Golden Globes 2016: Live Coverage
Golden Globes 2016: Live Coverage
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The Golden Globes have increasingly tried to have it both ways
Fed up with the Pia Zadora jokes – she was inexplicably named “new star of the year” in 1981, after her husband wined and dined voters – and battling an embarrassing lawsuit from a former publicist, the organization behind the Globes got serious about standards a few years ago. The days of wacky nominations, part of what made the Globes so much fun (at least to mock), are largely gone
At the same time, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes, has tried harder to make the ceremony live up to its billing as “the biggest party of the year.” More champagne! Mouthier hosts! A longer red carpet!
The balance is a hard one to pull off. Will the 2016 Globes manage it? Here are 10 things to watch for on Sunday night as you decide
Carol
How much sway does Harvey Weinstein continue to have with Globe voters? They have been very kind to him over the years; this time around, his “Carol” leads the Globes field, with five nominations. But “Carol” has faced inconsistent support on the broader awards circuit — it was snubbed by the influential Producers Guild of America — and the handicappers at Gold Derby, an entertainment honors site, has it losing in every Globes category except perhaps score. (Cut to sad trombone noise
2. Big-Screen Diversity
#GlobesSoWhite? The Oscar version of that hashtag became a phenomenon last year because of a lack of diversity among nominees. The Globes have mostly avoided criticism, but on Sunday all of the winners in the six film acting categories could be white. There are very few nonwhite film nominees — “Straight Outta Compton” was snubbed entirely, despite doing quite well at the foreign box office — and the only movie performer of color seen as having a chance of winning is Idris Elba, a supporting actor nominee for “Beasts of No Nation.”
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Amy Schumer
Some members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association wanted her to host this year’s ceremony. If she wins best comedic actress for “Trainwreck” – beating her buddy Jennifer Lawrence, a nominee for “Joy” – it might butter her up to accept the hosting offer next year, not to mention potentially creating a viral moment based on what she says in her acceptance speech
Best Director
In 2007, when the Globes honored Martin Scorsese for his direction of “The Departed,” the A-list guests in the ballroom – many of them Oscar voters – served up a raucous standing ovation. The instant takeaway: Mr. Scorsese was on track, finally, to win an Academy Award for directing. And he did. If Ridley Scott, who has never won a Globe or an Oscar, takes this category on Sunday for his direction of “The Martian” and receives a comparable response, he could be similarly on his way
Mel Gibson
Is Hollywood finally ready to forgive him? Again, watch the crowd shots as he takes the stage as a presenter on Sunday. Mr. Gibson, who became an industry pariah in 2006 following a drunken driving arrest and anti-Semitic outburst, has a new film on the way — his first in a decade as a director — perhaps explaining his Globes invite. A rather forgiving lot, Globe organizers also had him on in 2010; the host that year (Ricky Gervais, returning as host on Sunday) made fun of him then
6. Jon Hamm
The “Mad Men” star finally won his first Emmy Award after eight nominations. Will the Globes send him off with a fond farewell as well? The Hollywood Foreign Press loves a newcomer — like Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot” — but though Mr. Hamm already won once, in 2008, this is his last opportunity to nab a Globe for his portrayal of Don Draper
HBO
Television has never been more crowded and competitive, and that’s what made HBO’s domination at the Emmys so startling. Can HBO follow that up with a strong Globes performance this year, leading with “Game of Thrones” in the drama category?
Streaming
Though the Globes don’t carry the same weight for industry executives that the Emmys do, the streaming surge cannot be ignored. Last year proved to be a big one for streaming services — Amazon led the way with “Transparent’s” Golden Globe win for best comedy series — and one big question is whether Netflix, Amazon and Hulu can, for the first time, draw more awards than the cable and broadcast networks
Mr. Robot’
USA has pivoted from its “blue skies” programming and last year delivered a dark critical darling in “Mr. Robot.” This cable network has never been a Globes favorite, but this freshman show has a strong shot at the best drama award, and the show’s stars, Mr. Malek and Christian Slater, are both in strong contention in the acting categories
Small-Screen Diversity
As the broadcast networks garner fewer nominations, one notable footnote is that many of their nods this year are for shows with diverse casts: Fox’s “Empire,” CW’s “Jane the Virgin,” ABC’s “American Crime” and “How to Get Away With Murder
