Golden Globes 2021: Biggest snubs and surprises

Washington [US], March 1 : The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony that took place from both coasts, Rainbow Room in New York and Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, on February 28, pretty much went uneventfully due to the coronavirus pandemic.
During the 78th edition of the awards, just like every other year, there were lot of surprises.
During the three-hour-long event, mostly expected winners (such as 'Ted Lasso's' Jason Sudeikis, Pop TV comedy series 'Schitt's Creek' and Netflix's ('The Crown') actually being the ones to take the trophies, especially on the television side.
However, there were still a few moments that caused raised eyebrows. To that end, Variety reported the break down of the biggest snubs and other surprises of the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards.
SNUB: 'Mank' and 'Promising Young Woman'
Leading the film nominations, David Fincher's 'Mank' had six nods and felt like it had a few possibilities to win. From director Fincher to supporting actress Amanda Seyfried to the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who ended up losing to themselves (and Jon Batiste) for 'Soul.' But it ended the night empty-handed.
'Promising Young Woman' went into the night with four nominations and a lot of momentum along with it. The timely film was considered by many to be a frontrunner for actor Carey Mulligan and screenwriter Emerald Fennell. Some even predicted Fennell would surprise with a directing win. But in the end, it went home empty-handed, although Fennell's other project -- she played Camilla Parker Bowles in 'The Crown' -- did quite well.
SURPRISE: Andra Day, Best Actress, 'The United States Vs. Billie Holiday'
Day made her film debut in the Lee Daniels-directed flick to great acclaim, but many had predicted Mulligan would take home her first Globe for 'Promising Young Woman' or Oscar winners Viola Davis 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' or Frances McDormand ('Nomadland') to pick up their second Globe for their performances. The three, along with fellow nominee Vanessa Kirby ('Pieces of a Woman') are all SAG nominees while Day is not, and yet it was Day who walked away with the prize.
SURPRISE: Rosamund Pike, Best Actress, 'I Care a Lot'
Many people expected Maria Bakalova to walk off with the prize for her work in 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,' even though she's nominated in supporting at SAG and submitted in supporting for Oscars. The biggest threat to Bakalova was perceived to be the legendary Michelle Pfeiffer for her sharp, funny turn in 'French Exit.' Instead, Rosamund Pike surprised with a win. She essayed the role of a smart, wicked turn as an unapologetic con artist who takes conservatorship of the elderly in J Blakeson's pitch black comedy, which premiered on Netflix last weekend.
SURPRISE: Jodie Foster, Best Supporting Actress, 'The Mauritanian'
Supporting film categories are often the most difficult to predict; in 2017, the year of 'Moonlight,' Mahershala Ali was bested by Aaron Taylor-Johnson for 'Nocturnal Animals,' who didn't land a SAG or Oscar nomination -- both of which Ali won. Foster, who missed out on a SAG Award nomination for her role as attorney Nancy Hollander, nonetheless triumphed over the likes of Glenn Close ('Hillbilly Elegy'), Olivia Colman ('The Father') and Helena Zengel ('News of the World'), all of whom are SAG Award-nominated, and 'Mank' standout Amanda Seyfried. Foster previously won Globes for best actress for 'The Accused' and 'Silence of the Lambs' and was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2013.
SURPRISE: Barb and Star Make an appearance
As the former 'Saturday Night Live' stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were hosting, there were several other cast members who made appearances, from Tracy Morgan to Maya Rudolph and Kenan Thompson (playing a songwriting duo who were either married or related). Kristen Wiig also dropped by as Annie Mumolo, in character from their recent comedy 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' that was a nice treat, considering the film won't be eligible for Golden Globes.
SURPRISE: Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor, 'The Crown'
Although many pundits were actually predicting Corrin would win, hearing her name still came as something of a surprise because she was nominated alongside her 'The Crown' co-star Olivia Colman, a woman who (prior to this year's ceremony) won every Globe for which she had been nominated. Colman was also the incumbent winner in the category, winning for her role of Queen Elizabeth II in the third season of Netflix's royal family period piece. Corrin was the fresh face not only in the race, but also in the season, stealing scenes, hearts and clearly votes as Princess Diana.
On the other hand, O'Connor was favoured by many as well, but he was in a category of vets that was too close to call ahead of the ceremony. The supporting player in Season 3 was bumped up to lead in Season 4 and it paid off wildly, with his first-ever Globes acclaim here. It was also a nice surprise to see both halves of the iconic royal couple be celebrated because the relationship relied on the chemistry between each other.
SNUB: 'Lovecraft Country'
Misha Green's wildly inventive adaptation went well beyond the pages of Matt Ruff's 2016 novel of the same name to simultaneously explore the supernatural horrors of creatures and possession, as well as the literal historical horrors including the 1921 Tulsa massacre and 1950s Jim Crow laws. After its lead performers Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett were shut out in individual acting nominations, many hopes were high that they'd be celebrated together, with a series win. Instead, Netflix's 'The Crown,' which was the projected winner in the drama series category, did win again (its second overall after picking up a statue for its freshman season in 2017).
SURPRISE: Animal Cameos
As the 2021 Golden Globes award ceremony was far from the first awards show to go virtual amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but now, almost a year since the virus hit the US, with the numbers of infected individual still climbing and with many of the nominees still unvaccinated and in production pods, people have finally started to have fun with teleconferencing into award shows.
Fans got to see the perks of watching the virtual ceremony from the stars' homes as they got to see some rare sights-- Regina King's dog Cornbread got comfortable on his bed behind her during the pre-show interviews, and Jodie Foster held her dog Ziggy in between her and her wife, Alexandra Hedison, while delivering her acceptance speech. Even presenter Sandra Oh included some (fake) four-legged friends when introducing Hulu's 'Palm Springs'. She had someone out of frame dragged toy dinosaurs on a sled through the snow behind her.