The Golden Globes nominations have hit, and there are some surprising and frustrating snubs among them.
Whenever the Golden Globes are announced, the talk is less about who got nominated than who didn’t. The sad truth is that with so many shows competing, there are only so many slots, and the Globes should be commended for recognizing more streaming shows than the Emmys do.
This year had a few nice surprises, like Kate Winslet forThe Regime. A few snubs aren’t too shocking. Palm Royale wasn’t exactly a great show. However, others seem to be the thing Golden Globes voters would go for. They were critically acclaimed, had big buzz, and seemed set for a nomination but didn’t get it. While there are many contenders, these rank as the 10 surprising TV snubs of the 2025 Golden Globes, which may confuse their fans.
Pachinko
Pachinko is a huge surprise. The Apple TV+ drama has been a huge hit with critics, often topping the “Best of the Year” lists. The drama about a Korean family spanning generations packs in amazing storytelling, top-notch acting, and stellar production. It’s the type of show Globes voters would go for and nails the prestige drama formula well. Somehow, it was shut out, which makes little sense. Hopefully, it’s rectified in the future, but for now, one of the best shows on TV today hasn’t garnered much awards love.
Fallout
The Globes are known for awarding genre TV more than the Emmys do. Sadly, that didn’t work out for Prime Video’s video game adaptation, Fallout. It was a flashy hit that even non-video game fans could love. And if the Golden Globes can recognize shows like The Last of Us, they could with this. Walton Goggins alone deserved a nomination for his incredible role, showing the broken man inside a deformed monster. You’d think at least nominations for the production or writing, but Fallout failed to gain anything with voters. It’s telling that the Emmys gave this show a lot more attention, with 16 nominations than this awards show did.
Meryl Streep - Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building season 4 gained a lot of nominations for the cast and Best Comedy, among others. But it missed one for Meryl Streep. It’s true she wasn’t on the show as much as last year. But when she was on, Streep was a delight, especially her fight with Melissa McCarthy. Given how much love the Globes have given Streep in the past, her failing to get a nom for a show already highly honored is a bit surprising.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton has always been more of a guilty pleasure series for some. Yet the latest season was a blast for viewers and the 2024 Golden Globes have shown an affinity for that sort of thing. Nicola Coughlan deserved a nomination for her stellar performance as Penelope, baring all (literally) in some fantastic material that elevated the entire show. It’s the bright performance that should have gotten the hit series a bit more awards love than usual.
Bad Monkey
The Apple TV+ adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen novel carried the author’s trademark dark humor. Bad Monkey also boasted a never-better Vince Vaughn in the lead role as a sardonic detective getting involved in a wild murder case. The show was delightful, with Vaughn making the role shine nicely and grounding the crazy surroundings. Vaughn should have gotten a nomination for his part, as it’s one of his best roles ever, but he was likely squeezed out by the tough competition.
Interview With the Vampire season 2
Granted this AMC+ series may have a more niche audience. Yet Interview with the Vampire season 2 was a vast improvement in adapting the Anne Rice novels and amping up the romance and drama. There were also fantastic performances by Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson, each of whom could have earned a nod for their tortured romance. The gothic touches and fine writing were also considerations that could have made the vampires a nice interview on the Globes red carpet.
Evil season 4
This Paramount+ series has always slipped a bit under the radar of audiences even if critics have gone wild for it. So it’s not too surprising that its final year wasn’t nominated at the Globes. But that doesn’t make it easier to take. Evil was unlike anything on television with its often insane plotlines, scenes that made you either scream in terror or burst out laughing, and a stellar cast, making it all somehow believable. Michael Emerson could have earned a nod for his villain, while a Best Drama Series nomination was also deserved for what will be remembered as one of the most underrated series of its time.
Industry
The Globes go crazy over HBO shows, so it’s downright baffling how they refused to nominate anything with the network’s current biggest drama hit. It’s wilder given that the latest season was the best for the year. It was packed with amazing twists, and the young cast killed it in every scene. It’s the true successor to Succession in terms of a dark boardroom drama, yet the Globes haven’t given Industry season 3 half as much attention to be a bigger awards darling.
English Teacher
Another highly underrated show, FX comedy English Teacher received wide critical praise, especially for star Brian Jordan Alvarez. Many expected him to garner an acting nomination alongside nominations for Best Comedy series, and maybe even other cast members as well. The awards ceremony havs shown a lot of love in the past for FX comedies, but this year seemed more of a washout (see the snub for What We Do in the Shadows). Hopefully, this teacher will get a grade with the Globes in the future.
Carrie Preston - Elsbeth
To toss in a network show, if Kathy Bates could get a nomination for Matlock, another top CBS actress could have too. Elsbeth is a wonderful take on the mystery genre, as the audience knows from the start who did it. The real appeal is watching Carrie Preston's delightfully bonkers lawyer Elsbeth Tascioni figure out the crime. Preston is a blast from her outfits to her behavior, the games with the guest star killers, and her infectious energy making the show a wonderful watch. While she won an Emmy for the character, Preston could have gotten love from the Globes for her star turn.
The Golden Globes 2025 premiere Jan. 5, 2025 on CBS, and streaming on Paramount+.