{"id":222608,"date":"2025-12-08T22:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T22:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/222608\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T22:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T22:38:11","slug":"hamnet-stars-jessie-buckley-and-paul-mescal-now-seem-certain-to-receive-oscar-nods-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/222608\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamnet stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal now seem certain to receive Oscar nods \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jessie Buckley<\/a> and Paul Mescal<\/a> have received nominations<\/a> at the Golden Globes<\/a> \u2013 the first significant predictor of the Oscars<\/a> \u2013 for their performances as Agnes and William Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao\u2019s<\/a> devastating adaptation of Maggie O\u2019Farrell\u2019s<\/a> historical novel Hamnet<\/a>. Buckley is up for best actress in a drama. Mescal competes in best supporting actor. Both now seem certain to receive Academy Award nominations on January 22nd. Richard Linklater\u2019s Blue Moon<\/a>, shot largely in Dublin, landed a nod for best musical or comedy. That study of lyricist Richard Rodgers, produced in association with Wild Atlantic Pictures, also secured Ethan Hawke a nomination for best actor in a comedy or musical. Yorgos Lanthimos\u2019s black comedy Bugonia<\/a>, produced by Dublin\u2019s Element Pictures, received three nominations: best comedy or musical plus lead acting nods for Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone.<\/p>\n

Paul Thomas Anderson\u2019s rambunctious One Battle After Another<\/a> topped the charts with nine nominations, including mentions for best musical or comedy, best director and a full five acting nominations: Leonardo DiCaprio for best actor, Chase Infiniti for best actress, Teyana Taylor for best supporting actress, and Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro for best supporting actor. <\/p>\n

There were a few surprises in the film categories. Wicked: For Good <\/a>failing to land a spot in comedy or musical reflected critical disappointment at the second half of John M Chu\u2019s lavish take on the Broadway musical. Noah Baumbach\u2019s Jay Kelly<\/a>, an ambitious comedy with George Clooney, also failed to land in best musical or comedy. James Cameron\u2019s imminent Avatar: Fire and Ash missed out in best drama film.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Jessie Buckley is unbeatable at the Oscars. Unless this happensOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

One could argue that the failure of those American films demonstrates the increasingly international make-up of the Globes voting body. Three non-English language titles made it into best drama film: Jafar Panahi\u2019s It Was just an Accident<\/a> from Iran, Joachim Trier\u2019s Sentimental Value from Norway, Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho\u2019s The Secret Agent from Brazil. Two made it into best comedy or musical: Park Chan-wook\u2019s No Other Choice from South Korea and Richard Linklater\u2019s Nouvelle Vague (an American co-production entirely in French). Sentimental Value, with eight mentions, was just behind One Battle in the nominations race.<\/p>\n

Nothing will, however, stop Paul Thomas Anderson\u2019s One Battle After Another triumphing in musical or comedy (yes, it does just about count as comedy). Hamnet is favourite in drama film, but it could lose out to Sentimental Value or to Ryan Coogler\u2019s epic horror Sinners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other surprises? Benny Safdie\u2019s The Smashing Machine<\/a>, about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, rallied from a slow box office to secure a lead acting nomination for Dwayne Johnson (not a complete shocker) and a supporting one for Emily Blunt (more of a turn up). Eva Victor, writer and star of the moving, tricky Sorry, Baby<\/a>, secured a deserved nod as best actress in a drama. <\/p>\n

The White Lotus<\/a> scored top in the TV section with six nominations, followed by the considerably more gritty Adolescence<\/a> with five nods.<\/p>\n

The Golden Globes have a peculiar history. Established in 1944, they were, until 2023, run by a small, eccentric body of journalists called the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Following a series of controversies in 2022, the awards were restructured as a non-profit event that supports the philanthropically inclined Golden Globes Foundation. The voting body was expanded from fewer than 100 to about 400 diversely selected journalists from around the world.<\/p>\n

Recent reforms have also included some new categories, at least one of which is a head-scratcher. Best podcast, presented for the first time this year, included such titles as Good Hang with Amy Poehler and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. The Globe for cinematic and box office achievement, in its second year, continues to defy all reason. Despite not being released until December 19th, Avatar: Fire and Ash here competes against the likes of Wicked: For Good and likely winner Sinners (apparently, box office projections can be a factor). <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley on their new film Hamnet: \u2018I only want to make films as brave and as human as this\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Never mind that. What does all this mean for the awards that really matter? In truth, not much has changed. Buckley, Kerry-born all-rounder, remains a strong favourite for the best actress Oscar, but Australian star Rose Byrne, nominated in the comedy section at the Globes, is coming up on her shoulder. The Aussie, who plays a harassed mother in If I Had Legs I\u2019d Kick You, has been racking up wins in end-of-year polls from critics bodies. <\/p>\n

Mescal may have to settle for just the nomination in a best supporting actor Oscar race that looks like a three-way battle between Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and \u2013 probable favourite \u2013 Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd for Sentimental Value.<\/p>\n

\"JessieJessie Buckley stars as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare in director Chlo\u00e9 Zhao\u2019s Hamnet, a Focus Features release. Photograph: Agata Grzybowska <\/p>\n

One Battle After Another is big favourite for best picture, but Hamnet could still pip it at the post. Zhao\u2019s film, detailing Agnes Shakespeare\u2019s grief at the death of her titular son, has been reducing audiences to blubbing wrecks since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival late last August. <\/p>\n

The Golden Globes ceremony has always had a reputation for greater informality than the Academy Awards. Drinks are swilled. Speeches are often irreverent. In the early part of this century, Ricky Gervais famously used repeated hosting gigs to liberally insult the famous guests. Nikki Glaser, after a notably successful, gently ribbing turn last year, will return to host the 83rd edition on January 11th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Golden Globes 2026: the full list of nominationsBest motion picture, drama<\/p>\n