- Update: The results for the 66th Golden Globes are now in! Read about the winners and more here.
- Update 2: The nominations for the 81st Academy Awards are also in! Full list here.
The awards season in Hollywood is just around the corner, with the Golden Globe nominations being announced last Thursday.
This year’s big contenders are ‘Frost/Nixon’, ‘Doubt’ and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, each receiving five nominations. The films vying for the title of best picture (drama) are ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, ‘Frost/Nixon’, ‘The Reader’, ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
Yet to see any of these films listed? That’s probably because they haven’t even hit Australian cinemas yet. However, over the coming weeks expect to see such Oscar bait luring patrons into cinemas across the nation.
Among the nominees for best actor (drama) are Sean Penn (Milk) and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), whilst for the leading ladies, Meryl Streep claimed best actress nominations for Doubt (drama) and Mamma Mia! (musical/comedy).
Kate Winslet also scored two nominations, for best actress (drama) in Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress in The Reader. In the category of best supporting actor the standout is the late Heath Ledger for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Another standout is Wall-E, another of Disney-Pixar’s triumphs nominated for best animated feature film. Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) is one of the contenders for best director, with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) a notable omission from this category.There were some other surprise snubs at the nomination announcement, such as a best picture nomination for ‘Milk‘. Although a good indicator for the Academy Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote for the Globes, do tend to vote a little differently than the Academy so a few changes in the categories can be expected by the time Oscar comes to town.
One thing that Hollywood can definitely agree on is their hopes for a good show this year, after the 2008 Golden Globe ceremony was cancelled. Actors boycotted the ceremony in support of the writers’ strike and the winners were announced at a press conference. It will be great to see the glitz, glamour and fun return for this year’s ceremony.
A full list of nominees can be viewed at IMDB here.
In news from the Academy, Australian favourite Hugh Jackman has been chosen as host of the 2009 Oscars ceremony. In recent times, American comedians and personalities have been the choice for the top job, and so many were surprised when Jackman was announced as host. It shows that the Academy Awards, now in their 81st year, may be taking a new direction in the future after falls in ratings. Hugh, gaining acclaim for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s under performing ‘Australia’, is not new to hosting awards ceremonies, after hosting the Tony Awards for Broadway three times in the past. I think Hugh will be a sensational host, as he is not only a seasoned professional but an all-around nice guy and great Australian! The Academy Awards will be held on February 22, 2009, with nominations expected towards the end of January.
Stay tuned to Cut, Print, Review for more awards season news!!
