Preview: Game of Thrones at the 74th Annual Golden Globes
By Corey Smith
Brace yourselves: the 2016 Golden Globe Awards, which honor the best in film and television, are upon us. This year, Game of Thrones is nominated in two categories, and looks poised to put up a good fight in both. Here’s our official preview.
First, the show is up for the top award of the night: Best Television Series, Drama.
- The Crown (Netflix)
- Game Of Thrones (HBO)
- Stranger Things (Netflix)
- This Is Us (NBC)
- Westworld (HBO)
There’s some stiff competition here. This is the fourth time Game of Thrones has been nominated in this category (it was also up for the Best Drama prize for Seasons 1, 4, and 5), but it’s never won. Both Stranger Things and This Is Us have been getting a lot of buzz. But fellow HBO drama Westworld presents the biggest challenge. Even Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin picked Westworld as the one to beat on his Nog a Blog.
"Being an HBO guy, I’m thrilled that to see that both GAME OF THRONES and WESTWORLD have been nominated for the big prize… though WESTWORLD is going to be some tough competition. (In fact, I would figure WW for the favorite)."
Strong words, but Game of Thrones Season 6 has some momentum. It picked up wins for Best Drama at both the Emmy Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards. We feel like this could be Game of Thrones‘ year at the Golden Globes. Sorry, Mr. Martin—please don’t kill someone we love in retaliation.
Next, Lena Headey is nominated for her work as Cersei Lannister in the category of Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
- Olivia Colman – The Night Manager
- Lena Headey – Game Of Thrones
- Chrissy Metz – This Is Us
- Mandy Moore – This Is Us
- Thandie Newton – Westworld
For the most part, Lena Headey is facing off against cast members from shows also nominated in the Best Drama category. Notably, this is the first time an actress from Game of Thrones has been singled out by the Golden Globes with a nomination, although Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) took home a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Game of Thrones Season 1.
Following Season 6, the 43-year-old Headey was nominated for acting awards at both the Emmys and the Critics’ Choice Awards, but she didn’t win. That might portend another loss at the Golden Globes, but we’ll will be pulling for the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, and protector of the realm. And of course, should Lena Headey not appear at the ceremony, the rest of the crowd should find the nearest exit as quickly as possible.
The 2016 Golden Globe Awards hosted by Jimmy Fallon air this Sunday, January 8th on NBC at 8:00 p.m. EST.