Why did ‘Bridgerton’ get SAG nominations and no Golden Globes?
Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton got snubbed for Golden Globes nominations. Fans and creators are deeply hurt from being left out from the annual awards show. However, the following day, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations were announced, and Bridgerton was among the nominations making up two of Netflix’s thirteen SAG nominations.
While the exclusion from the Golden Globes won’t hurt the show’s chances at the Emmys like Da 5 Bloods & Delroy Lindo’s exclusion does for their Oscars chances, it does raise questions over the Hollywood Foreign Press. The critics association has ninety members that vote on the nominations and for the awards. They aren’t a monolith, but certain trends appear when you look at the numbers.
Here are some reasons as to why a show like Bridgerton was snubbed by the Golden Globes and the Hollywood Foreign Press.
Ensemble performances
First off, Bridgerton’s big nomination comes from Best Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series. There are twenty-eight listed cast members in the nomination. The next closest in any category is fifteen. The SAG awards are specifically designed to look at only acting because it’s the Screen Actors Guild.
The Globes look at everything, and the biggest problem when considering a performance there is deciding if other cast members had better ones. It holds back a larger cast from breaking through to the awards. Members could also believe not a single performance stands out without the rest of the cast.
Look at Parasite last year. The movie was completely shut out from the Golden Globes acting categories but won SAG’s Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. You couldn’t make an argument for one actor standing out from the rest of the cast, but you can’t deny the cast was impeccable together.
Netflix fatigue
In a year like 2020, with everyone stuck at home binge watching Netflix, it’s not hard to see why Netflix dominates the nomination lists. Netflix received forty-two nominations from the Golden Globes alone and an additional thirty from SAG.
Their dominance is specifically in the television categories. They completely swept Female Actors in a Drama Series at the SAG Awards. Then, if you attribute Schitt’s Creek’s popularity to Netflix, they also swept the Television Supporting Actress category. For the rest, Netflix makes up an overwhelming amount of the nominations in each category.
Bridgerton needed to fight through The Queen’s Gambit, The Crown, Ozark, and Ratched to reach a nomination. It’s not to say it’s an inferior show compared to these four. There is just a lot of noise coming out of Netflix alone, especially with The Queen’s Gambit & The Crown. Honestly, it’s a surprise Ratched received a nomination outside of Sarah Paulson after its lukewarm response from fans and critics.
Awarding the final season
Bridgerton is only in its first season, and Television award shows like the Emmys and Golden Globes are notorious for awarding shows on their final season. Look at Schitt’s Creek. It gradually worked its way into the Emmys and swept the comedy categories in its final season.
Bridgerton doesn’t have to compete with Schitt’s Creek, but time is key at the Television Awards. It’s mainly to see if a show carries over from season to season, but sometimes a good show needs to be awarded over waiting to see if fans come back next season.
Underlying racism and sexism
Before you point it out, the Golden Globes nominated three women, one being a woman of color, for Best Director on the film side. We know, and we’re thrilled because they are stellar nominations. However, where is Delroy Lindo and Da 5 Bloods? Where is Steven Yuen, Yuh-Jung Youn, and Minari? Where is Regé-Jean Page and Bridgerton at the Golden Globes?
The Golden Globes’ racism problem is on both sides, but its sexism is solely on the TV side. The Golden Globes nominated TV shows led by complex and interesting female characters, but they’re all created by white men in their forties and sixties.
In Bridgerton’s case, its executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, who’s not a stranger to critically acclaimed TV shows and her actors’ award-winning performances. Uncoincidentally, never at the Golden Globes.
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But what do you think? Are these some good reasons for why Bridgerton didn’t get a nomination at the Golden Globes, or is there something we missed? Let us know in the comments.
