience — and Golden Globe voters. —Proma Khosla

SNUB: Saoirse Ronan, “Blitz” and “The Outrun”

Well, sadly the double snub for Saoirse Ronan is seemingly indicative of the end of the awards prospects for her two contending films, “Blitz” and “The Outrun.” Though the latter was expected, as its distributor Sony Pictures Classics put most of its eggs into the “I’m Still Here” basket, leading to two nominations for the Brazilian film, many of her fans had been holding onto hope that her supporting performance in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” the main scripted awards title being pushed by the monied Apple Studios, would be the project to get her recognition for what had been a big comeback year. She even sings an original song in the film (though that did not receive a Golden Globes nomination either). —MJ

SNUB: Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson,” Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, “Nickel Boys,” and Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”

The majority of Black actors that have won awards have gotten them for supporting performances, and it iss the one space that has felt the most “inclusive” in recent decades. Hence why it is so surprising that performances like Danielle Deadwyler in “The Piano Lesson” or Clarence Maclin in “Sing Sing,” both of which have been pegged for Oscar nominations (and possible wins) are glaring omissions. Even the films with Black leads that did get Golden Globes nominations received piecemeal recognition. For example, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was not recognized for her work in “Nickel Boys,” but the film made it into the Drama category. Neither Maclin nor “Sing Sing” itself received Supporting Actor or Best Drama nods, but star Colman Domingo did get in. One could argue that in order for Black actors to break in, they have to be both extremely famous and at the top of their game like nominees Zendaya (“Challengers”) and Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”). —MJ

SURPRISE: Margaret Qualley, “The Substance”

Awards prospects for “The Substance” have been hard to read since its Cannes premiere. Many voters aren’t looking to watch what many viewers have described as one of the grossest body horror films they have ever seen, yet it being a bold comeback for Demi Moore is a narrative that voters like to get behind. In a sense of the rising tide lifting all boats, the Golden Globes nominating Margaret Qualley in addition to Moore and writer/director Coralie Fargeat makes sense as her Sue is so intertwined with the lead performance. Though she has not been seen as a major contender elsewhere, her inclusion is a welcome addition for the crowd that wants awards bodies like the Golden Globes to take horror acting more seriously. —MJ

SNUB: Denis Villenueve, “Dune: Part Two”

Though his latest film “Dune: Part Two” received multiple Golden Globes nominations, director Denis Villenueve did not make the cut. It is a sting that the Canadian filmmaker is all too familiar with, as he was infamously left out of the Best Director category when his first “Dune” film collected several Oscar nominations, and eventual wins. But the Golden Globes were a group that saw the vision the first time, so it was expected that the group would be even more ready to fête his even more popular sequel. If it is any consolation, the closest film to a blockbuster represented in the Best Director category is “Conclave,” so it may be a case of the Globes wanting to zero in on traditional, more international awards fare. —MJ

SURPRISE: Payal Kapadia, “All We Imagine as Light”

It may not be India’s official Oscars entry, but there’s been no doubt since “All We Imagine as Light” cinched the Grand Prix at Cannes that the film was going to make waves. Kapadia become a name to reckon with on the international filmmaking stage with her first-ever narrative feature, and the rare director of a non-English feature to be included in this category. At the Gotham Film Awards on December 2,Kapadia told IndieWire that as gratifying as awards are, the ultimate prize is sharing her film with audiences. “Of course everybody cares, it just helps that you get more distribution when you get these awards,” she said. “Even winning at Cannes helped me get distribution in 50 countries. That just means more people watching your movie — and what more could you want in life than more people watching your film?” —PK

SNUB: HBO

HBO’s off year extends into 2025. The pay cable powerhouse is usually the nominations leader with awards bodies like the Emmys or the Golden Globes, but after the Hollywood strikes of 2023, its programming has moved further off the radar of voters. It is a bit expected that the Golden Globes did not nominate “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” though Larry David is such a TV icon that one could imagine the voting body would want to highlight the show’s farewell season, but the bigger omission has been workplace drama “Industry,” which saw a swelling of praise for its third season. Normally, the Golden Globes likes to get ahead of the Emmys with regards to honoring new series (though again, the show has a Black lead). Not even “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” earned a Best Drama nod, so it is not as simple as the network’s shows not being popular enough. —MJ

SNUB: “Fallout”

In the summer, “Fallout” wooed Emmy voters to the tune of 16 nominations, including Best Drama Series and Walton Goggins for Best Actor in a Drama Series. But seasons change, and the Globes live in their own world anyway, so perhaps it shouldn’t be such a shock that “Fallout” snagged zero nominations this morning. The Globes preferred “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” when it came to Prime Video dramas, handing over Drama Series and Best Actor nods to Donald Glover & Co. Even “Fallout’s” buzzy first season — which was a sizable ratings hit over at Amazon — wasn’t enough to make the difference, as Goggins, who has never been nominated here, will have to hope “The White Lotus” changes his favor with Globe voters. —Ben Travers

SNUB: “English Teacher”

FX’s freshman critical favorite was expected to compete for Best Comedy Series and Lead Actor, with some prognosticators ranking Brian Jordan Alvarez as the most likely winner. Instead, it got shut out, with Globes voters going along with “The Gentlemen’s” category fraud (it’s an hourlong crime drama, but submitted as a comedy for awards) in Best Drama Series and preferring Jason Segel for “Shrinking” and Ted Danson for “A Man on the Inside” in the Best Actor categories (the only nominees for shows not nominated for Best Comedy Series, as well). “English Teacher” should play better with actors, so the SAG Awards are still very much in play, and it will have a long runway to gain exposure before Emmy voting, but this snub still feels like an unexcused absence. —BT

SURPRISE: Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along”

“Agatha All Along” is probably the most Golden Globes-y Marvel show, while nominating Hahn for a comedy performance is all but a no-brainer — but that doesn’t mean the combined nomination isn’t a pleasant surprise. “Agatha All Along” is a genre-jumping balancing act, one that wouldn’t be able to pull off half of its tricks without Hahn at the head. Heck, the show wouldn’t exist without Hahn’s breakout performance in “WandaVision,” so what better way to honor both shows and shared showrunner Jac Schaeffer for such a strong connective thread? —PK

SNUB: “Presumed Innocent”

Do the Golden Globes no longer care about playing Kingmaker? The TV nods weren’t as buzzy as usual, especially in the Drama category, where they nominated three sequel seasons (“The Diplomat” Season 2, “Slow Horses” Season 4, “Squid Game” Season 2), alongside two established awards darlings (“Shogun” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”), and one new series with no real shot of becoming a dominant player at the Emmys. (I’m sorry, but “The Day of the Jackal” is way too dull to compete with 2025 heavyweights like “Severance,” “The White Lotus,” and “The Last of Us,” not to mention “Squid Game” and “Slow Horses.”)

Many expected Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” to fill this role for the Globes. A summer sensation (despite mixed reviews), the legal thriller offered plenty of juicy acting turns — including snubbed favorites from Peter Sarsgaard and Ruth Negga — and has the necessary bonafides (on paper) to be seen as a prestige drama. (David E. Kelley! Apple! Remake of an award-winning movie!) Nevertheless, only A-list star Jake Gyllenhaal will represent “Presumed Innocent” at the Globes, which is a very Globes move (they love stars!) even if it’s still low-key neglectful. —BT

SNUB: “Say Nothing”

If FX’s critical hit drama about two IRA operatives during the Troubles was going to hit anywhere, it was going to hit here. Even after dissolving the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (in favor of creating the Golden Globes Foundation in 2023), non-American movies and shows still have a soft spot with the voting body (which still includes plenty of old members), and the Globes love to elevate underappreciated gems whenever possible. But with “Shogun” and “The Bear” representing FX so well, there may not have been room for more Disney love. (“Only Murders” on Hulu, “Agatha All Along” on Disney+, and “Abbott Elementary” on ABC also rep the House of Mouse.) —BT

SURPRISE: Ewan McGregor, “A Gentleman in Moscow”

The Showtime series based on Amor Towles’ 2016 novel failed to stir up Emmys recognition, but the international setting and quirky atmosphere are Golden Globes catnip. McGregor is vastly entertaining as Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, an aristocrat under house arrest at a Moscow hotel and sentenced to observing and interacting with its bizarre employees and inhabitants. The nomination is also a nice way to acknowledge McGregor’s work as executive producer on the eight-episode series. —PK