Golden Globes Continue to Ignore the Phenomenon of Westeros
The Golden Globes never really got on board with the success, popularity, and downright great acting in Game of Thrones. In many ways, it's hard to believe that in eight seasons, the show received only one Golden Globe – when Peter Dinklage won for Best Supporting Actor in 2012.
And there were only two other nominations. Lena Headley was nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister. And Kit Harrington got a single nomination for Best Actor in a TV series.
And that trend looks set to continue, with just one nomination in this years' Golden Globes for House of the Dragon. Now, there will be little debate among fans of the show about Emma D'Arcy's nomination for their portrayal of Rhaenyra Targaryen. But some may question why others haven't received nominations.
Obvious examples of those who may have been expected to receive a nomination include:
- Paddy Considine – King Viserys
- Matt Smith – Daemon Targaryen
- Milly Allcock – The young Rhenayra
- Olivia Cooke – Alicent Hightower
I could go on. But you get the picture. The inhabitants of Westeros just seem destined to be ignored by the Golden Globes.
For whatever reason, there seems to be a reluctance from within to recognise the fantasy genre. Arguably, pre-GoT there was some justification for this in the sense that fantasy series were a bit niche and didn't really garner popular support. Not that that in any way affects the quality of acting, writing, production and so on.
But hey, let's not try to pretend the Golden Globes are interested in stuff that isn't popular. Game of Thrones, however, was massive. And House of the Dragon has certainly continued in a similar vein while maintaining its own style.
The Emmys, of course, were far more open to nominations for Game of Thrones, and we can only hope (and expect) that this will be the same for HotD. As for the Golden Globes, it would be great to see D'Arcy win an award, but the favourites look like Zendaya and Laura Linney.
Putting a positive spin on things, House of the Dragon received its first Golden Globe nomination in its first year. And you could argue that the show, while firmly in the fantasy genre, is a little more like the historical dramas that the Golden Globes tend to be big fans of.
Compared with Game of Thrones, it's maybe a little less sexual, a little less violent, and touch more political in the traditional sense of TV dramas. So, who knows? Maybe Golden Globe nominations will become an annual event for the Westerosi. Even if it does, though, that won't explain why Paddy Considine was overlooked.