The best film and TV of 2021, according to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has been announced as the nominations for the 2022 Golden Globes have been revealed. A number of theatre favorites found themselves on the ballot.
The ceremony, always a lightning rod for conversation between the boozy annual ceremony and protests surrounding the HFPA’s equity and inclusion, will be a subdued affair next month. An untelevised ceremony will announce the winners January 9 after NBC pulled the plug on an option to air following a report by The Los Angeles Times. The nominations are usually celebrated with fanfare and publicists sharing their client’s thoughts upon earning recognition for their on-screen work but this year’s announcement went by with decidedly less notice.
Still, nominations were announced, and a wide-range of projects were recognized. The biggest trend for theatre enthusiasts to take note of was the inclusion of stage-to-screen adaptations, thanks to a large number to choose from over the past year. Among those scoring nods for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy were Cyrano; tick, tick…BOOM!; and West Side Story.
The three musicals all received nominations for its leading players, with Peter Dinklage as Cyrano de Bergerac up against Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson in tick, tick…BOOM!. Anthony Ramos was also recognized in the Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy category for his performance as Usnavi in In The Heights, although the film itself did not work its way into Best Motion Picture.
Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy includes Rachel Zegler for her performance as Maria in West Side Story, Broadway alum Emma Stone (Cruella), and Marion Cotillard in the original musical in Annette. West Side Story also scored nominations for Ariana DeBose as Anita in Best Supporting Actress and for Steven Spielberg in Best Director. The former category also includes Ruth Negga, soon to star in a Broadway revival of Macbeth, for Passing.
Other theatre alums earning nods for their performances on film were Tony winner Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye), Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), and Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard).
Encanto, featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, got nods for Best Motion Picture – Animated, Best Original Song, and Best Original Score. Raya and the Last Dragon, with a screenplay co-written by Qui Nguyen, was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Animated.
Over on the TV side, a number of Broadway stars found themselves included in the nominations. Tony and Emmy winner Billy Porter found himself in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama category for his work in Pose as Pray Tell, with Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who plays Blanca in the recently concluded FX series, nominated in Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama. The latter will face off against current Broadway star Uzo Aduba (Clyde’s) for In Treatment, Christine Baranski for The Good Fight, Elisabeth Moss for The Handmaid’s Tale, and Jennifer Aniston for The Morning Show.
Other stage alums receiving nods for their performances on TV were Tony winners Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha) and Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Olivier winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), and Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage, with Jessica Chastain getting a second nomination).
Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film Belfast and Jane Campion’s adaptation of Thomas Savage’s The Power of the Dog tied for the most nominations, (seven) for any film while HBO’s Succession earned the most for a TV project with five. A number of projects with theatre-stacked casts, including Halston, Only Murders in the Building, and Dopesick appeared on the roster as well. For a complete list, were also recognized. Click here for a full list.
