The 77th Golden Globe Awards will take place on January 5th, 2020, to recognize the best of the best in TV and film. Some of the year’s most critically acclaimed productions, such as The Irishman, Marriage Story, and Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, received nominations, as was expected. And some of the year’s most exciting performances, such as Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, were also recognized.
Nevertheless, the list of nominees is not exactly exciting, not only because most of the spots in the major categories were almost guaranteed, but also because of the lack of diversity overall. Some are talking about the fact that there are no female directors nominated, while the absence of actors of color in categories like Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama is also glaring.
With that in mind, we wanted to highlight some of the nominees who stand out in the list of nominees for bringing a little bit of diversity to the Globes.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Erivo, born in London to Nigerian parents, is the only Black woman to be nominated in an acting category this year, and while the movie was not as well received as was expected, her performance certainly earned her this nomination.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Ana de Armas (“Knives Out”)
The Cuban-Spanish actress had her big break in Blade Runner 2049, and is now a rising star thanks to her roles in Knives Out and the latest James Bond movie, No Time to Die.
Awkwafina (“The Farewell”)
This New Yorker of Chinese and South Korean descent is an actress and a rapper who made a name for herself thanks to roles in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang, is her first dramatic role to date.
Beanie Feldstein (“Booksmart”)
As a queer, plus-size woman, Feldstein is a welcome presence in the list of nominees. It is also worth noting that many of the roles she has played are feminist, like her character in Booksmart, Lady Bird, and the upcoming How to Build a Girl.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
This is Jennifer Lopez’s first acting nomination in 21 years, since she first broke out with her starring role in Selena. She is one of only two Latinas nominated in an acting category this year.
Best Director – Motion Picture
Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”)
The South Korean filmmaker wrote and directed Parasite, which is this year’s underdog in the main categories. It is described as a black comedy thriller, and many have called it the best movie of 2019.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Pose is a brilliant series featuring mostly LGBT+ people of color, and while it certainly deserved many more nominations, we are happy that at least Porter got one. His performance in the series’ second season was impeccable.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)
Newcomer Ramy Youssef, a New Yorker of Egyptian descent is another welcome addition to the list of nominees. He was nominated for his acting performance, but he is also the series’ creator and one of its executive producers.
All images via Instagram
