Game of Thrones, Us, all of network TV snubbed by Golden Globes nominations

The Golden Globes are one of the first major indicators of the awards season future, which means that if a genre title doesn't land a nomination, it's unlikely that an Academy Award will follow suit. So when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations for the 2020 Golden Globes, it was easy to look past the big statements made by Joker and The Lion King and to the notable absences.

While there were still some pleasant surprises (the twisty limited series Catch-22 was shown lots of love while The Lion King was correctly placed in the Best Animated Movie category), there were few boons for genre fans outside of the R-rated clown.

One of the biggest snubs of the day was Game of Thrones. The acclaimed HBO series just aired its final season and, while fans and critics were both disappointed by how the George R.R. Martin fantasy adaptation came to a close, it was still a bit of a victory lap for a show that dominated the cultural conversation for years. Regardless, it was shut out of every TV category except for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Kit Harington (Jon Snow) nabbed a nomination there, while his counterpart Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and all the creative staff were snubbed — dragons or no dragons.

Another genre performance that had been earning a lot of buzz is Lupita Nyong'o's turn in Jordan Peele's Us. Her dual performance as not only the lead, but that lead's twisted reflection earned her honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and plenty of Oscar clout. Neither she, nor Us (the highest-grossing original film of the year) landed a nomination.

All of network TV missed out on the nominations, with cablers and streaming services sweeping up literally all the television categories — a true sign of the small screen's future. That bounty includes firsts for Apple TV+ (landing its first nominations ever) and Netflix (earning its first Best Motion Picture, Drama nod).

A few other notables missing from the conversation were any female film director; I Lost My Body, the animated film earning wins from critics organizations; and Cats, the spooky CGI musical that still aims to be a massive box office hit with its star-studded feline cast. All this may be a bellwether for the rest of this year's awards, though a few other key organizations (like the industry guilds) will make the race more clear.

The 77th Golden Globes, hosted by Ricky Gervais, will be on Sunday, January 5 in Los Angeles. NBC will air the ceremony.

For the full list of the 2020 nominees, click here.