GOLDEN GLOBES
Football season may be over, but the entertainment awards season kicks off on Sunday. The 78th Golden Globe Awards will air its bicoastal telecast at 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return as hosts for the fourth time as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honors what its approximately 90 members consider to be the best big- and small-screen offerings released between Jan. 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021.
Here’s a quick rundown of the films, TV shows and talent with Pittsburgh ties that you’ll want to watch for Sunday night:
Movies
“Nomadland” earned four Golden Globes nominations, including a best actress in a drama nod for Frances McDormand, a Monessen High School and Bethany College graduate. The film is also up for best drama, directing and screenplay.
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a Netflix film based on an August Wilson play that was shot in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2019, picked up two nominations for stars Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman.
Carnegie Mellon University alum Leslie Odom Jr. has a shot at two awards for his work in Amazon’s “One Night in Miami” — supporting role in a motion picture for his role as Sam Cooke and for original song for “Speak Now.”
“Music,” featuring Murrysville native Maddie Ziegler in a controversial role as a nonverbal autistic teenager, has a chance to win best musical or comedy and best actress in a musical or comedy for Kate Hudson’s performance.
“Trial of the Chicago 7,” which contains a few scenes with Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton, is up for five awards: best drama, best supporting actor in a drama (Sacha Baron Cohen), best director (Aaron Sorkin), best screenplay (also Sorkin) and best original song.
Television
“The Mandalorian” earned a best drama nomination in no small part due to the contributions of Mt. Lebanon High School alumni Dave Filoni and Ming-Na Wen, the former in a creative capacity and the latter for her role as mercenary Fennec Shand.
“The Flight Attendant,” co-starring McCandless native Griffin Matthews, will be vying for best musical or comedy and best actress in those categories for Kaley Cuoco’s work.
Oscar nominations are March 15, and if you believe in the concept of momentum in sports and awards season, the Golden Globes can help propel your favorites to Academy Award glory. May the best films and shows win!