From a recent Emmy winner to one that was just plain wicked.

The biggest snubs and surprises of 2026 Golden Globes nominations

From a recent Emmy winner to one that was just plain wicked.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of *The Awardist* podcast, and has cohosted EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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Joyce Eng

Joyce Eng is a senior news editor at ** with nearly 20 years of experience in entertainment journalism. She previously worked at OK!, TV Guide, and Gold Derby.

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December 8, 2025 11:02 a.m. ET

Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'; Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 'Wicked: For Good'; Katherine LaNasa on 'The Pitt'. Credit:

Gilles Mingasson/Disney; Universal Pictures; Warrick Page/Max

The international journalists who make up the Golden Globes got a lot right with their 2026 nominations, but as is usually the case, there were some names we expected to see on the list that weren't, as well as some surprising ones to make the cut.

Here are our picks for the biggest snubs and the most surprising of surprises. (And, of course, share your own picks in the comments below.)**

Wicked: For Good

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good'.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Sure, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both nominated for their performances as Elphaba and Glinda, and it scored two original song nominations for Stephen Schwartz, but the biggest (and best) *musical* of the year didn't make it into the Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy category? Granted, none of the nominees — *Blue Moon*, *Bugonia*, *Marty Supreme*, *No Other Choice*, *Nouvelle Vague*, *One Battle After Another* — are musicals, but, c'mon! Yes, reception to the second *Wicked* film, like the stage production, hasn't been as grand as the first...but *Nouvelle Vague*? K. A Cinematic and Box Office Achievement nomination doesn't make up for this, Globes voters. —Gerrad Hall

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'.

Disney/Gilles Mingasson

Much like teachers who don't get their due, Quinta Brunson was overlooked in Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy for the first time in the sitcom's run. She won the category in 2023, handing Jean Smart (*Hacks*) one of her rare defeats at any awards show. That night saw *Abbott Elementary* take home trophies for series and Tyler James Williams. *Abbott* only made the series cut this year (Brunson is still nominated as an executive producer), but her acting snub signals that the aging comedy, currently in its fifth season, is on the downswing with awards bodies. Brunson's omission comes three days after she was also snubbed by the Critics Choice Awards, while the show and costars Chris Perfetti and Janelle James scored nods. Will the Emmys follow suit — especially if there are only five slots again? —Joyce Eng

***Check out more from EW's *The Awardist*, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV, movies, and more.***

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Katherina LaNasa on 'The Pitt'.

Warrick Page/Max

*The Pitt* won three acting awards, for Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, and Shawn Hatosy, en route to claiming Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys, but the Globes only handed an acting bid to Wyle. The Globes don't have a guest category, so Hatosy, who won the Emmy in guest, was sadly never going to be a factor here in the catch-all Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Television Series category. LaNasa, however, was expected to make the supporting actress lineup, but she missed out to three ladies from *The White Lotus* (all of whom she beat at the Emmys), reigning Emmy champs from other genres, comedy winner Hannah Einbinder (*Hacks*) and limited series winner Erin Doherty (*Adolescence*), and former Globe winner Catherine O'Hara (*The Studio*). A possible factor in her exclusion? The Globes' voting body consists of international journalists, and *The Pitt* is not yet widely available around the world. Season 2 is premiering stateside in a month, but the U.K. hasn't even gotten season 1 — and won't until HBO Max launches there in March. —J.E.

The ladies of Marty Supreme

Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A'zion in 'Marty Supreme'.

The supporting actress category has been a bit of a headscratcher for a few months now, what with two potential nominees from *Sentimental Value* (Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), two from *One Battle After Another* (Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall), *Wicked*'s Grande, *Weapons* secret weapon Amy Madigan coming for a spot, as well as *Sinners*' Wunmi Mosaku, and actors' fave Emily Blunt from *The Smashing Machine* all considered strong contenders. Alas, Timothée Chalamet's *Marty Supreme* costars Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A'zion, who play his movie-star mistress and knocked-up girlfriend, end up not making the final bracket in this crowded field. Even their director, Josh Safdie, was shut out of the directing category (though he and Ronald Bronstein did get a best screenplay nomination). —G.H.

2026 Golden Globes nominations: See the full list of nominees

See the full list of 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominees

Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Eva Victor in 'Sorry, Baby'.

Most awards pundits thought the sixth slot in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama category would go to Sydney Sweeney for *Christy* or perhaps Laura Dern for *Is This Thing On?*. Lucy Liu's performance in *Rosemead* is even building chatter. But Eva Victor's name is perhaps the last name many expected to be called (maybe even for Victor herself). She gives a beautifully subdued, curious, layered, tragic, but also humorous performance here — one that's not easy to forget. Hearing her name brought a smile to my face. Well done, Globes...and Victor! —G.H.

Jacob Elordi, *The Narrow Road to the Deep North *

Jacob Elordi in 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North'.

Ingvar Kenne/Curio/Sony Pictures Television

Jacob Elordi's supporting actor nomination for *Frankenstein* was not surprising. His Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television bid for *The Narrow Road to the North,* though? Very much so. You're probably thinking, "Jacob Elordi had a TV show this year"?! That he did. Based on the novel of the same name, the five-episode limited series, in which Elordi plays a Far East prisoner of war, quietly dropped on Prime Video on April 18, four days after the streamer, which already had international rights, acquired U.S. rights. The Emmys didn't touch the low-profile show at all, but it makes sense the Globes would — not just because its voters are international journalists but also because said journalists primarily cover film and are not as caught up on TV (how else do you explain Jeremy Allen White three-peating for *The Bear* earlier this year and now being a two-time nominee for the show and *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere*?). They were already nominating Elordi for *Frankenstein*, so of course, his name would pop for them in a TV category. Similarly, Amanda Seyfried was a shoo-in on the film side for *The Testament of Ann Lee* and also bagged a TV nomination for her low-key Peacock limited series that was also passed over by the Emmys, *Long Bright River*. —J.E.

No Other Choice

Lee Byung-Hun in 'No Other Choice'.

Courtesy of Neon

What is *No Other Choice*, you ask? If you haven't heard of the South Korean black comedy, that's because it hasn't hit theaters yet. The newest movie from director Park Chan-wook (*Oldboy*, *Decision to Leave*), which scored three Globes noms, opens in limited release this Christmas Day, and if it's playing near you, go see it as a gift to yourself. Like so many South Korean films, it's a wild take on the class system and what happens when desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't be surprised if you hear this movie mentioned at other awards shows. —G.H.

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