Golden Globes nominations: 'The Banshees of Inisherin' tops film categories

Martin McDonagh's "The Banshees of Inisherin," a darkly comic tale of feuding friends, led the pack of nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards announced Monday morning, picking up eight nods.

"Banshees" stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as drinking buddies living off the coast of Ireland in the early 1920s whose bond grows increasingly frayed.

The film is vying for the best musical or comedy film prize along with "Babylon," "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" and "Triangle of Sadness."

In the best drama film race, the contenders are "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Elvis," "The Fabelmans," "Tár" and "Top Gun: Maverick."

The nominees for best actor in a drama film includes Brendan Fraser, recognized for his searing performance as a 600-pound literature professor in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale."

Fraser has said he would not attend the Globes ceremony after he was allegedly groped in 2003 by Philip Berk, a former president of the group behind the show. Berk denies the allegation.

“The Whale” has drawn criticism in the run-up to awards season in part because Fraser wore a fat suit for the role. In reviews, some critics have accused the film of fatphobia or playing on harmful stereotypes about people with large bodies.

Thirty performers were recognized across the six film acting categories, including Ana de Armas ("Blonde"), Cate Blanchett ("Tár"), Austin Butler ("Elvis"), Viola Davis ("The Woman King") and Michelle Yeoh, the star of "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

The Globes also recognize achievement in television. ABC's breakout sitcom "Abbott Elementary" led the TV side with five nods, including best comedy series.

The Golden Globes are attempting to press forward after a rocky few years for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that puts on the ceremony.

The press association drew intense scrutiny last year after the Los Angeles Times published an exposé that detailed allegations of ethical issues and revealed that the organization hadn't had Black voting members since at least 2002.

In response, NBC said it would not telecast the show this year. The press association ultimately decided to hold the event privately, with a small audience and winners announced on social media.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has since diversified its voting membership, and NBC has reinstated the telecast. (NBC News and the entertainment division of the NBC broadcast network are both units of NBCUniversal.)

But it remains to be seen how the show will be received by critics and viewers. In general, ratings for Hollywood award shows have declined in recent years as younger viewers shift away from linear television and audience tastes evolve.

Read the full list of nominees at TODAY.com.

However, high-profile nominations for box-office smashes like "Top Gun: Maverick" and the multiverse adventure "Everything Everywhere All at Once" could help attract viewers. James Cameron's "Avatar" sequel, which comes out this weekend, is also expected to be a massive hit around the world.

Two marquee actors who some pundits expected to receive nominations were left out of the running.

Tom Cruise failed to pick up a nod for reprising his role in the “Top Gun” sequel. Will Smith, who made international headlines earlier this year after he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, did not get a nomination for the new Apple TV+ slavery drama “Emancipation.”

Including popular television series could help the Globes lure spectators this year, too.

The nominees for best drama series are "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "House of the Dragon," "Ozark" and "Severance."

In the best comedy series category, the nominees are "Abbott Elementary," "The Bear," "Hacks," "Only Murders in the Building" and "Wednesday."

Some of the nominees were announced live on NBC's "TODAY" show and Peacock, the streaming service owned by NBCUniversal. Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva, who star on the NBC sitcom "Lopez vs. Lopez," read out a partial list of contenders.

The three-hour Golden Globes telecast will air live coast to coast at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, Jan. 10. The host will be the celebrated comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who won an Emmy Award this year for his HBO stand-up special "Rothaniel."

Carmichael's "comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live," Helen Hoehne, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, said in a statement last week.