written by Brent Lang and Jordan Moreau, Variety
“One Battle After Another,” a blisteringly funny look at a repressive society riven by political violence, dominated the 2026 Golden Globe Awards nominations on Monday, earning nine nominations. It was followed closely behind by “Sentimental Value,” a drama about a filmmaker’s dysfunctional family, and “Sinners,” a vampire movie set in the segregated South, which earned eight nominations and seven nominations, respectively.
Because the Golden Globes honor dramas and musicals/comedies separately, these films will compete for the top prizes in different categories. “One Battle After Another” is up for best motion picture – musical or comedy, alongside “Blue Moon,” “Bugonia,” “Marty Supreme,” “No Other Choice” and “Nouvelle Vague.” “Sentimental Value” and “Sinners” will vie for best drama alongside “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “It Was Just an Accident” and “The Secret Agent.”
On the series front, “The White Lotus,” a satire set in a posh Thailand resort, and “Adolescence,” the story of a criminal investigation told in one continuous shot, led with six and five nominations, respectively. They were followed closely behind by the comedy-mystery show “Only Murders in the Building” and the sci-fi thriller “Severance,” which earned four nods apiece.
“The White Lotus” and “Severance” are up for best drama series, where they will face off against “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “The Diplomat” and “Slow Horses.” “Only Murders in the Building” was nominated for best comedy series, along with “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Hacks,” “Nobody Wants This” and “The Studio.” “Adolescence” will compete with “All Her Fault,” “The Beast in Me,” “Black Mirror,” “Dying for Sex” and “The Girlfriend” for best television limited series, anthology or motion picture.
Netflix, which recently stunned Hollywood with its $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO, led all distributors with 35 nominations across film and television. It was followed closely behind by the company it plans to buy, with Warner Bros. and HBO receiving 31 nominations between them.
The Globes are a less staid affair than the Oscars or the Emmys. Champagne flows freely, the event unfolds in a supper club setting and it’s not unusual for a tipsy honoree to take the stage or miss their award because of an ill-timed bathroom break. President Helen Hoehne suggested as much when nominations were announced, calling it “Hollywood’s party of the year.”
But the Globes are being handed out as the business has a lot less to celebrate. The streaming economy is under strain, studios are cutting costs and slashing jobs and the box office is in a rut. The awards show (Variety parent company PMC owns Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge) has taken steps to evolve along with changing tastes. For the first time, it is recognizing podcasters, with the likes of “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “Smartless” and “Up First” all competing for the top prize.
The organization has also added the category of best cinematic or box office achievement to reflect more commercial tastes. Its nominees are puzzling. They include undeniable box office hits such as “F1,” “Sinners,” “Weapons,” “Wicked: For Good,” and “Zootopia,” but also “Avatar: Fire & Ash,” which hasn’t opened yet, and “KPop Demon Hunters,” which was a streaming success for Netflix, but barely played in theaters. Another honoree, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” was a financial disappointment that lost tens of millions of dollars.
Another new award, honoring the best stand-up special, recognized Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman, Kumail Nanjiani, Kevin Hart and Brett Goldstein with nominations.
In addition to its best motion picture nomination, “One Battle After Another” earned nods for best director for Paul Thomas Anderson, lead actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, lead actress for Chase Infiniti and supporting nods for Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor. It also picked up nods for Anderson’s screenplay and Jonny Greenwood’s score. Though critically adored, “One Battle After Another” struggled at the box office — it earned over $200 million, but cost more than $130 million to produce and millions more to market, and will lose tens of millions of dollars.
The “White Lotus” nominations included acting nods for Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins and Jason Isaacs. Creator Mike White recently announced that the anthology series will return for a fourth season that will be set in the French Riviera.
The nominations were unveiled Monday morning by Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall. The 2026 Golden Globe Awards will air on Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. Comedian Nikki Glaser returns to host the show for the second year in a row.
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
THE DIPLOMAT (NETFLIX)
THE PITT (HBO MAX)
PLURIBUS (APPLE TV)
SEVERANCE (APPLE TV)
SLOW HORSES (APPLE TV)
THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO MAX)
Featuring Work by John Valerio, ACE
