On the TV side of things, the HFPA pretty much just goes for what they like, which is usually the new, shiny nominee with the most recent buzz. In most categories anyway. Let's have at, shall we?
BEST DRAMA SERIES
- The Crown
- Game of Thrones
- Stranger Things
- This is Us
- Westworld
This may be trickier than it looks to predict, because we've got four hot new shows here. Hmm. So which one does the HFPA love the most? I'm thinking The Crown. Prestige period drama about the royal family? Yeah, that's Globe catnip if ever there was any.
Winner: The Crown
Alt: This is Us
Dark Horse: Westworld
BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL SERIES
- Atlanta
- Black-ish
- Mozart in the Jungle
- Transparent
- Veep
They really love this Mozart in the Jungle show, but do they go for it yet again? Seems like too much for them. But what wins instead? To be honest, none of these other shows feel like their type. Is it Veep, after five seasons? New kid on the block, Atlanta? I'm stumped on this one.
Winner: Atlanta
Alt: Mozart in the Jungle
Dark Horse: Veep
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
- Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
- Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Matthew Rhys, The Americans
- Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
- BIll Bob Thornton, Goliath
I thought for sure Rami Malek would win this last year and he didn't, so maybe they catch up with him this time, after his Emmy win. Otherwise, I think Matthew Rhys may have a shot. None of these actors' shows got nominated in drama series, so it's kind of a free for all.
Winner: Rami Malek
Alt: Matthew Rhys
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
- Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
- Claire Foy, The Crown
- Keri Russell, The Americans
- Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
- Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
I think Foy should take this one, as the young Queen Elizabeth. The HFPA almost always chooses a first time nominee from a hot new show here, but Winona Ryder is tempting, as a veteran star in a comeback role.
Winner: Claire Foy
Alt: Winona Ryder
Dark Horse: Caitriona Balfe
BEST ACTOR COMEDY/MUSICAL
- Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
- Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
- Donald Glover, Atlanta
- Nick Nolte, Graves
- Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
I'm saying Donald Glover for this, following the hot newcomer trend.
Winner: Donald Glover
Alt: Gael Garcia Bernal
BEST ACTRESS COMEDY/MUSICAL
- Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
- Issa Rae, Insecure
- Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
- Tracee Ellis-Ross, Black-ish
Yikes. With two previous first time winners here, I'm not sure if they'll repeat or go for someone new. They've never gone for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, despite her epic awards run for Veep- could the Globe finally be hers? Or maybe Tracee Ellis-Ross is the new winner? I could honestly see any one of either Bloom, Louis-Dreyfus, Rodriguez or Ellis-Ross winning.
Winner: Tracee Ellis-Ross
Alt: Rachel Bloom
Dark Horse: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
BEST LIMITED SERIES
- American Crime
- The Dresser
- The Night Manager
- The Night Of
- The People vs. OJ Simpson
I'm guessing People v. OJ, although to be honest, I'm not sure if the HFPA's tastes align with that show. If not for all the hype, I'd be tempted to go with something like The Night Manager. But it was a little too much of a cultural, zeitgeisty thing to be ignored by them.
Winner: The People vs. OJ Simpson
Alt: The Night Manager
BEST ACTOR- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
- Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
- Bryan Cranston, All the Way
- Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
- John Turturro, The Night Of
- Courtney B. Vance, The People vs. OJ Simpson
I should maybe go for OJ in all these categories, same as the Emmys did. But I'm less certain about it, knowing this voting group. I'm saying Tom Hiddleston.
Winner: Tom Hiddleston
Alt: Courtney B. Vance
BEST ACTRESS- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
- Felicity Huffman, American Crime
- Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience
- Sarah Paulson, The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Charlotte Rampling, London Spy
- Kerry Washington, Confirmation
Paulson it is, with less competition here, seeing as how these other shows don't have as much Globes attention.
Winner: Sarah Paulson
Alt: Kerry Washington
Dark Horse: Riley Keough (don't ask me why- I just have a feeling the HFPA knows this is Elvis Presley's granddaughter)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Sterling K. Brown, The People vs. OJ Simpson
- Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
- John Lithgow, The Crown
- Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
- John Travolta, The People vs. OJ Simpson
Okay, I'm deviating from OJ here. I'm gonna go with John Lithgow, who was extremely good and a total scene-stealer as Winston Churchill. Again, it feel like Globes catnip.
Winner: John Lithgow
Alt: John Travolta (they would like this performance)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
- Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
- Chrissy Metz, This is Us
- Mandy Moore, This is Us
- Thandie Newyon, Westworld
I'm at a disadvantage here, having not seen any of This is Us or Westworld. I don't even know if those shows are up Golden Globe alley or not. It'd be nice to see Lena Headey win something for Game of Thrones someday, but the Globes do like the new. I'm thinking Thandie Newton. On the other hand, there is precedent for the Globes using this category to catch up with someone who's overdue, and Headey would be the most obvious beneficiary of that. Hmm.
Winner: Lena Headey
Alt: Thandie Newton
Dark Horse: Mandy Moore
