Golden Globe nominations 2024: Barbie and Oppenheimer lead

How many Golden Globe nominations is 'Ken-enough' for the blockbuster known as Barbie? Greta Gerwig's triumphant pastel-pink comedy leads this year's Golden Globes race with nine nods in total. This includes Best Film (Musical or Comedy), Best Director for Gerwig herself, Best Female Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Margot Robbie and Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling. In the latter category, Gosling will be competing with Timothée Chalamet (among others) who has been nominated for the whimsical new adventure Wonka.

Close behind, and in a clear echo of July's symbiotic 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon, is Oppenheimer. Christopher Nolan's scorching Atomic epic has picked up eight nominations including Best Film (Drama), Best Director for Nolan and Best Male Actor (Drama) for Cillian Murphy.

Unsurprisingly given its ensemble emphasis, Oppenheimer has done excellently in the acting categories. Also nominated are Robert Downey Jr and Emily Blunt in the Male Supporting Actor and Female Supporting Actress fields, respectively. The scripts for both Barbie, in which Greta Gerwig takes a wrecking ball to the patriarchy, and Oppenheimer have also been recognised.

Is it going to be a two-horse 'Barbenheimer' awards race that will sweep all before it? Don't be so sure. The critically lauded Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, makes a strong showing at the Globes with seven nominations including Best Film (Musical or Comedy), Best Director for Lanthimos and Best Female Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Stone.

The movie is released in the UK on January 12th and is being widely considered an Oscars frontrunner. Any success at the Globes will surely bolster its cause. There's also been recognition at this year's ceremony for Killers of the Flower Moon, director Martin Scorsese's sprawling account of the Osage Nation tragedy that, like Poor Things, has amassed an impressive seven nods.

Awards favourite Scorsese has been recognised as has the movie itself in the Best Film (Drama) category. Acting-wise, the heralded Lily Gladstone will be competing in the Best Female Actor (Drama) category with the likes of Sandra Hüller (nominated for the compelling courtroom thriller Anatomy of a Fall).

There's also been an outpouring of love for Celine Song's tender and incisive Past Lives, the story of a long-gestating romance bisected by time and space. Song's intuitive direction and script have both been recognised and the film is up for the Best Film (Drama) category. Greta Lee has also been nominated in the Best Actress (Drama) field for her moving central performance, potentially making it the strongest and most hotly contested arena in this year's race.

Both Past Lives and Anatomy of a Fall will be going head to head in the Best Film (Non-English language) field. Pleasing curveball choices include Best Female Actor (Musical or Comedy) recognition for Alma Pöysti, star of the whimsical Finnish odyssey Fallen Leaves, and Fantasia Barrino for the musical adaptation of The Colour Purple (released in the UK on January 25th).

This year also sees the creation of a brand new Golden Globes category. The field of Cinematic and Box Office Achievement celebrates those blockbuster films that have more than done their part to keep cinema alive. This year's contenders are Barbie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, John Wick: Chapter 4, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and The Super Mario Bros Movie.