As per yearly tradition, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held the 79th Golden Globe Awards ceremony to honor the best in film and American television on January 9, 2022. Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 surge, there were no hosts, guests, or even a red carpet. Regardless of such an anti-climatic event, the winners this year deserve to be rightfully acknowledged as the best in current media.
While the awarded movies are also being considered for the Oscars, the TV shows have been racking up wins since their previous seasons and they clearly don't plan on stopping. Whether it's because their cast is full of amazing artists or because its crew did an excellent job, these stories deserved a place in film and television history.
10 Ted Lasso: 1 Golden Globe
Ted Lasso, currently streaming on Apple TV+, is a TV series about a soccer coach who's hired by a resentful divorcée to coach her ex-husband's professional soccer team. Although his new job seems to be a recipe for disaster, Lasso's positive attitude soon charms everyone around him and he begins to change people's lives as he learns about himself.
Although Ted Lasso has conquered people's hearts since it first premiered in August 2020, the show only earned one Golden Globe this year. Jason Sudeikis, who plays Lasso himself, won for Best Performance in a Television Series–Musical or Comedy.
9 Squid Game: 1 Golden Globe
A criticism of South Korean class disparity and rampant capitalism, Squid Game tells the stories of several characters with different upbringings as they play a series of mortal games for the chance to win 45.6 billion wons and finally pay their debts and have a better life.
Squid Game has been around for less than six months, but it's already the most-watched series on Netflix. However, despite its success with the public, the show only won one out of its three Golden Globe nominations. O Yeong-su, who plays Oh Il-nam on the show, earned the accolade for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television.
8 Belfast: 1 Golden Globe
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Belfast is a coming-of-age film that follows Buddy, the son of a Northern Irish Protestant working-class family during the 1960s. From the 9-year-old perspective, Branagh explores the political and religious conflict among Protestants and Catholics in the country at the time.
Belfast tied with The Power of the Dog for the most nominations with seven total each, but it only won one accolade. Despite being highly acclaimed for its powerful performances and the complexity of its story, this film only won the Golden Globe to Best Screenplay.
7 POSE: 1 Golden Globe
Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals, POSE explores POC, LGBTQ+, and gender-nonconforming culture in New York throughout the ages. The series depicts the lives of different characters whose racial and sexual identity determines their day by day and it showcases their struggles.
With only 26 episodes, POSE has received numerous nominations in the last two years. Its third and final season was nominated to three Golden Globes. This year, POSE only won in the Best Actress in a Television Series–Drama category. However, this is a very important accolade: the winner, MJ Rodriguez, is the first transgender woman to win a Golden Globe.
6 Dune: 1 Golden Globe
Dune is an adaptation of one of the greatest sci-fi sagas of the 20th century, Dune by Frank Herbert. The film, like the book, follows the story of Paul Atreides and his family as they fight for Arrakis, a desert planet full of spice–a substance with immense political value. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Atreides' family drama.
Although Dune was nominated for three Golden Globes this year, the movie only earned the accolade for Best Original Score thanks to Hans Zimmer and his epic work on the soundtrack. Regardless, since this movie has a sequel on its way, it may get a chance for more nominations soon.
5 Encanto: 1 Golden Globe
Disney's latest movie, Encanto, depicts the life of the Madrigals, a Colombian family whose members have magical gifts received in their childhood. Although they seem to be a happy group, each Madrigal's powers are a metaphorical representation of their struggles in the family, and it only takes one member to question their dynamics for them to fall apart.
Already a fan favorite, Encanto conquered people the moment it premiered in cinemas and Disney+. The film got three nominations for the Golden Globes this year, but it only won in the Best Animated Feature category, besting other Disney movies such as Raya and the Last Dragon and Luca, as well as Flee and My Sunny Maad, two independent animations.
4 Hacks: 2 Golden Globes
Hacks is an HBO Max comedy-drama series about the generational differences that stem from the working relationship between Deborah Vance, an older stand-up comedienne who struggles with losing relevance, and Ava Daniels, a millennial writer who can't find a job after an insensitive tweet got her canceled.
Hacks received the Golden Globe nomination, and won, for Best Television Series–Musical or Comedy. In addition to this, its two main actresses–Jean Smart and Hanna Einbinder–were nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series–Musical or Comedy. Unfortunately, the accolades can't be shared, so only Jean Smart won.
3 Succession: 3 Golden Globes
Succession follows the story of the Roys as Logan, the head of the family, prepares to appoint an heir for his successful media emporium, Waystar RoyCo. Although none of his four children seem ready for the task, they all want to harness its power for themselves, which results in a captivating story about a profoundly dysfunctional family.
In 2022, Succession won three Golden Globes–for Best Television Series in Drama, Best Actor in a Television Series in Drama for Jeremy Strong, and Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for Sarah Snook–out of five nominations. This makes it the series with the most wins this year.
2 West Side Story: 3 Golden Globes
Based on the 1957 stage musical, West Side Story is the love story between Tony and Maria, two teenagers who belong to different sides of a long-standing feud among two rival street-gangs. Just as it happens in Romeo & Juliet, the chaos that follows after the two lovers get together ends up in an unavoidable tragedy.
Just as the 1961 adaption, West Side Story was widely praised by the media, but it didn't do great money-wise. Regardless, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated the film in four Golden Globes categories. West Side Story won three of them: Best Motion Picture, Best Actress in a Motion Picture for Rachel Zegler, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Debose.
1 The Power Of The Dog: 3 Golden Globes
The Power of the Dog is a psychological western that tells the story of Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), a cruel cowboy who abuses his family as a way of hiding his own insecurities. The story explores the nature of power dynamics, grief, and sexuality in a rural environment. Luckily for cinephiles, this film is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide.
Already an Oscar-favorite, The Power of the Dog earned seven Golden Globe nominations and won three well-deserved accolades. One for Best Motion Picture, one for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Kodi Smit-McPhee, and the other one for Best Director, won by Jean Campion.