If the Golden Globe Awards really are a precursor to the Academy Awards, there are some very nervous producers in Hollywood today. And, even if they’re not, it’s a safe bet network executives are guzzling bottles of Pepto Bismol.
Any round of award nominations in Hollywood tend to come with a few surprises, but this year’s finalists in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s honoring of the best in film and television snubbed some films and television series that most critics considered shoe-ins, along with several that were thought to be right on the bubble.
Film snubs
While it was a crowded year in the drama category (which might explain why The Martian was shoehorned into the “Musical or Comedy” field), there were several notable missing titles in the film category:
Straight Outta Compton – Universal’s biopic of N.W.A. was a critical success that resonated with audiences, but didn’t strike a chord with the HFPA.
Creed – Admittedly a latecomer to the nomination process, this reboot of the Rocky franchise has wowed audiences. Sylvester Stallone earned a supporting actor nomination, but the film itself didn’t go the distance.
Bridge of Spies – Headed by Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg, both of whom were also left off the nominee list, all this Cold War drama managed to get was a supporting actor nomination for Mark Rylance.
Brooklyn – This period piece, which looks at the struggles of immigrants, is on many critics’ “Best of 2015” list, but it failed to turn the HFPA’s head.
Beasts of No Nation – Netflix’s (NFLX) first motion picture was a bomb at theaters, but warmly received by critics. The HFPA’s saving grace was it did recognize star Idris Elba for his work in the film.
Television snubs
Not one network television sitcom was nominated by the HFPA this year. And only one drama – Fox’s Empire – made the list. NBC received no nominations at all – in any category and CBS received just one. But the surprises didn’t end there.
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Initially viewed by many critics as the show most likely to get a nomination this year, it failed to make the cut. (Also missing was Netflix’s other hit Master of None.)
The Walking Dead, the hugely popular basic cable drama, failed to get the attention of the HFPA, which has some grumbling that the association seem out of touch with pop culture.
Mad Men – John Hamm got a final nod for Best Actor, but the iconic show otherwise went unrecognized in its final season.
Better Call Saul – Breaking Bad‘s good fortune didn’t rub off on this acclaimed follow-up from AMC. Star Bob Odenkirk did get a nod in the Best Actor category, though.
Downton Abbey – The bloom seems to be off the rose for this one-time awards season favorite as well. Joanna Froggatt picked up a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but it was otherwise dismissed.
Others shows that didn’t make the cut include The Good Wife, Showtime’s Homeland and Netflix’s House of Cards.
Actor/Actress snubs
The real jaw-dropper this year was the ensemble snub of Game of Thrones. While the show was nominated for Best Drama, not a single cast member was singled out for their contributions. Similarly, none of the cast of Spotlight, a Best Drama nominee in film that starred Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and John Slattery, was nominated.
Other surprises:
Tatiana Maslany – The Orphan Black star continues to be ignored by the HFPA despite an endless stream of critical praise.
Michael B. Jordan – His costar got a Supporting Actor nod, but the star of Creed was bypassed.
Johnny Depp has been nominated 10 times previously and is a favorite of the HFPA. His performance in Black Mass was called his best work in years, but he failed to make the cut this time around.
Kevin Spacey – He picked up a SAG Award nomination earlier this week, but President Underwood didn’t poll so well with the HFPA.
