Award Season is Here

The awards season is in full swing, and with programs like the Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars, fans of all forms of entertainment are sure to be glued to the TV.
The Golden Globes went as expected, with messages of positivity and equality throughout. From host Seth Meyers’ opening line, “Good evening, ladies and remaining gentlemen”, to the Oprah speech that nodded to the blue-collar survivors of sexual abuse, the evening was threaded through with the prominent theme of gender equality. On the topic of movie awards, which was the focus of the night, there was a well-earned victory for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. In a year when there was no clear critical consensus behind any one film, the movie’s collection of four awards — Best Director, Best Actress in a Drama, Best Supporting Actor and Best Motion Picture, Drama — seemed to anoint Martin McDonagh’s piercing tale of a mother seeking justice for her brutally murdered daughter the clear favorite at the first major awards show of the season.

On January 28th, music’s award show celebrated its 60th anniversary by coming back to New York City in Madison Square Garden. This 2018 Grammy award show marks the first time in 15 years that the ceremony is happening outside of Los Angeles, and the night delivered both star power and memorable musical moments, with James Corden hosting this year’s ceremony. This year was also notable because the Recording Academy gave rap major recognition in the top nomination categories after years of domination by pop artists.

For the Oscars race, Three Billboards, which also won the Golden Globe for best drama, appears to have seized the limelight, having amassed multiple wins already for Frances McDormand and supporting actor Sam Rockwell. Yet the steps forward come amid an early backlash against the film — which deals with a grief-stricken mother pursuing justice for her slain daughter — such as the column by the New York Times ‘Wesley Morris’ column writing against it. Several other movies likely to receive an Oscar nomination when they’re unveiled come with their own handicaps. Get Out and The Shape of Water, for example, both have a foot in the horror genre, which is not historically one that academy voters have favored. The Shape of Water, and Dunkirk, contains bits of war, with ill-defined characters, which is also not a fan favorite. The Post, with a star studded cast that includes Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, has provoked enthusiasm, but also its share of criticism. The remaining players largely come from the indie film world: Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, I, Tonya, The Florida Project, The Big Sick, Mudbound  (Netflix) and Phantom Thread.

With the Golden Globes and Grammy awards past, and the Oscars around the corner, this awards season is sure to be a success, with all the talent in the nominations.