Golden Globes prediction: Kansas City’s Sudeikis and his ‘Ted Lasso’ could score big
Here’s what Sunday’s Golden Globes are telling us: Television delivered the blockbusters — and many of the conversation pieces — of 2020. Film, less so.
TV was long considered the lower form of entertainment compared to film. But the COVID-19 pandemic and its stay-at-home rules hastened TV’s challenge to film as the more relevant (and, frankly, fun) medium. It’s now bolder, sexier, more glamorous than film.
Just ask Nicole Kidman (nominated for “The Undoing”), Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”) and every other “movie” star who’s made the jump.
Chances are you’ve watched drama series nominees “The Mandalorian,” “The Crown,” and/or “Ozark.” You’ve watched and rewatched limited series nominee “Queen’s Gambit.”
Now consider nominees in the motion picture drama category: “The Father,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman” “Mank” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Have you seen any of the ones that weren’t on Netflix (the platform that amassed the most nominations among all contenders)?
So as we predict the winners, we’ll start with the television categories and then look at movies.
Note to Kansas Citians: Wins are very possible for both hometown star Jason Sudeikis and the comedy series he created, “Ted Lasso.”
Television series, comedy
The nominees: “Emily in Paris,” “The Flight Attendant,” “The Great,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Ted Lasso.”
And the winner is: Hollywood Foreign Press Association members had never given “Schitt’s Creek” a nomination, much less a trophy, before this year. So either they’re going to make up for lost time …
Unless: …or throw up their hands, clean the slate and go with “Ted Lasso.”
Actor, TV series comedy
The nominees: Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”; Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”; Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”; Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”; Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”
And the winner is: This probably isn’t going to be like the Emmys, with “Schitt’s Creek” winning everything. Look for Sudeikis from the heartwarming “Ted Lasso” to snag this one (beating Cheadle, a Kansas City native who grew up in Denver).
Unless: It is the Emmys all over again! And look at Eugene Levy’s son, Dan, beaming with pride!
Actress, TV series comedy
The nominees: Lily Collins, “Emily in Paris”; Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”; Elle Fanning, “The Great”; Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”; Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”
And the winner is: You’d think O’Hara, but this is the HFPA, and it zigs when the Emmys zag. So how about Cuoco for her freewheeling, career-best work on “Flight Attendant”?
Unless: The HFPA wants to hear O’Hara deliver a speech. And, c’mon, who doesn’t? (Besides, perhaps, Cuoco.)
TV series drama
The nominees: “The Crown,” “Lovecraft Country,” “The Mandalorian,” “Ozark,” “Ratched”
And the winner is: “The Crown.” Historical drama? Check. Historical drama about royalty? Check and check. Historical drama about royalty featuring adorable corgis? That’s a bingo!
Unless: Baby Yoda does the magic hand thing and pulls a mind trick on voters.
Actor, TV series drama
The nominees: Jason Bateman, “Ozark”; Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”; Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”; Al Pacino, “Hunters”; Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason”
And the winner is: Rhys? This bunch never honored his epic work on “The Americans,” so maybe they’ll plead ignorance and reward him here.
Unless: It’s a complete coronation for “The Crown,” though voters might have a hard time separating O’Connor from the insufferable Charles. Then it’s Bateman.
Actress, TV series drama
The nominees: Olivia Colman, “The Crown”; Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”; Emma Corrin, “The Crown”; Laura Linney, “Ozark”; Sarah Paulson, “Ratched”
And the winner is: “Goodbye England’s Rose / May you ever grow in our hearts …” Which is an Elton John sort of way to say Corrin, who plays Diana.
Unless: It’s once again Her Majesty the Queen — Colman.
TV limited series or movie
The nominees: “Normal People,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Small Axe,” “The Undoing,” “Unorthodox”
And the winner is: Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” series of films formed an unforgettable tapestry of culture and history, but the HFPA will probably go with the popular “Queen’s Gambit.”
Unless: HFPA members decide to reckon with their blind spot when it comes to recognizing Black artists and reward McQueen.
Actor, TV limited series or movie
The nominees: Bryan Cranston, “Your Honor”; Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule”; Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”; Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”; Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”
And the winner is: The charming Grant playing a monster will be hard to resist.
Unless: The charming Hawke playing a much more complex monster in a superior series prevails.
Actress, TV limited series or movie
The nominees: Cate Blanchett , “Mrs. America”; Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”; Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”; Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”; Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”
And the winner is: There’s no scenario that Taylor-Joy doesn’t win this for her tour-de-force turn in the phenomenal “Queen’s Gambit.”
Unless: Again … there’s ... just …. no … scenario …
Movie drama
The nominees: “The Father,” “Mank,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
And the winner is: The HFPA could go waaaay out there and pick the dark revenge-thriller “Promising Young Woman” or hew closer to the mainstream with “Chicago 7.” Or split the difference and go with the poignant “Nomadland,” which is the direction I think it’ll go.
Unless: It did already kind of go out there and give “Promising Young Woman” writer-director Emerald Fennell two nominations. Maybe neon pink is its color?
Actor, movie drama
The nominees: Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”; Gary Oldman, “Mank”; Tahar Rahim, “The Mauritanian”
And the winner is: The late Boseman for that electrifying final turn.
Unless: Hard to imagine this going any other way, unless that somewhat surprising best picture nomination for “The Father” spells deep pockets of support for Hopkins.
Actress, movie drama
The nominees: Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”; Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”; Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”; Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”
And the winner is: I’ve already noted all the “Promising Young Woman” love, which will probably translate into an award for the film’s ferocious star-turn.
Unless: I think Mulligan, like Boseman, has this locked down.
Movie musical or comedy
The nominees: “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Hamilton,” “Music,” “Palm Springs,” “The Prom”
And the winner is: The HFPA doesn’t do LOL here, meaning “Hamilton” prevails.
Unless: Enough voters understand that a filmed version of a stage performance is not a movie and they give it to an actual moviefilm.
Actor, movie musical or comedy
The nominees: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”; James Corden, “The Prom”; Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton”; Dev Patel, “The Personal History of David Copperfield”; Andy Samberg, “Palm Springs”
And the winner is: Probably Cohen, who was also nominated for his supporting turn in “Chicago 7.” But, again, broad comedy — even one as pointed as this — isn’t the group’s vibe.
Unless: “How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman …” Meaning Miranda.
Actress, movie musical or comedy
The nominees: Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”; Kate Hudson, “Music”; Michelle Pfeiffer, “French Exit”; Rosamund Pike, “I Care a Lot”; Anya Taylor-Joy, “Emma”
And the winner is: In this case, Bakalova’s breakout “Borat” turn will be difficult to deny, no matter the movie’s tone. HFPA bonus: She’s Bulgarian!
Unless: It’s strange that the HFPA refused to classify “Promising Young Woman” as a comedy but had no reservations putting Pike’s sour thriller in the category. That might mean something. Or nothing. It’s hard to figure with this group.
Where to watch
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the 78th Golden Globe Awards at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, on NBC.
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.