--- title: Golden Globes 2016: Predicting Who Will Win description: TIME predicts the winners of the 2016 Golden Globes, taking place on Jan. 10, 2016. canonical: https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-08T15:53:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:50:33.457Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Here's Who Will Win at the Golden Globes og:description: TIME predicts the winners of the 2016 Golden Globes, taking place on Jan. 10, 2016. og:url: https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a4257cfa16c6cb1/69887823ab6d7752086a7e04/golden-globes-lead.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:image:alt: golden-globes-lead og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's Who Will Win at the Golden Globes twitter:description: TIME predicts the winners of the 2016 Golden Globes, taking place on Jan. 10, 2016. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a4257cfa16c6cb1/69887823ab6d7752086a7e04/golden-globes-lead.jpg?branch=production ---  # Here's Who Will Win at the Golden Globes by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/) and [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/) Jan 8, 2016 3:53 PM CUT by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/) and [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/) Jan 8, 2016 3:53 PM CUT The 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards take place on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. In a field of nominees stacked with newbies and veterans alike, here’s who we expect to take home the prizes. ### Best Picture, Drama  Spotlight. Kerry Hayes—Open Road Films _Carol_ _|_ _Mad Max: Fury Road_ _|_ _The Revenant_ _|_ _Room_ **_|_** **_Spotlight_** Though the splashier choice would be _Mad Max: Fury Road_, _Spotlight_ has the near unanimous backing of critics and audiences alike for its assured, no-frills filmmaking and its brilliant ensemble performance. **Read More:** [Review: Spotlight Is an Emotional Tour de Force](http://time.com/4094990/movie-review-spotlight-rachel-mcadams-mark-ruffalo/ "undefined") ### Best Picture, Comedy or Musical  The Big Short. Paramount Pictures **_The Big Short_** _|_ _Joy_ _|_ _The Martian_ _|_ _Spy_ _|_ _Trainwreck_ Though it’s really only half comedy—the reality of unemployment and foreclosures looms close behind Ryan Gosling’s cocky Wall Street bravado—Adam McKay’s financial crisis flick is fresh, energetic and, like our prediction for [Best Drama](http://time.com/4094990/movie-review-spotlight-rachel-mcadams-mark-ruffalo/ "undefined"), in possession of a stellar ensemble cast. **Read More:** [What to Know About the Housing Bubble Before You See _The Big Short_](http://time.com/4139899/the-big-short-market-explained/ "undefined") ### Best Actress, Drama  Brie Larson in Room. A24 Films Cate Blanchett, _Carol_ _|_ **Brie Larson,** **_Room_**_|_ Rooney Mara, _Carol_ _|_ Saoirse Ronan, _Brooklyn_ _|_ Alicia Vikander, _The Danish Girl_ This is a stacked category, but Larson’s turn as a kidnapped mother who creates a world for her son in a 10-by-10-ft. shed is a harrowing breakthrough performance, and a Globe would cement her as one to watch in the years to come. **Read More:** [Brie Larson Finds a _Room_ of Her Own](http://time.com/4074566/brie-larson-finds-a-room-of-her-own/ "undefined") ### Best Actor, Drama  Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant. Kimberley French—20th Century Fox Bryan Cranston, _Trumbo_ | **Leonardo DiCaprio,** **_The Revenant_**| Michael Fassbender, _Steve Jobs_ |Eddie Redmayne, _The Danish Girl_ | Will Smith, _Concussion_ This race is a close one—2015 winner Eddie Redmayne delivered the kind of performance in _The Danish Girl_ that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association might be tempted to single out—but what use is [eating bison liver](http://www.gq.com/story/leo-dicaprio-raw-bison-liver-the-revenant "undefined") if it doesn’t at least yield a Golden Globe? **Read More:** [The True Story Behind _The Revenant_, as Told in 1939](http://time.com/4171001/revenant-1939-true-story/ "undefined") ### Best Actress, Comedy or Musical  Lily Tomlin in Grandma. Sony Pictures Classics Jennifer Lawrence, _Joy_ _|_ Melissa McCarthy, _Spy_ _|_ Amy Schumer, _Trainwreck_ _|_ Maggie Smith, _The Lady in the Van_ _|_ **Lily Tomlin,** **_Grandma_** Choosing Tomlin over three of comedy’s current leading ladies may not be a popular choice, but it’s much deserved for the actress—who, it’s worth mentioning, has never won a Golden Globe—as her turn as a tough-on-the-outside, marshmallow-on-the-inside matriarch was masterful in bringing out all the feels. **Read More:** [New Tricks for Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda](http://time.com/3849956/grace-frankie-netflix/ "undefined") ### Best Actor, Comedy or Musical  Matt Damon in The Martian. 20th Century Fox Christian Bale, _The Big Short_ _|_ Steve Carell, _The Big Short_ _|_ **Matt Damon,** **_The Martian_**_|_ Al Pacino, _Danny Collins_ _|_ Mark Ruffalo, _Infinitely Polar Bear_ Perform a textual analysis of reviews of Damon’s performance as a botanist stuck on Mars, and the words _charismatic_ and _exuberant_ are likely to be the top hits. In the company of two nominees who represent a larger ensemble cast (Carell and Bale) and two whose films were softer blips on the radar (Ruffalo and Pacino), Damon stands a good chance of taking home his second Globe, and his first for acting. **Read More:** [What _The Martian_ Gets Right (and Wrong) About Science](http://time.com/4055413/martian-movie-review-science-accuracy-matt-damon/ "undefined") ### Best Director  Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. Jasin Boland—Warner Bros. Todd Haynes, _Carol_ _|_ Alejandro González Iñárritu, _The Revenant_ _|_ Tom McCarthy, _Spotlight_ _|_ **George Miller,** **_Mad Max: Fury Road_** _|_ Ridley Scott, _The Martian_ Assuming _Mad Max: Fury Road_ doesn’t take home the night’s big prize, recognizing Miller is a fitting way for the HFPA to honor the major mark the movie made on cinema in 2015, from its [feminist bent](http://time.com/3850323/mad-max-fury-road-eve-ensler-feminist/ "undefined") to its unusual approach to exploring trauma. **Read More:** [Why It Matters That _Mad Max_ Was Named Best Movie by the National Board of Review](http://time.com/4131668/mad-max-national-board-of-review/ "undefined") ### Best Supporting Actress  Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina A24 Films Jane Fonda, _Youth_ _|_ Jennifer Jason Leigh, _The Hateful Eight_ | Helen Mirren, _Trumbo_ _|_ **Alicia Vikander,** **_Ex Machina_** _|_ Kate Winslet, _Steve Jobs_ Vikander crept into 2015 virtually anonymous and waltzed out a bright new star—she’s the only actress to nab two nominations this year—and recognizing her arrestingly human turn as an android in _Ex Machina_ also allows the HFPA to acknowledge her fierce performance in _The Danish Girl_. **Read More:** [_Ex Machina:_ Can Two Wily Men Outsmart a Gorgeous Robot?](http://time.com/3789656/ex-machina-review/ "undefined") ### Best Supporting Actor  Michael Shannon in 99 Homes. Broad Green Pictures Paul Dano, _Love & Mercy_ _|_ Idris Elba, _Beasts of No Nation_ _|_ Mark Rylance, _Bridge of Spies_ _|_ **Michael Shannon,** **_99 Homes_** _|_ Sylvester Stallone, _Creed_ Though there’s still room for a last-minute knockout by Stallone, Shannon’s shady real estate broker in 2015’s _other_ housing crisis film is both chilling and emotionally complex, not to mention much lauded by critics. **Read More:** [Director Ramin Rahrani on His Housing Drama _99 Homes_: ‘It’s a Thriller With a Humanist Heart’](http://time.com/3906701/99-homes-trailer-interview/ "undefined") ### Best Animated Film  Inside Out. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures _Anomalisa_ _|_ _The Good Dinosaur_ _|_ **_Inside Out_**_|_ _The Peanuts Movie_ _|_ _Shaun the Sheep Movie_ Pixar’s examination of the inner workings of a child hurtling headlong toward adolescence was an instant classic, equally beloved by children and adults, and is likely to nab the award barring an unexpected preference for the bleaker, more adult fare of Charlie Kaufman’s _Anomalisa_. **Read More:** [Why It Matters That _Inside Out_’s Protagonist Is a Girl—Not a Princess](http://time.com/3930081/inside-out-female-protagonist/ "undefined") ### Best Foreign Language Film  Son of Saul. Sony Pictures Classics _The Brand New Testament_ _|_ _The Club_ _|_ _The Fencer_ _|_ _Mustang_ _|_ **_Son of Saul_** Hungarian director László Nemes’ portrait of a man during the Holocaust has generated ample buzz since debuting at Cannes—lapping up honors left and right on its way to likely wins at the Globes and perhaps the Oscars, with perhaps only France’s _Mustang_ standing a chance of edging it out. ### Best Screenplay  Spotlight. Open Road Films Emma Donoghue, _Room_ _|_ **Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer,** **_Spotlight_**_|_ Charles Randolph & Adam McKay, _The Big Short_ _|_ Aaron Sorkin, _Steve Jobs_ _|_ Quentin Tarantino, _The Hateful Eight_ McCarthy and Singer’s collaboration on _Spotlight_’s screenplay involved a hefty amount of rewriting even on set, and their dogged perfectionism shows in the finished product—which has also earned honors from the National Society of Film Critics, the Gotham Awards and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. **Read More:** [National Society of Film Critics Names _Spotlight_ as Best Picture](http://time.com/4165822/national-society-of-film-critics-spotlight-best-picture/ "undefined") ### Best Original Song  Spectre. Columbia Pictures “Love Me Like You Do,” _Fifty Shades of Grey_ _|_ “One Kind of Love,” _Love & Mercy_ _|_ “See You Again,” _Furious 7_ _|_ “Simple Song #3,” _Youth_ _|_ **“Writing’s on the Wall,”** **_Spectre_** Sam Smith’s sonically swanky, dramatic—in a word, Bond-ish—theme song for the most recent 007 movie is a more solid bet than some of the poppier choices in this field, unless the HFPA decides to get even classier with the classical opus from _Youth_, “Simple Song #3,” sung by soprano Sumi Jo. **Read More:** [Watch Sam Smith’s Video for _Spectre_ Theme ‘Writing’s on the Wall’](http://time.com/4061103/sam-smith-james-bond-theme-video/ "undefined") ### Best Original Score  Carol. The Weinstein Company **Carter Burwell,** **_Carol_**_|_ Alexander Desplat, _The Danish Girl_ _|_ Ennio Morricone, _The Hateful Eight_ _|_ Daniel Pemberton, _Steve Jobs_ _|_ Ryuchi Sakamoto, _The Revanant_ _Carol_ is a beautiful movie, not just visually but sonically, and Burwell, who has scored nearly every Coen Brothers film ever made, is an instrumental part of delivering the emotional drama that courses through the love story. **Read More:** [How _Carol_ Went From Long-Shot Love Story to Awards-Season Favorite](http://time.com/4136724/carol-todd-haynes-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara/ "undefined") ### Best Television Series, Drama  Mr. Robot. Virginia Sherwood—USA Network _Empire_ (Fox) | _Game of Thrones_ (HBO) | **_Mr. Robot_** **(USA)** | _Narcos_ (Netflix) | _Outlander_ (Starz) The Golden Globes loves to surprise viewers by awarding new shows (like last year’s _The Affair_ and _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_ in 2014). While _Empire_ may have been the breakout drama of 2015, _Mr. Robot_ should steal the win as the prestige show to watch going forward. **Read More:** [_Mr. Robot_ Is the Antidote to Your _True Detective_ Blues](http://time.com/4000137/mr-robot-finale-true-detective/ "undefined") ### Best Television Series, Comedy  Veep. HBO _Casual_ (Hulu) | _Mozart in the Jungle_ (Amazon) | _Orange Is the New Black_ (Netflix) | _Silicon Valley_ (HBO) | _Transparent_ (Amazon) | **_Veep_** **(HBO)** _Veep_ has never won a Golden Globe for best comedy. Coming off an Emmys win, this will be its year to beat out reigning champ _Transparent_ for the Golden Globe, in part as a nod to the brilliance of creator Armando Iannucci, who won’t return next season. **Read More:** [Anna Chlumsky Explains How _Veep_‘s Amy Came to Her Breaking Point](http://time.com/3853558/veep-anna-chlumsky/ "undefined") ### Best Actress, Television Drama  Taraji P. Henson in Empire. FOX/Getty Images Caitriona Balfe, _Outlander |_ Viola Davis, _How to Get Away With Murder |_ Eva Green, _Penny Dreadful |_ **Taraji P. Henson,** **_Empire_** _|_ Robin Wright, _House of Cards_ Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis face off in the best actress category again. Davis deservedly won the [Emmy](http://time.com/4042100/emmys-2015-viola-davis-win/ "undefined"), and now it’s Henson’s time to shine for her now-iconic Cookie character. **Read More:** [Taraji P. Henson on Hollywood’s Racial Biases: ‘I Know the Struggle’](http://time.com/4140391/taraji-p-henson-empire-hollywood-race/ "undefined") ### Best Actor, Television Drama  Rami Malek in Mr. Robot. Virginia Sherwood—USA Network Jon Hamm, _Mad Men |_ **Rami Malek,** **_Mr. Robot_** _|_ Wagner Moura, _Narcos |_ Bob Odenkirk, _Better Call Saul |_ Liev Schreiber, _Ray Donovan_ Jon Hamm already won the Emmy he so deserved. The Golden Globes have a long history of rewarding newcomers (last year’s Gina Rodriguez in _Jane the Virgin_, for instance) and Rami Malek deserves an award for his complex portrayal of a coder who may just be losing his mind. **Read More:** [Rami Malek: ‘I Hope It’s Not Just This Year That Diversity is a Touchstone’](http://time.com/4141886/rami-malek-interview-mr-robot/ "undefined") ### Best Actress, Television Comedy  Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep. Patrick Harbron—HBO Rachel Bloom, _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend |_ Jamie Lee Curtis, _Scream Queens |_ **Julia Louis-Dreyfus,** **_Veep_** | Gina Rodriguez, _Jane the Virgin_ | Lily Tomlin, _Grace and Frankie_ Rachel Bloom’s delightfully erratic performance on _Crazy Ex-Grilfriend_ and last year’s winner Gina Rodriguez (_Jane the Virgin_) are both strong contenders. They could only be beat by the Commander-in-Chief. **Read More:** [Watch Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus Having a Mini ](http://time.com/3909062/seinfeld-dreyfus-car-coffee/ "undefined")[_Seinfeld_](http://time.com/3909062/seinfeld-dreyfus-car-coffee/ "undefined")[ Reunion](http://time.com/3909062/seinfeld-dreyfus-car-coffee/ "undefined") ### Best Actor, Television Comedy  Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent. Amazon Studios Aziz Ansari, _Master of None |_ Gael García Bernal, _Mozart in the Jungle |_ Rob Lowe, _The Grinder |_ Patrick Stewart, _Blunt Talk |_ **Jeffrey Tambor,** **_Transparent_** _Master of None_ was a tour de force, but Aziz Ansari deserves more credit for his work as a creator on the highly conceptual show than he does as an actor. When it comes to compelling performances, Tambor out-acts everyone in the category. **Read More:** [Jeffrey Tambor Dedicated His Golden Globe to the Transgender Community](http://time.com/3663021/golden-globes-2015-jeffrey-tambor-transparent/ "undefined") ### Best Television Limited Series  Fargo. Chris Large—FX _American Crime_ (ABC) | _American Horror Story: Hotel_ (FX) | **_Fargo_** **(FX)** | _Flesh and Bone_ (Starz) | _Wolf Hall_ (PBS) _Fargo_ surprised many by upsetting _True Detective_ in this category last year. And you betcha it’ll win again this year: the second season was even better than the first. **Read More:** [The _Fargo_ Finale Proved It’s One of TV’s Great Shows](http://time.com/4148823/fargos-finale-review-television/ "undefined") ### Best Actress, Limited Series  Kirsten Dunst, left, in Fargo. Chris Large—FX **Kirsten Dunst,** **_Fargo_** _|_ Lady Gaga, _American Horror Story: Hotel |_ Sarah Hay, _Flesh and Bone |_ Felicity Huffman, _American Crime |_ Queen Latifah, _Bessie_ Kirsten Dunst’s comeback has begun. She stands to beat odds-on favorite Lady Gaga with one of the most compelling performances of the year as the underestimated Peggy. **Read More:** [Kirsten Dunst Proves She Still Knows the Cheers From _Bring It On_](http://time.com/4072994/kirsten-dunst-bring-it-on-james-corden/ "undefined") ### Best Actor, Limited Series  Idris Elba in Luther. Steffan Hill—BBC **Idris Elba,** **_Luther_** _|_ Oscar Isaac, _Show Me a Hero |_ David Oyelowo, _Nightingale |_ Mark Rylance, _Wolf Hall |_ Patrick Wilson, _Fargo_ This category is really a toss-up, but Elba will edge out his competition because his return as Luther was so eagerly anticipated by fans. Plus, a win would be a nod to his incredible performance in the Netflix movie _Beasts of No Nation_, which got snubbed by the Globes. **Read More:** [Idris Elba Lands First Male ‘Maxim’ Cover](http://time.com/3985309/idris-elba-maxim/ "undefined") ### Best Supporting Actress, Television Series  Uzo Aduba in Orange is the New Black. JoJo Whilden—Netflix **Uzo Aduba,** **_Orange Is the New Black_** _|_ Joanne Froggatt, _Downton Abbey |_ Regina King, _American Crime |_ Judith Light, _Transparent |_ Maura Tierney, _The Affair_ Aduba is an awards show darling and will take the statue, though repeat-winner Joanne Froggatt and Emmy-winner Regina King will both put a good fight. **Read More:** [Uzo Aduba: _Orange Is the New Black_ Has Not Single-Handedly Solved TV’s Diversity Problem](http://time.com/4054308/uzo-aduba-tituss-burgess-dascha-polanco-diversity-television/ "undefined") ### Best Supporting Actor, Television Series  Ben Mendelsohn in Bloodline Saeed Adyani—Netflix Alan Cumming, _The Good Wife |_ Damian Lewis, _Wolf Hall |_ **Ben Mendelsohn,** **_Bloodline_** _|_ Tobias Menzies, _Outlander |_ Christian Slater, _Mr. Robot_ Mendelson earned critical raves for his turn as the black sheep brother in _Bloodline,_ and he’ll get the recognition the Emmys wouldn’t give him at the Globes. **Read More:** [Review: On Netflix’s _Bloodline_, a Family That Preys Together](http://time.com/3748080/review-netflix-bloodline/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/"},"headline":"Here's Who Will Win at the Golden Globes","datePublished":"2016-01-08T15:53:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:33.457Z","description":"TIME predicts the winners of the 2016 Golden Globes, taking place on Jan. 10, 2016.","url":"https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/","keywords":["awards","golden globes","awards season"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a4257cfa16c6cb1/69887823ab6d7752086a7e04/golden-globes-lead.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliza Berman","jobTitle":"Berman is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a4257cfa16c6cb1/69887823ab6d7752086a7e04/golden-globes-lead.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"golden-globes-lead","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/awards/","name":"awards"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4171455/golden-globes-predictions-win-2016/","name":"Here's Who Will Win at the Golden Globes"}}]}] ```