MAXIMUM NOMINATIONS

The Banshees of Inisherin — the superbly crafted story of a broken friendship distinguished by remarkable acts from Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson — leads the nominations list with eight nods, including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Director for Martin McDonagh, the most achieved by any film since Cold Mountain back in 2004. Both Farrell and Gleeson have been nominated in Acting categories, and so have Barry Keoghan and Kerry Cordon.

Everything Everywhere All At Once comes up next with six nominations. The super crazy ride — with elements of surreal comedy, science fiction, fantasy, martial arts films and animation — with a brilliant Michelle Yeoh at the front and centre, has nominations for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Director for the Daniels, and Acting nods for Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Damien Chazelle’s heady Babylon and Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical tale The Fabelmans have five nods each.

On the small screen, mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary has earned five nods, with The Crown, Dahmer, Only Murders in the Building, Pam & Tommy and The White Lotus going in with four nominations each.

GO, RRR!

Making its mark felt, one award ceremony at a time, has been the Indian juggernaut called RRR. The SS Rajamouli-directed magnum opus has caught the imagination of the West like very few Indian films have done in the past. RRR has nods in The Best Foreign Film category and for the Best Original Song for Naatu naatu. Rajamouli and the film’s stars Ram Charan and Jr NTR will attend the Golden Globes ceremony. Here’s keeping our fingers — and toes, while doing Naatu naatu — crossed!

THE HOST

No Ricky Gervais to drop some uncomfortable truth bombs this time. American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and film-maker Jerrod Carmichael has been chosen to do hosting duties. “His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live in. Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season,” is the word from Helen Hoehne, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) that hosts the awards every year.

THE PRESENTERS

Names like Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Niecy Nash-Betts, Ana Gasteyer, Billy Porter, Colman Domingo, Natasha Lyonne, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nicole Byer, Quentin Tarantino and Tracy Morgan, among others, figure on the list of presenters. Ana de Armas (for Blonde), Jamie Lee Curtis (for Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Niecy Nash-Betts (for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story) are also nominees.

THE CONTROVERSY

The Golden Globes have been under a cloud of multiple controversies over the last few years. The HFPA has been accused of favouritism, taking bribes and racism. Many stars have criticised the HFPA for the same, while some like Tom Cruise have even returned their previously won trophies. Even before things blew up to this extent, the Globes had already faced decades’ worth of criticism for their small, inscrutable voting body and apparent susceptibility to influence campaigns.

This year, Brendan Fraser — who has been nominated for his outstanding act in The Whale and has a great chance of winning — has openly voiced his boycott of the Golden Globes, claiming that Philip Berk, who was president of the HFPA at the time, groped him as they were leaving a luncheon and derailed his career in the aftermath. Berk has denied the allegations, but Fraser remains firm in his stance.

“I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. No, I will not participate. It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that,” Fraser has said.

The 80th Golden Globes will be live-streamed on Lionsgate Play on January 11 at 5.30am IST