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The 2026 Golden Globes aired on Jan. 11, and like many other years, viewers felt a wide range of emotions while watching.
The Golden Globes are annual awards that recognize and congratulate excellence within the world of film and television. This show is presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Generally, the Golden Globes are seen as a major Hollywood event, with award categories ranging from Best Motion Picture, to Best Original Song, to Best Podcast, which was introduced this year. This brings up the popular topic of discussion, the major motion picture, “Sinners”, and its wins, or lack thereof, at the 2026 Golden Globes.
“Sinners” is an ambitious, visually stunning film that blends horror, blues music, and black-centered historical themes. Many praise its cinematography, soundtrack, and performances, particularly those of Michael B. Jordan (who plays the two twin main characters, and essentially a third character once one of the twins has a turning point) and Hailee Steinfeld (who plays a supporting antagonist). The film demonstrates a unique approach to themes such as racism and historical trauma (IMDb). And with this unique approach, the movie is also special as it features a majority black cast & set in Jim Crow South, which is fairly rare to see in Hollywood.
Due to the film’s evident address of systemic racism, and the sensitive nature of such topics, viewers of the film felt a personal hold to the movie. But these viewers were not a small number. Sinners shattered any possible expectations when it hit the theaters. The film was a major box office success as it grossed $368 million worldwide. Not only did the film achieve financial success, it also received positive critique with a rare 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Returning to the Golden Globes, “Sinners” was announced with seven nominations. This number is already commendable itself, being that other top films of 2025, such as “Wicked”, “Shogun”, “Challengers”, and “The Brutalist”, were awarded between one and ten nominations. But after the 2026 Golden Globes aired, “Sinners” was only announced to win two awards. And of those two awards, only one announcement was televised.
After the show concluded, people were quick to share their upsettedness with the outcome. From Tweets to Instagram posts, it was undeniable that viewers were dissatisfied. But said negative feelings from “Sinners” fans seem to be more intense than those of fans from other 2026 nominees, such as “Wicked: For Good”, “Hamnet”, or “Weapons”. The reasoning for this widespread criticism, as opposed to what might have been simple disappointment, falls under the topics the film featured. Again, the film harped on themes such as racial violence & oppression, black culture & ownership, and moral ambiguity, which many viewers felt a personal hold on due to the sensitivity of the topics.
It would be easy and possibly expected for fans of a movie that lost to another to express negativity toward the winning movie. Whether it’s saying that one movie was more or less deserving for whatever reason it may be. However, it is important to note that the negative feelings held by “Sinners” fans did not primarily get pushed onto the winners of the nomination categories that “Sinners” lost in. Although it would be incorrect to say that 0% of fans did that, it would be true to say that not many did. And this is because “Sinners” fans truly were disappointed and frustrated with the results, and possibly wished for what “could have been” for a film that was deserving.
Viewers were not only dissatisfied with the Golden Globe results, but it made them fearful for what the future of award shows looks like for “Sinners” specifically. Talk similar to “‘Sinners’ getting snubbed for basically all of the major awards makes me scared for the Oscars.”
So, these feelings that viewers are experiencing are deeper-rooted than what could be seen as just a liking for a movie. This movie in particular was majorly impactful on such a wide scale, & addressed race in a different guise than seen in films alike. And fans feel very strongly not just due to the Golden Globes results, but because of what this could mean for “Sinners”, or even films with primarily all-black casts in the future. It’s crucial to see the importance and validity of these feelings, and with this understanding, be able to spot these inequities if/when they may occur in the future. Award shows like the Golden Globes are entertainment for the people, and as the people, we must speak when it no longer feels fairly representative.