On Monday, the nominations for the Golden Globes, the first major award show in 2025, were announced. The show is set to take place on Jan. 5, 2025, per Variety.
The awards are for work in movies and television, and there are a total of 27 different categories, according to the Golden Globes. That means shows and movies compete against similar projects, not all shows and movies made over the past year.
But the Golden Globes’ definition of “similar” can feel a bit odd to a casual observer. For example, sometimes a TV series or film is classified as a comedy even though it wasn’t funny.
Here is a look at how the categories at the Golden Globes are divided up and what they mean.
Golden Globes movie categories
There are 15 awards given to motion pictures, or movies, during the Golden Globes.
And there’s not just one best picture. There are four — one in each of four featured genres.
The four genres are drama, musical or comedy, animated feature and non-English language, per the Golden Globes.
Awards for best lead actor and actress are divided into just two genres, drama and musical or comedy.
But awards for best supporting actor or actress are not divided up into the same genres, they are given to any supporting actor in a movie regardless of genre.
There are also awards for best director, best screenplay, best song and best score, which can be awarded to any motion picture regardless of genre.
Here is a look at the division between the drama and musical or comedy genres, according to the Golden Globes.
Drama
According to the Golden Globes’ rules and guidelines, “Motion pictures shall be entered in the category that best matches the overall tone and content of the motion picture. Therefore, a motion picture that is primarily intended to have a serious or dramatic tone but contains comedic overtones or elements should be entered as a drama as opposed to a comedy.”
The nominees for best motion picture drama at the Golden Globes this year are “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Nickel Boys,” “September 5″ and “The Brutalist,” according to Deadline.
Musical or comedy
While the Golden Globes does not define what comedy means for this category, it does define what a musical is.
“A musical can be a comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further the plot,” per the Golden Globes.
The films nominated for best motion picture musical or comedy, at the Golden Globes this year are: “A Real Pain,” “Anora,” “Challengers,” “Emilia Perez,” “The Substance” and “Wicked,” per Deadline.
Golden Globes television categories
The other 12 categories for awards presented at the Golden Globes are focused on television shows, according to the Golden Globes.
Similar to how it is for the motion picture categories, the best series awards are divided into three genres: drama; musical or comedy; and limited series, anthology series or television motion picture.
As opposed to the motion picture categories, which only award best actor and actress awards to drama and musical or comedy, the best actor and actress awards for television are divided into the same three categories as best series.
But as in the movie categories, the best supporting actor or actress awards are not split into the groups. The nominees can be from any television series.
There are no television awards for writing, directing or music like there are in the motion picture categories, per the Golden Globes.
Limited series, anthology series, or motion picture made for television
The drama and musical or comedy categories are defined in the same way for television shows as they are for movies. Here’s a look at what the anthology series or television motion picture genre means.
A limited series tells a complete story that is not recurring.
“An anthology series is a series of separate and distinct stories based on a common subject or theme. Anthology series do not tell a complete, non-recurring story,” according to the Golden Globes’ rules and guidelines.
A single program aired on television that tells a complete story qualifies as a motion picture made for television.
The nominees for limited series, anthology series, or motion picture made for television this year are “Baby Reindeer,” “Disclaimer,” “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” “The Penguin,” “Ripley” and “True Detective: Night Country,” per Deadline.
How to watch the Golden Globes
According to Variety, the Golden Globes ceremony will air live on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. MST.
The awards show, which will be hosted by Nikki Glaser, can also be streamed on Paramount+.