Golden Globes 2025 – A Confusing Race

Golden Globes Maintain the Mystery, Elevating Underdogs and Overlooking Favorites

Sunday’s Golden Globes offered little clarity on the road to the Oscars, instead shining a spotlight on lesser-seen films like “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” while some presumed frontrunners—most notably “Anora”—were left out in the cold.

A24’s immigrant saga “The Brutalist,” which has yet to reach theaters widely (we were lucky to see it), scooped up three awards: Best Drama, Best Actor for Adrien Brody, and Best Director for Brady Corbet. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez,” exploring trans identity, emerged as a four-time winner, securing Best Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), Best Song (“El Mal”), and Best Non-English-Language Film.

Across the board, film prizes were widely distributed. “Wicked,” “The Substance,” “A Different Man,” “Flow,” “I’m Still Here,” “Conclave,” “Challengers,” and “A Real Pain” each claimed a single Globe. Despite entering the ceremony with five nominations, “Anora” went home empty-handed, as did “The Wild Robot” (four nods) and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” (three nods). Industry insiders had been betting heavily on “Anora,” which follows a young sex worker, for a strong Oscar showing.

On the television front, FX’s “Shogun” dominated with four major wins—Best TV Drama, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor—while other shows receiving recognition included “Hacks,” “Baby Reindeer,” “The Bear,” “True Detective: Night Country,” and “The Penguin.”