IRISH BLACK COMEDY The Banshees of Inisherin has topped the Golden Globes nominations, as the scandal-struck Hollywood award show attempts to rebuild its reputation following last year’s boycott by A-listers and studios.

The movie from Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures picked up eight nods, including nominations for its star Colin Farrell, director Martin McDonagh, and for best comedy or musical.

Irish actors Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon also start in the critically acclaimed film.

Elsewhere, surreal sci-fi Everything Everywhere All at Once earned six nominations, while Hollywood Golden Age drama Babylon and Steven Spielberg’s deeply personal The Fabelmans took five each.

Criticisms

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organises the film and television awards, has scrambled to reform itself since long-harboured criticisms of the group’s practices went public in early 2021.

Many A-listers and studios completely distanced themselves from the Globes last January over voters’ lack of diversity, alleged corruption and lack of professionalism, and the show even took place behind closed doors.

But broadcaster NBC has gambled that it is time to bring back the gala, which will take place in Beverly Hills on 10 January.

Brendan Fraser, who was nominated today for his starring role in The Whale, a drama about a morbidly obese man, has already said he will not attend the awards.

“It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite,” Fraser told GQ last month.

Fraser had earlier alleged that a former HFPA president, Philip Berk, sexually assaulted him at an industry event in 2003. Berk denies the incident, and has since been expelled from the group for calling Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement”.

Tom Cruise, who was widely seen as a strong contender in the acting categories this awards season for his lead role in Top Gun: Maverick,was overlooked by Globes voters.

Cruise returned his three Golden Globes to the HFPA last year in protest at its behaviour.

‘Not the old HFPA’

In response to the controversy, the HFPA has expanded its voting body to include people with more diverse backgrounds, banned members from accepting gifts, and halted its in-person press conferences with stars, which were often derided for the improper behaviour of some members.

“This is really not the old HFPA anymore,” president Helen Hoehne recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

I respect Brendan Fraser’s decision… And I personally, sincerely hope there’s a way for us to move forward and we are able to regain Mr Fraser’s trust, along with the trust of the entire entertainment community.

- © AFP 2022