The King of Wakanda is leading an elite pack of superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy films and TV shows for Golden Globe trophies after racking up three nominations (including Best Picture).
On Thursday, films like Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, along with TV shows like The Good Place were nominated for several awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The winners will be determined at the next Golden Globes awards ceremony, which will be hosted by Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) and Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) on January 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC.
Here are all the most noteworthy nominations, broken down by your favorite films and TV shows of the year.
Black Panther — Three Nominations
The billion-dollar phenomenon Black Panther is up for three awards: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song.
The two musical nominations name film composer Ludwig Göransson for his score on the film (who didn’t choke up a little hearing his music in the ancestral plane?), and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars,” a double-platinum pop hit that muses on lost cultural legacies and hope for a bright future.
It’s that Best Motion Picture nomination, however, that illustrates the true power of Black Panther. While superhero films are no stranger to big awards, it’s mega rare for any superhero film to be recognized as potentially Best Picture worthy. The last time a superhero movie was nominated was 2016’s Deadpool, which lost to La La Land for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy in 2017.
Before that, 2014’s Birdman was nominated in the same category for the 2015 awards, but that’s not really a superhero movie.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — One Nomination
Arriving just in time to make a big enough splash, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is out in wide release on December 14, has already earned a nomination for Best Motion Picture — Animated.
The film competes against two other Disney features, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Incredibles 2 (also a superhero movie!), as well as Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Mamoru Hosoda’s dramatic anime Mirai.
The Good Place — Two Nominations
Holy forking shirtballs! The delightful supernatural sitcom The Good Place has earned two nominations: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, recognizing series star Kirsten Bell for her performance as the shrimp-loving dirtbag Eleanor Shellstrop.
The series was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy nominations earlier this year: Ted Danson was up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and recurring star Maya Rudloph had a nom for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Both lost.
Westworld — One Nomination
HBO’s Westworld has one nomination for “Maeve” actor Thandie Newton, who is up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
The Handmaid’s Tale — Two Nominations
Hulu’s dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, has two separate nominations for its performers. Series star Elizabeth Moss up for a Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama trophy. Moss is competing against Outlander star Caitriona Balfe, and Keri Russell for her final season of FX’s The Americans.
Yvonne Strahovsky, whom Mass Effect players will recognize for her role as “Miranda Lawson” in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, is also competing against Thandie Newton for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
The Golden Globes will air live on NBC on January 6, 2019 at 8 p.m. Eastern.
