Around the globes!

One of the biggest award shows for television and movies, the Golden Globes, is right around the corner and the stakes are higher than ever. Last year was a great year for TV with new shows like Atlanta, Stranger Things and Westworld making a mark and the precursor to the Oscars promises to be intriguing. Here are predictions as to who’ll be taking home the statuettes.

Drama
Series: Westworld
Westworld took the world by storm over the past year, with many calling it a worthy replacement for Game of Thrones after the epic ends. With a healthy mix of sentient robots, deceit, drama and obviously war in medieval times, it’s easy to make a bet on the show winning. Performances by Anthony Hopkins and Thandie Newton only support our argument.

Actor: Rami Malek, Mr Robot
Rami Malek not taking the award for best actor in drama last year was more a shock than a surprise. This year might prove to be the one for him, not only because his fans need appeasement, but also because his stellar work keeps getting better in the series. Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul and Billy Bob Thornton in Goliath might prove to be stiff competition though.

Actress: Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
There’s very little we didn’t enjoy about Stranger Things, from the 80s vibe to the sci-fi world they so perfectly set up, to the adorable kids in the lead — everything managed to strike a chord with audiences. Winona Ryder’s performance still managed to stand out as a harried mother looking for her son in the walls. Being one of the very few adults in the series, it was definitely not an easy task, so we see the award going to her.

Comedy/Musical
Series: Atlanta
Arguable one of the best TV debuts of 2016 has been Atlanta, a comedy about the struggles of making it big in music, all the while addressing issues like racial violence. Atlanta might be taking the award for best comedy/musical series away from nominees like Blackish and Transparent that have been in the running for a while. This could prove to be a huge win for the black narrative.

Actor: Donald Glover, Atlanta
Dark yet hilarious is one of the ways to describe Donald Glover’s portrayal of Earn. Previously seen in Community and his musical career as Childish Gambino, he has a dedicated fanbase which only grew with Atlanta. Anthony Anderson of Blackish is also contending for the position since he hasn’t received his due year after year.

Actress: Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
The only thing we love more than newcomers stealing the show, is massive comebacks and Sarah Jessica Parker has truly done it again with Divorce. From being a single girl in the city looking for everlasting love to being a sullen, disillusioned woman at the verge of a divorce, it seems like she’s made the transition very well. Issa Rae’s entry into television with Insecure could prove to be an upset for the TV bigwig.

Mini-series
Series: The People vs OJ Simpson
The nominees this year are predominantly about night crimes but the one standout that grabbed a lot of attention and awards all of last year, was American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson, — and we expect it to keep the run up this year. The show was out there, political and brazen in its approach and it’s hard for it to lose out to any of the other shows.

Actor: John Turturro, The Night Of
John Turturro’s performance in The Night Of has been touted as one of the best performances that 2016  has seen. His co-star Riz Ahmed is also competing and winning laurels not only as the other lead in the show, but also for his work in Rogue One. Considering that Courtney B Vance of People vs OJ is also in the running, it’s a tough choice but we hope to see John emerge victorious.

Actress: Sarah Paulson, The People vs OJ Simpson
Sarah Paulson is definitely the awards sweetheart this year, and it’s very well-deserved. Not much acknowledgement was given to her strong roles in the American Horror Story series, but her role as Marcia Clark is definitely one that can’t be ignored. Being a three-time nominee also helps her case. Nothing gets juries going like based-on-a-true-story performances, making Sarah the sure winner.

(The awards show will air on Comedy Central, Colors Infinity, Colors Infinity HD and VH1 India at 7.30 am, January 9)