Golden Globes

The Most Controversial Golden Globe Nominations to Watch for Tonight

The Hollywood Foreign Press was called out for its lack of diversity by several prominent stars

Lily Collins in "Emily in Paris"
Marc Piasecki/GC Images

The 78th annual Golden Globes are airing tonight on NBC, and if the nominations are any indicator of what to expect, there's sure to be a lot of online chatter.

This year's ceremony will be largely virtual, with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler performing their jobs from opposite sides of the country, and nominees will use camera kits sent by producers to stream in from anywhere they may be. But these aren't the only challenges the awards show is facing this year.

When the nominations were announced earlier this month, backlash quickly poured in to a few of the nominees in particular, with the lack of diversity an often-repeated criticism.

Here are the most controversial Golden Globe nominees that people will be talking about tonight.

'Emily in Paris'

Netflix's popular but widely panned "Emily in Paris" received nominations for best performance by an actress for star Lily Collins and a nod for best television series — musical or comedy.

Many called the comedy from "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star a poor choice compared to other others starring Black women, especially Michaela Coel's "I May Destroy You" and Issa Rae's "Insecure."

One of the writers on "Emily in Paris," Deborah Copaken, even penned an op-ed saying that she was stunned and disheartened by the omission of "I May Destroy" from the nominations.

'Music,' directed by Sia

Pop star Sia's directorial debut, "Music," which received two Golden Globe nominations, has faced criticism for its portrayal of autism spectrum disorder. In particular, the "Chandelier" singer was called out for casting dancer Maddie Ziegler in the main role instead of an actor with autism. The film also stars Kate Hudson, who received a nomination for her role. The film's other nomination is for best picture — musical or comedy.

Earlier this month, Sia apologized for the way the film depicts autism, announcing it would contain a warning about scenes involving physical restraints moving forward.

James Corden, 'The Prom'

Many people were unhappy with the Golden Globe nomination given to James Corden for his portrayal of a gay man in "The Prom," saying it was a "stereotypical and problematic" performance and calling it "gayface."

The initial casting choice was also controversial, as Corden is straight, and many felt the role should've gone to a gay man.

Lack of Black voices

Leading up to the awards show, many stars, including Sterling K. Brown and Kerry Washington, criticized the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its lack of diversity. There are no Black members of the HFPA, and there have not been for at least 20 years, Variety reported.

Over the weekend, Washington reposted a picture of a cracked Golden Globe award on her Instagram with the #TimesUpGlobes hashtag.

As a result, many feel that prominent projects by Black stars were obviously missing from this year's lineup. HBO Max's "I May Destroy you," helmed by Michaela Cole, topped the list.

Others thought Zendaya should have received a nomination for her performance in "Malcom & Marie."

Fans were also upset that director Spike Lee wasn't nominated for his acclaimed 2020 film "Da 5 Bloods," starring Chadwick Boseman, who died last year from colon cancer. Boseman was posthumously nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for the role.

To make matters more interesting, Lee's son, Jackson, 24, and daughter, Satchel, 26, are this year's Golden Globes Ambassadors.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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