Dominance in Golden Globe Nominations: ‘Barbie’ Outpaces ‘Oppenheimer

In a head-to-head race for Golden Globe nominations, the pink-hued cinematic sensation ‘Barbie’ emerged victorious, snagging nine nods and surpassing the historical drama ‘Oppenheimer,’ which secured eight nominations.

These two movies, part of a summer showdown dubbed ‘Barbenheimer,’ will contend in separate categories at the prestigious Globes, a star-studded event heralding the start of Hollywood’s awards season in January.

Director Greta Gerwig’s rendition of the iconic doll in ‘Barbie’ will vie for the title of best comedy or musical film against competitors like ‘American Fiction’ and ‘The Holdovers.’

Meanwhile, ‘Oppenheimer,’ featuring Cillian Murphy as the mastermind behind the atomic bomb, will compete for the best movie drama. Among its contenders is Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ recounting the tragic murders of Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma.

Shifting focus to television, the family drama ‘Succession’ led with nine nominations, closely followed by ‘The Bear’ with five nods.

Addressing previous criticism about lack of diversity, this year’s expanded group of Globe voters acknowledged two female directors—Gerwig and Celine Song. Acting nominations included recognition for Native American star Lily Gladstone in ‘Flower Moon,’ Colman Domingo in ‘Rustin,’ and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction,’ showcasing a spectrum of talent.

Reflecting on the nominations, Domingo expressed gratitude, stating, “For all of us, that means our work is being seen. So that feels good.”

Notably, Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks earned nominations for their roles in ‘The Color Purple,’ a story portraying Black Americans in the early 1900s. However, the film missed out on the race for best movie musical or comedy.

Barrino emphasized the universal appeal of the movie, saying, “This movie is not just a Black thing – it’s a world thing.”

Tim Gray, formerly of Variety and now an executive vice president of the Globes, highlighted the increased diversity and inclusivity in this year’s nominees. He noted, “Two of the directing nominees are women, half of the screenwriting nominees are women. There’s a lot of racial diversity in the nominations.”

Further adding to the excitement, ‘The Last of Us’ star Pedro Pascal and ‘Past Lives’ actor Greta Lee received nominations, marking their debut among the 27 first-time nominees.