Grab the closest bottle of champagne and prepare for a night of sloshy unpredictability as the Golden Globes mark the unofficial start to awards season on Sunday.
Leonardo DiCaprio star vehicle “One Battle After Another” leads the celebration of standout film and television series with nine nominations, while HBO’s buzzy “The White Lotus” trails with six nods and Netflix’s “Adolescence” with five.
The 83rd Golden Globes air live on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Citytv and stream on Citytv Plus.
Here are some things to watch:
The host
Nikki Glaser returns as Hollywood ringleader, promising another round of her ruthless roast-style humour. The standup comic earned raves last year as the first solo female host in Globes history, and her witty barbs left few celebs in the room unscathed, including Timothée Chalamet and “Wicked” star Ariana Grande. Both are expected to be in attendance on Sunday to see what Glaser’s cooking up for them.
‘One Battle’ to beat
If anything seems certain headed into the Globes, it’s that “One Battle After Another” is likely to walk away with some serious hardware. The question is: how many trophies will it take home? Already considered an Oscar front-runner (and probable best picture winner), the film has nine nods, including lead actors DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti. Neither is a surefire win, however, especially DiCaprio, whose stoner radical could fall to Chalamet’s manic turn in “Marty Supreme.” But Hollywood has a soft spot for “One Battle,” partly because it’s a unicorn these days: a well-reviewed, big-budget drama made for grown-ups that actually brought in audiences. That sentiment is almost certain to secure a win for best motion picture (musical or comedy) and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson.
‘Golden’ at the Globes
Few cultural sensations reverberated across generations quite like “Kpop Demon Hunters” last year, and so it’s no mystery why Globes voters put the animated musical on a pedestal. Korean Canadian director Maggie Kang’s girl-powered adventure vies for three awards, including best animated feature and best original song for the chart-topping “Golden,” both of which it could easily win. More confounding is the Netflix film’s presence among the nominees for cinematic and box office achievement, a recently created award meant to celebrate movies that draw audiences to theatres. While “Kpop Demon Hunters” had a limited theatrical release, its big-screen moment came months after the streaming giant premiered the film at home, raising the question of whether it’s a “cinematic” achievement at all.
Hollywood North
A mighty wind has been in the sails of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Hollywood satire “The Studio” since last fall, when the Apple TV series pocketed 13 of its 23 Emmy nominations. It seems likely to take a victory lap at the Globes. The comedy series, which follows a neurotic studio executive and his ramshackle team of colleagues, seems like catnip for Globes voters who love navel-gazing entertainment. “The Studio” is up for best comedy or musical series, while Rogen is likely to take the TV comedy actor award, elbowing out Hamilton native Martin Short for “Only Murders in the Building.” Toronto’s Catherine O’Hara also holds a nomination for best supporting female actor as a grizzled former studio head, though she’s likely to lose to Erin Doherty as a child psychologist in the Netflix drama series “Adolescence.”
Global presence
A few surprises could be lurking among the array of international titles vying for awards this year. A total of five non-English language films will compete in the two best motion picture categories (both drama, and musical or comedy), while various performers from those films are up for awards. Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” tallied eight nominations this year, many of them for its actors, but Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” may be shaping up as the dark horse of the season. The political thriller won best foreign-language film at the Critics Choice Awards last weekend and, at the Globes, its star Wagner Moura faces off against Hollywood heavyweights Dwayne Johnson, Oscar Isaac and Michael B. Jordan.
Pod people
Toronto-born actor Will Arnett is among the contenders for the inaugural best podcast award, alongside his “SmartLess” co-hosts Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. The newly introduced category has faced criticism in some podcast circles for recognizing Hollywood celebrities over popular right-leaning figures, such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. Arnett’s show is up against an NPR daily newscast, self-help guru Mel Robbins, as well as lighter fare including Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and podcasts hosted by Arnett’s ex Amy Poehler and Dax Shepard.
Monster smash
While Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” isn’t technically a Canadian production, it might be close enough if you’re rooting for the home team. The gothic horror film was partly shot in and around Toronto, while del Toro took every opportunity at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall to declare the city his “second home.” “Frankenstein” is up for best motion picture (drama) and best director for del Toro, though it has slim chances of winning either. Even if “Frankenstein” doesn’t pull off any big wins, its likely to continue showing up this season, with some prognosticators expecting nods in the technical categories when the Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 22.
