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Cynthia Erivo makes Golden Globes history — and “Wicked” still gets snubbed

The nominations overall delivered major surprises — from big snubs to breakout recognitions

Culture Fellow

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Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in "Wicked" (Universal)
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in "Wicked" (Universal)

Cynthia Erivo made Golden Globes history on Monday, becoming the first Black woman to be nominated twice for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. She earned her second nod for reprising Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” while Ariana Grande received a supporting actress nomination for Glinda.

Erivo will compete alongside Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another“), Amanda Seyfried (“The Testament of Ann Lee”), and Emma Stone (“Bugonia“). Only 12 Black women have ever been nominated in this category (prior to Erivo’s second nomination), and Angela Bassett remains the only winner, for portraying Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (1994).

Despite the buzz around its leads, “Wicked: For Good” missed out on a Best Picture, Musical or Comedy nomination, and Jon M. Chu was again passed over for Best Director. The film did receive nods for two original songs and a box-office achievement.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” led the film nominations with nine, including Best Picture in the comedy/musical category. In drama, “Sinners” picked up seven nods, with Michael B. Jordan recognized but his co-star Wunmi Mosaku overlooked. “Hamnet” earned six nominations, and “Frankenstein” five, with Jacob Elordi landing nods for both the film and the series “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” Netflix’s animated hit “K-Pop Demon Hunters” also secured three nominations.

The drama category offered a surprise as well: Eva Victor earned a Best Actress nod for the indie “Sorry, Baby,” which follows a woman navigating life after sexual assault.

On television, HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” led with six nominations, followed by Netflix’s “Adolescence” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” The standout moment, however, belonged to Rhea Seehorn, who finally received her first Golden Globe nomination for “Pluribus” after years of being overlooked for “Better Call Saul.”

The Globes also introduced a podcast category this year, with “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” and “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard” among the nominees. What the hell, sure.

The 83rd Golden Globes will air Jan. 11 on CBS and stream on Paramount+, with Nikki Glaser returning as host.


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