The wait is over. On Monday, December 8, 2025, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) pulled back the curtain on the 2026 Golden Globe nominations, effectively kicking off the awards season chaos we all secretly love.
If 2025 was the year of “sequel fatigue” vs. “auteur dominance,” the Globes have picked a clear side. While blockbusters showed up in the box office categories, the top artistic slots are dominated by heavy hitters like Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler.
Let’s be real—the biggest headline isn’t just who got in, but who got left out in the cold. With the ceremony set for January 11, 2026, hosted once again by the sharp-tongued Nikki Glaser, here is everything you need to know about the nominees, the shocks, and the undeniable snubs.
The Big Story: “One Battle After Another” Dominates
If there’s one clear takeaway from Monday morning, it’s that Paul Thomas Anderson is the man to beat. His black comedy-thriller, One Battle After Another, didn’t just land a few nods; it swept the board.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a unreasonable ex-revolutionary and Sean Penn as his nemesis, the film is leading the pack with nominations for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Director, and acting nods for almost its entire main cast. It feels like the industry is rallying around this film in a way we haven’t seen since Oppenheimer.
Golden Globes 2026: Full List of Nominations (Film)
Here are the key contenders vying for the statues.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Frankenstein (Netflix) – Guillermo del Toro’s gothic masterpiece.
- Hamnet (Focus Features) – Chloé Zhao’s tear-jerker.
- It Was Just an Accident (NEON)
- The Secret Agent (NEON)
- Sentimental Value (NEON) – Joachim Trier’s critical darling.
- Sinners (Warner Bros.) – Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
- Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Bugonia (Focus Features) – Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone.
- Marty Supreme (A24)
- No Other Choice (NEON)
- Nouvelle Vague (Netflix)
- One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) – The frontrunner.
Best Director – Motion Picture
- Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
- Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
- Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)
- Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident)
- Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
- Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Best Performance by a Male Actor – Drama
- Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
- Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein)
- Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine) – Yes, The Rock is an Oscar contender now.
- Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
- Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
- Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere)
Best Performance by a Female Actor – Musical or Comedy
- Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
- Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
- Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
- Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) – Breakout star alert.
- Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee)
- Emma Stone (Bugonia)
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- F1
- K-Pop Demon Hunters
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
- Sinners
- Weapons
- Wicked: For Good
- Zootopia 2
The TV Race: “The Pitt” vs. “The White Lotus”
Over on the small screen, HBO (or HBO Max, as we keep forgetting to call it) continues its reign. The medical drama The Pitt and the satire The White Lotus are locking horns for the drama crown.
Best Television Series – Drama
- The Diplomat (Netflix)
- The Pitt (HBO Max)
- Pluribus (Apple TV+)
- Severance (Apple TV+) – Finally back for Season 2!
- Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
- The White Lotus (HBO Max)
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
- Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- The Bear (FX on Hulu)
- Hacks (HBO Max)
- Nobody Wants This (Netflix) – The rom-com hit of the year.
- Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
- The Studio (Apple TV+)
Snubs, Surprises, and “Wicked” Drama
Every year, someone gets left off the list, and this year, the gasps were audible.
The “Wicked” Problem
While Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande picked up acting nominations, Wicked: For Good (Part 2) was notably absent from the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. Instead, it was relegated to the “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement” slot. For a film that defined the year’s pop culture, missing the main artistic category is a stinging snub.
The Rock’s Transformation
The biggest surprise? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson landing a Best Actor Drama nomination for The Smashing Machine. Critics have been whispering about his transformative performance in the A24 film for months, but seeing his name alongside Oscar Isaac and Jeremy Allen White makes it real. He’s no longer just a movie star; he’s an actor.
NEON’s Massive Year
We need to talk about the studio NEON. They secured a staggering number of nominations across the board with Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, and The Secret Agent. They are officially the indie powerhouse to beat, potentially eclipsing A24 this season.
Final Thoughts: What to Expect on Jan 11
The 2026 Golden Globes are shaping up to be a battle between the old guard and the new. You have Paul Thomas Anderson, a legend of cinema, going head-to-head with Ryan Coogler, the blockbuster visionary. You have Netflix fighting Apple TV+ for television dominance.
And you have Nikki Glaser hosting. If her monologue last year was any indication, nobody in that room is safe.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 11, 2026. If these nominations are any clue, it’s going to be a night of upsets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When are the 2026 Golden Globes? The ceremony will air live on Sunday, January 11, 2026, on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.
2. Who is hosting the 2026 Golden Globes? Comedian Nikki Glaser is returning to host for the second consecutive year, following rave reviews for her 2025 performance.
3. Which movie has the most nominations? Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another leads the pack with nine nominations, including Best Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Director, and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.
4. Was Wicked: For Good snubbed? Yes and no. While it received nominations for its actors and in the Box Office category, it was surprisingly left out of the prestigious Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category.
5. Why is Dwayne Johnson nominated? Johnson received a Best Actor (Drama) nomination for his role in A24’s The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that marks a major departure from his usual action-hero roles.
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