Golden Globes 2026 Snubs & Surprises: ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘Wicked: For Good’
Golden Globes 2026 Snubs & Surprises include Wicked For Good, Kathryn Bigelow, and Joe Rogan. Plus surprises like Rhea Seehorn’s first nomination.
The 83rd Golden Globes nominations dropped Monday. Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall unveiled the list, and boy, did it sting for some Hollywood heavyweights.
While Warner Bros’ Sinners and Netflix’s Adolescence popped champagne, others, like Wicked: For Good and director Kathryn Bigelow—might need something stronger than morning coffee. The Golden Globes 2026 snubs hurt harder than a Cannes rejection, leaving film festival darlings scratching their heads. With 28 categories including a controversial new Best Podcast bracket, this year’s nominations proved the Globes still love chaos as much as they love star power.
When Your Movie Gets Nominated for Everything Except Best Picture
Let’s talk about the elephant in the Beverly Hilton ballroom: Wicked: For Good.
This Wizard of Oz sequel scored nods for its songs, its box office haul, and both leads—Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo brought home acting nominations like they were collecting Emeralds from the Yellow Brick Road. But the movie itself? Shut out of Best Picture, Musical or Comedy.
Director Jon M. Chu got ghosted too. It’s like showing up to a party where everyone loves your outfit, your jokes, and your dance moves, but nobody actually wants to hang out with you. For a film that’s been the talk of every film market from Cannes to Toronto, this Golden Globes 2026 snub feels especially brutal. The Globes voters apparently liked every single ingredient except the actual dish. Talk about a cowardly lion move.
Kathryn Bigelow and the ‘House of Dynamite’ That Fizzled
Netflix bet big on House of Dynamite, Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear war thriller loaded with A-listers and even bigger ideas. The film market buzz suggested Oscar potential. Instead? A nomination wasteland. The Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker walked away empty-handed, which feels less like an oversight and more like a deliberate snub.
When you’ve already won the Academy Award and the Globes still ice you out, that’s not bad luck, that’s a statement. Netflix probably thought this would be their prestige play heading into awards season. Turns out, the only thing that detonated was their campaign strategy.
The Podcast Category No One Asked For (Sorry, Ben Shapiro)
The Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category this year, which immediately became the most contentious addition since they tried to split Best Picture into drama and comedy decades ago. You’d think Joe Rogan, whose The Joe Rogan Experience pulls millions of listeners weekly, would be a shoo-in. Nope. The podcast king got dethroned before he even got a chance to sit at the table.
Then there’s Ben Shapiro. The Daily Wire co-founder campaigned harder than a first-time indie filmmaker at Sundance. He showed up everywhere, bought ads, glad-handed voters. Still came up short. Maybe the Globes just aren’t that into right-wing political commentary, or maybe they figured Shapiro talks fast enough without needing an awards speech. Either way, this Golden Globes 2026 snub proves that podcast stardom doesn’t automatically translate to Hollywood gold.
The Surprises That Actually Made Us Smile
Not everything Monday morning was doom and gloom. Rhea Seehorn finally, finally, got her Golden Globe nomination for Pluribus. After years of Better Call Saul snubs that felt downright criminal, hearing her name called out was like watching your favorite underdog win at Berlin. The woman deserved this recognition five years ago, but hey, better late than never.
Nick Cave scoring a nomination for his title song from Train Dreams was another delightful curveball. The Bad Seeds frontman has done novels, Wim Wenders cameos, poetry—you name it. Now he can add Golden Globe nominee to the resume. For film geeks who love when musicians cross over into cinema, this one hits different.
And Jacob Elordi? The Euphoria star doubled up with nominations for both Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and the Australian miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North. That second one flew under most radars, but clearly the Globes voters caught it. Sometimes the best surprises come from projects that never dominated the film market chatter.
For more on this year’s awards season trends, check out The Hollywood Reporter’s coverage.
What Happens Next on the Road to January 11
Final ballots go out December 19, voters send them back January 3, and then we get the actual ceremony on January 11. CBS and Paramount+ will broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton, with Nikki Glaser hosting what Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne loves to call “the party of the year.” (She says that every year, by the way.)
Before the big night, there’s the January 8 Golden Eve honoring Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker. Then everyone sobers up from New Year’s and pretends they haven’t been stress-eating and refreshing prediction sites for weeks.
The Golden Globes 2026 snubs will sting for a while, especially for Wicked: For Good fans who thought they had Best Picture locked. But awards season is a marathon, not a sprint. Just ask the L.A. Film Critics Association, who gave big wins to One Battle After Another and Stellan Skarsgård on Sunday night. Sometimes getting shut out early means you come back stronger at the Oscars. Sometimes it just means the Globes made weird choices again.
Either way, the chaos makes for great viewing.
FAQ: Golden Globes 2026 Snubs & Surprises
Q: Why didn’t Wicked: For Good get a Best Picture nomination?
A: Despite nominations for its stars, songs, and box office performance, the film itself was shut out of Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Voters apparently loved the parts but not the whole, which feels especially surprising given its film festival circuit success.
Q: Who were the biggest surprises in this year’s nominations?
A: Rhea Seehorn finally scored a nomination after years of Better Call Saul snubs, Nick Cave got recognized for his song work, and Jacob Elordi doubled up with nods for both Frankenstein and The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Q: When are the Golden Globes happening?
A: The ceremony airs January 11, 2026 on CBS and Paramount+, hosted by Nikki Glaser and broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton.
Your Move, Oscar Voters
The Golden Globes have spoken, and the message is clear: expect nothing, prepare for chaos, and never assume your favorite will make the cut. For those nursing wounds from Monday’s announcements, there’s always the Academy Awards. And for those celebrating surprise nominations? Enjoy it while it lasts—awards season is a long, strange trip.
What did you think of this year’s nominations? Drop your hot takes in the comments, especially if you’re still mad about Wicked: For Good.