The Expected Upsets and the Unexpected Patterns

One Battle After Another and Sentimental Value predictably led the film pack, while Sinners collected seven nominations despite being overlooked in key acting categories. Wicked: For Good secured several acting nods yet failed to repeat its prequel’s Best Picture momentum.

Television brought its own steadiness. The White Lotus, Adole-scence, Severance and Only Murders in the Building continued their awards-season dominance, while The Pitt received partial validation. Andor earned one last moment of glory, and The Girlfriend delivered the kind of camp-friendly surprise that once defined the Globes.

Here is a look at the major snubs and surprises at the Golden Globes Nominations 2026…

Snub: Wicked: For Good sidelined in
Best Picture

Wicked: For Good built on the success of the first film Wicked (2024) missed a Best Picture nomination. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande earned acting nods yet the director John M. Chu, was again ignored despite the film’s impressive direction including its choreography and musical numbers. Wicked: For Good may be a step down from the original, but its absence in the major category remains notable.

Surprise: Eva Victor’s rise with Sorry Baby

The indie film Sorry Baby earned Victor her first Golden Globe nomination, a meaningful win for independent cinema. Her understated, nuanced performance demonstrates that critical recognition is not always linked to social media presence or widespread visibility.

Snub: Wunmi Mosaku missing despite Sinners’ overall strength

Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners, led by Michael B. Jordan, was a box office phenomenon and drew critical acclaim. Mosaku who plays Jordan’s love interest and the film’s emotional anchor, was overlooked in Supporting Actress category, high-lighting a recurring bias against outstanding performances in ensemble films that are led by black actors.

Surprise: Jacob
Elordi earning double
nominations

Elordi received Supporting Actor recognition for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and a Best Actor nomination for the Australian mini-series The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The latter was unexpected, given the show’s low profile in the United States. That said, his nomination for Frankenstein was entirely well deserved.

Snub: Sydney Sweeney absent in a year that set her up for a major run

Sweeney starred as pioneering boxer Christy Martin in Christy, a biopic blending sporting triumph with personal struggle. Despite a role that seemed tailored for awards-season success, she did not receive recog-nition, prompting questions about whether political affiliations or cam-paign visibility subtly influenced voters.

Surprise: Amanda Seyfried recognised for both film and
television

Seyfried earned Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for The Testament of Ann Lee, along with a nomination for her dramatic role in Peacock’s Long Bright River. The former feels entirely deserved, while the latter might have been better directed towards another performer.

Snub: Josh Safdie left out of Best Director for Marty Supreme

Josh Safdie’s solo feature Marty Supreme, a ping pong epic starring Timothée Chalamet, was recognised in Picture, Screenplay and Lead Actor categories but not for Direction. As his first film without brother Benny Safdie, the omission is striking given its creative ambition and the possibility that more high-profile names edged him out.

Surprise: Diego Luna finally recognised
for Andor

Despite the series’ consistent acclaim, Andor received only one nod for Luna in Best Actor in a Drama Series. While he may not win, the nomination marks a rare victory for a Star Wars property, one that is arguably the least Star Wars-like and more nuanced than voters realise.

Snub: Gwyneth
Paltrow and Odessa A’zion overlooked

Paltrow, returning from retirement as a silent film-era star, and A’zion, Chalamet’s love interest in Marty Supreme, both missed out despite strong performances. Their absence highlights how supporting female roles are so often sidelined in favour of leads or more established names.

Surprise: The
Girlfriend becoming a camp-friendly Globes triumph

Prime Video’s The Girlfriend, starring Robin Wright, received nominations for Best Limited or Anthology Series and for Wright herself. The show’s high-trash feminist camp sensibility was embraced, suggesting that bold and unconvent-ional storytelling can secure both critical and commercial approval.

Snub: The Pitt
supporting cast
shut out

Best Drama Series nominee The Pitt earned a Best Actor nod for Noah Wyle but none of its other cast members received recognition. The Globes’ collapsing of all supporting TV performances into just two categories likely contributed, revealing the HFPA’s tendency to highlight leads or heavily publicised performers at the expense of ensemble work.

Surprise: Frankenstein and Guillermo del Toro

Frankenstein secured multiple major nominations including Best Drama, Best Director, Oscar Isaac for Lead Actor and Jacob Elordi for Supporting. Internationally acclaimed filmmakers with distinctive cinematic voices continue to dominate awards season, though it is hard not to be happy for del Toro.

Snub: Katherine LaNasa for The Pitt

Despite winning the Emmy for her performance as Dana Evans, LaNasa was snubbed by the Globes. This reflects the recurring disconnect between Emmy voters and the HFPA, worsened by category compression that groups dramas, comedies and miniseries into the same supporting categories. She deserved the nomination and the snub was disappointing.

What This Year
Really Suggests

The 2026 nominations reveal a Globes ceremony that seems steadier than its chaotic past but remains far from fully reformed. Celebrity pre-sence still carries weight and aesthetic ambition often outweighs structural fairness. Television outcomes remain influenced by Emmy patterns, while new categories shy away from risk. Global cinema continues to earn praise mainly when framed through Ameri-can validation.

Awards season thrives on the illusion of certainty, but the real story lies in the gap between intention and outcome. Snubs and surprises reflect deeper impulses within the industry rather than randomness. Although the Globes appear to have evolved, the shadow of their former self still lingers.

Well-known performers repeatedly attract recognition while ensemble casts or less publicised films are frequently overlooked. International projects are celebrated mostly when framed for American consumption and creators with established reputations enjoy enhanced visibility. Television remains defined by Emmy comparison and new categories such as podcasts favour safe, celebrity-driven selections. Overall, coverage often prioritises coherence and narrative appeal even when results are shaped by visibility, reputation and timing rather than purely merit.