Unexpected Nominations and Overlooked Stars in the 2026 Golden Globe Awards
Snub: Wicked: For Good
The sequel to the hit musical received five nominations but was notably left out of the race for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The original Wicked film secured a nomination in the same category at the 2025 ceremony but lost to Emilia Pérez. This year’s nominees in the category include Blue Moon, Bugonia, Marty Supreme, No Other Choice, Nouvelle Vague, and One Battle After Another.
Surprise: Blue Moon
The film Blue Moon, which explores the life of Lorenz Hart during the opening night of Oklahoma!, has made a strong showing by securing a nomination for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical). This outpaced not only Wicked: For Good but also Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney. Actor Ethan Hawke, who portrays Hart, is also nominated for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Snub: Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin
Despite expectations for a nomination for Best Original Song for “Drive” from F1, Sheeran, Mayer, and Slatkin were overlooked. The film itself garnered two nominations, including one for Hans Zimmer’s original score. If Zimmer wins, it will mark his fourth victory in the category, tying him with Maurice Jarre, Dimitri Tiomkin, and John Williams for the most wins in the show’s history.
Surprise: Jeremy Allen White
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere performed under expectations at the box office—though it was far from a failure. Consequently, many had discounted White’s prospects for a nomination. Nevertheless, he has secured a nod for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, representing the film’s sole nomination.
Snubs: Volker Bertelmann, Hildur Guðnadóttir
Both Bertelmann and Guðnadóttir were anticipated to receive nominations for Best Original Score for A House of Dynamite and Hedda, respectively, but fell short. Bertelmann was nominated at the 2025 ceremony for Conclave, while Guðnadóttir won the award in 2020 for Joker.
Snub: Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman was not nominated for his role as a Neil Diamond impersonator in Song Sung Blue, yet his co-star Kate Hudson received a nomination for Best Actress for portraying a Patsy Cline impersonator and Jackman’s love interest. Notably, Jackman has previously received four Globe nominations, winning for Les Misérables and being recognized for Kate & Leopold, The Greatest Showman, and The Son.
No Surprise: Sequels Rule
A notable trend this year is that half of the nominees for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award are sequels. Included among them are Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2, as well as Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in that franchise, and Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning, marking the eighth installment in its series.
No Surprise: Former Globes Hosts Are Nominees
Former Golden Globes hosts Ricky Gervais and Amy Poehler have both received nominations this year. Gervais is nominated for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television for Ricky Gervais: Mortality, while Poehler has been recognized for Podcast of the Year for Good Hang With Amy Poehler.
