Hollywood kicks off new year with Golden Globes glitz

By Lisa Richwine

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) – Selena Gomez, Timothee Chalamet and other Hollywood stars will gather in Beverly Hills on Sunday for the annual Golden Globes celebration, the first major awards ceremony in a year without a clear frontrunner for the top movie accolades.

Netflix (NASDAQ:)’s Spanish-language musical thriller “Emilia Perez” and “The Brutalist,” a 3-1/2 hour post-World War II drama that includes an intermission, lead the movies vying for Globe trophies.

Others include box office smash “Wicked,” adapted from the Broadway play about the witches in “The Wizard of Oz,” and papal selection story “Conclave.”

Restaurant tale “The Bear” and mystery comedy “Only Murders in the Building” will compete for TV honors.

The Globes will air live on CBS and the Paramount+ streaming service starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday (1 a.m. GMT). Stand-up comedian Nikki Glaser hosts the champagne-fueled festivities for the first time.

Glaser, who hosted a roast of football legend Tom Brady last year, said she plans to celebrate the A-list nominees rather than poke fun at them as some previous hosts have.

“I want people who were nominated to feel proud of themselves. I don’t want them to feel under attack,” Glaser said in an interview. “I’m really excited to show these jokes to a massive audience.”

The presenter lineup features big-name celebrities including Dwayne Johnson, Elton John, Andrew Garfield and Awkwafina.

Winning a Globe can shine a spotlight on movies and performances in the run-up to the Academy Awards in March. So far, awards pundits say, there is no clear favorite for the coveted best picture prize at the Oscars.

Unlike the Oscars, the Globes separate films into two categories. “Conclave” and “The Brutalist” are considered strong entries in best film drama, while “Wicked” and “Emilia Perez” are the leading contenders for best movie musical or comedy.

Globe honorees are chosen by 334 entertainment journalists from 85 countries, compared with roughly 9,000 voters who select the Academy Awards. The Globes voting body has been expanded in recent years and organizers instituted reforms after being criticized for ethical lapses and a lack of diversity.

Chalamet is in contention for best film drama actor for playing musician Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” His competition includes Adrien Brody, who portrays a Holocaust survivor and architect chasing the American dream in “The Brutalist.”

Gomez is a double nominee for her supporting role in “Emilia Perez,” the story of a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman, and for lead comedy actress as a podcaster on TV series “Only Murders in the Building.”

Other acting nominees include Angelina Jolie for her portrayal of opera star Maria Callas in “Maria,” Nicole Kidman as a corporate executive having an affair with an intern in “Babygirl,” Zendaya as a tennis coach in “Challengers” and Ariana Grande as a student of sorcery in “Wicked.”

Among the men, Daniel Craig is nominated for “Queer” and Denzel Washington for “Gladiator II.”