Throughout the entire eight-decade history of the Golden Globes, two TV shows have received a record-high eight nominations in a single year: “The Thorn Birds” at the 1984 ceremony (it won four trophies for miniseries, lead actor Richard Chamberlain, supporting actress Barbara Stanwyck and supporting actor Richard Kiley) and “L.A Law” at the 1990 gala (it went home empty-handed that year). Now the final season of “Succession” is hoping to match that nominations record — or even beat it — at the upcoming 2024 Golden Globes.
Gold Derby currently predicts that HBO’s dearly departed family show will easily score six Golden Globe noms. Drama series, drama actress Sarah Snook, drama actors Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox, and supporting actor Matthew Macfadyen all seem to be givens. A seventh bid is on the bubble for supporting actor Alan Ruck. That means if any of the potential dark horse candidates also get in (Emmy-nominated folks like J. Smith-Cameron, Alexander Skarsgard and Nicholas Braun), “Succession” would enter the history books. Could it grab eight, nine or even 10 nominations?
While “The Thorn Birds” and “L.A. Law” hold the record at eight Golden Globe citations in a single year, two other TV programs have scored an impressive seven mentions: “Angels in America” and “ER.” “Angels” won five statues in 2004: miniseries, lead actress Meryl Streep, lead actor Al Pacino, supporting actress Mary-Louise Parker and supporting actor Jeffrey Wright. And “ER” claimed just a single trophy at the 1998 kudos, for drama actor Anthony Edwards. (Also note that “L.A. Law” nabbed seven notices at the 1989 ceremony, winning for drama actress Jill Eikenberry.)
If “Succession” ends up with just the six bids that Gold Derby currently predicts, it will become the third show this decade to match that number after “The Crown” at the 2021 kudos and “Big Little Lies” at the 2018 Golden Globes. Both of those programs walked away with four trophies each: drama series, drama actress Emma Corrin, drama actor Josh O’Connor and supporting actress Gillian Anderson for “The Crown”; and limited series, lead actress Nicole Kidman, supporting actress Laura Dern and supporting actor Skarsgard for “Big Little Lies.”
To date, “Succession” has won five total Golden Globes: drama series and drama actor (Cox) in 2020, and drama series, drama actor (Strong) and supporting actress (Snook) in 2022.
How many Golden Globes will it claim at the 2024 ceremony? Gold Derby predicts “Succession” will win its third trophy for drama series, plus a second for Snook (albeit in lead instead of in supporting), and a first for both Culkin in lead and Macfadyen in supporting. The only TV category in which the show seems vulnerable is for supporting actress, but Smith-Cameron could surprise everyone based on her two consecutive Emmy nominations.
