Margot Robbie, Oprah Winfrey, and Leonardo DiCaprio are set to join other prominent stars at the Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood's initial major celebration since significant disruptions affected much of the entertainment industry last year due to twin strikes.
The awards ceremony, characterised by a red carpet and champagne-filled festivities, will recognise outstanding achievements in film and television.
The honorees are chosen by a fresh panel of 300 entertainment journalists from around the globe as a response to reforms implemented after a controversy involving diversity and ethics among voters.
The blockbuster "Barbie," featuring Robbie as the iconic doll, leads the nominations with an impressive nine nods, while the historical drama "Oppenheimer," depicting the creation of the atomic bomb, follows closely with eight nominations.
The Golden Globes mark the commencement of Hollywood's annual awards season, culminating in the Oscars on March 10. The event brings together top stars following a six-month hiatus due to strikes by actors and writers in 2023.
This ceremony provides celebrities with an opportunity to promote their films and TV shows after months of restricted promotion.
Comedian Jo Koy, hosting his first major awards show, expressed his excitement: "I'm a little biassed, but this is the best awards show, and we're going to have fun."
The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed simultaneously for Paramount+ subscribers on Showtime.
Among the acting nominees are Robbie and her "Barbie" co-star Ryan Gosling, alongside "Oppenheimer" stars Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, who starred in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," are also in the running for awards.
Oprah Winfrey is among the presenters for the night, and pop sensation Taylor Swift may join the A-list crowd as a nominee for "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," a concert film competing in a new category for cinematic and box office achievement.
In the television realm, "Succession" is anticipated to receive accolades for its final season depicting the high-stakes battle for control of a global media empire, leading all nominees with nine nods. The restaurant dramedy "The Bear" follows closely with five nominations.
This year's Globes feature 27 first-time nominees. Previously known for its informal and spirited atmosphere, the Globes faced potential extinction due to ethical lapses and a lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, as exposed by a 2021 Los Angeles Times report. The 2022 ceremony was canceled, and subsequent reforms led to the association's dissolution and the sale of the Globes to new owners.
Under the management of Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, the awards now have a voting body of 300 journalist members from 75 countries, with 60% racial and ethnic diversity. These changes have seemingly garnered support from Hollywood's top talent, with Joyce Eng, senior editor at awards website Gold Derby, noting that people are more receptive to the "new and improved" Golden Globes.
