Beverly Hills, 8 Dec

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ led the nominations for the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Monday with nine nods, strengthening its position as an Oscar frontrunner and giving Warner Bros. a timely boost amid its ongoing acquisition talks with Netflix.

The film earned nominations for its cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and Chase Infiniti, along with recognition for Anderson’s screenplay and direction. It will compete in the comedy and musical category.

Close behind was Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’, a Norwegian family drama released by Neon, which secured eight nominations, including four acting nods for Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.

The nominations arrive during a moment of major upheaval in Hollywood. Netflix recently announced a USD 72-billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, a move that could significantly reshape the industry if approved. Concerns have already been raised by exhibitors over how theatrical releases might be affected.

Warner Bros., Netflix and the Golden Globes

Both studios remain dominant forces this awards season. Warner Bros. also scored seven nominations for Ryan Coogler’s vampire drama ‘Sinners’, including best actor for Michael B Jordan and best director for ‘Coogler’.

Netflix collected 35 nominations across film and television. Its slate includes Noah Baumbach’s ‘Jay Kelly’, Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’, and the surprise smash ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, which received a rare nomination for cinematic and box office achievement.

Warner Bros., meanwhile, secured 31 nominations, with HBO Max contributing 15 of them through series like ‘The White Lotus’, which led TV contenders with six nods.

The proposed Netflix–Warner Bros. merger has sparked debate across the industry. While Netflix has pledged support for theatrical releases, exhibitors and rival studios remain wary. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump suggested the enlarged market share “could be a problem”, while Paramount said it was preparing a hostile bid for Warner Bros.

Neon shines on a bad day for ‘Wicked: For Good’

Neon emerged as a major winner on the film side with 21 nominations, including five of the six shortlisted international films. The studio’s continued success at festivals like Cannes appears to be translating to awards momentum.

Some of Neon’s gains came at the expense of bigger studio titles. ‘Wicked: For Good’ earned five nominations, including two for its songs and acting nods for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, but missed out on a best comedy or musical nomination.

Instead, the Globes shortlisted ‘One Battle After Another’, Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia’, Josh Safdie’s ‘Marty Supreme’, Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ (another Neon release), and Richard Linklater’s ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Nouvelle Vague’.

In drama, Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ secured six nominations, including acting nods for Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. It will compete alongside ‘Frankenstein’ and three Neon titles: ‘The Secret Agent’, ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’. Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’, made under severe restrictions in Iran, earned four nominations.

Podcasters and A-listers mingle

For the first time, the Globes introduced a best podcast category, with nominees including ‘Armchair Expert’, ‘Call Her Daddy’, ‘Good Hang With Amy Poehler’, ‘The Mel Robbins Podcast’, ‘SmartLess’ and NPR’s ‘Up First’.

A-list contenders across categories include Timothée Chalamet, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Hawke and Dwayne Johnson.

This year’s ceremony marks another step in the Globes’ restructuring following controversies involving the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The awards are now run by Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, with a new voting body of more than 300 members.

Nikki Glaser returns as host for the 11 January ceremony, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Helen Mirren will receive the Cecil B DeMille Award, while Sarah Jessica Parker will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award.