Golden Globes 2024: The LGBTQ+ nominations, snubs and everything in between

The Golden Globes has announced its 2024 nominations, honouring a standout year for the big and small screen – so which LGBTQ+ shows, films and actors have made the cut?

The Golden Globes awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday 7 January, is set to reward the brightest and best in the TV and film industry from 2023. The nominations, announced on Monday (11 December), come after a turbulent year filled with summer blockbusters (we’re looking at you, Barbenheimer) and history-making Hollywood strikes.

This year has also seen brilliant LGBTQ+ film, TV shows and actors dominate the screen, and this has been reflected in some of the Golden Globe noms.

In the major film categories, biopics about queer icons have been recognised. Netflix original Maestro – based on bisexual composer Leonard Bernstein – scored a Best Motion Picture nomination. Bradley Cooper picks up a nomination for Best Director and Best Actor (Drama) for his role behind and in front of the camera in this.

He competes against Andrew Scott for his heart-wrenching turn as screenwriter Adam in Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers.

Cooper’s co-star Carey Mulligan (who plays Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre) received a Best Actress (Drama) nomination.

Oscar winner Anette Bening also landed a nomination in the same category for her performance as Diana Nyad in Netflix’s Nyad about the lesbian athlete’s life. While fellow Nyad star, queer actor and former Golden Globes winner Jodie Foster, who plays Diana’s coach Bonnie Stoll, has bagged a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Elsewhere, Fantasia Barrino, who stars as Celie in the musical movie version of lesbian novelist Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, is included in the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy category.

LGBTQ+ favourites from 2023 which also pick up nods include Barbie, which landed a whopping eight nominations including: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor in Musical or Comedy for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling; and three original songs.

Todd Haynes’ May December scooped up nominations for Best Picture and acting nominations for its three leads: Charles Melton, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Elsewhere, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan) picked up one nomination for Rosamund Pike as Best Supporting Actress.

Noticeably missing from the motion picture nominations is Netflix biopic Rustin, starring Colman Domingo, about gay Black civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. The film landed two nomination for Best Original Song – “Road to Freedom” by Lenny Kravitz and a Best Actor nomination for Domingo.

Other major LGBTQ+ films from the year that didn’t make an appearance include Amazon Prime’s Cassandro and M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin and Theatre Camp.

Over in the world of TV, Ron Nyswaner’s LGBTQ+ political drama Fellow Travelers, starring Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, landed a nomination for Best Limited Series. While Amazon Prime queer psychological horror series Dead Ringers saw Rachel Weisz nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series.

HBO Max’s The Last of Us, praised for its LGBTQ+ inclusion scored a nomination for Best TV Series (Drama) and lead star Pedro Pascal for Best Actor in a TV series (Drama) and non-binary co-star Bella Ramsey.

Finally, the Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television category features lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes for her Netflix special Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer.

However, there were also many notable snubs for 2023’s best queer TV shows. Although Fellow Travelers star Allison Williams and Matt Bomer landed a nominations for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Limited Series, lead star Bailey was overlooked.

Elsewhere, Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six received three nominations including for actors Riley Keough and Suki Waterhouse – but not for their co-star Nabiyah Be who portrayed sapphic singer Simone Jackson.

Queer Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby did not make the comedy category with their Netflix show Something Special.

You can read the full list of nominations here.

The Golden Globes awards ceremony will take place on 7 January 2024.