Normal People, Wolfwalkers and Brendan Gleeson fly the flag for Ireland at Golden Globes
Normal People was nominated for Best Limited Series or TV Film
After a strange year for film and television, there were pleasant surprises, shock snubs and a couple of familiar Irish faces when this year's Golden Globes nominations were announced on Wednesday.
The past year has seen us watching more television than ever before while cinemas remained shut for most of the pandemic so when it comes to awards season things are harder to call than usual.
Irish eyes were on the US on Wednesday afternoon as actresses Taraji P. Henson and Sarah Jessica Parker announced this year's nominees from their respective homes.
As expected, Normal People was nominated for Best Limited Series or TV Film. The series was a phenomenal hit with viewers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The big shock of the afternoon came when Paul Mescal didn't receive a nomination for his role in the series. He has previously been nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Connell.
His co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones was nominated for her turn as Marianne. She will face tough competition from Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman as well as fellow newcomers Shira Haas and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Brendan Gleeson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a TV series for his role as former US president Donald Trump in mini-series The Comey Rule.
The now-four-time Golden Globe nominee was initially reluctant to take on the role telling Deadline: "I had a reluctance to invite him into my life in that kind of way - the degree of belligerence and all of that. But also, with the circus that's with it."
There was joy for Kilkenny animation studio Cartoon Saloon as their latest offering got the nod.
Wolfwalkers is up against Pixar's Onward and Soul as well as The Croods: A New Age and Over the Moon in the Best Picture - Animated category.
The film follows a young apprentice hunter who journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night.
A secret draws the young hunter further into the enchanted world of the WolfWalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
The animated film will be released in Irish cinemas by Wildcard Distribution and on Apple TV+ later this year.
Co-directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, and written by Will Collins, Wolfwalkers is the third instalment of the animated Irish folklore trilogy from four-time Oscar-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
David Fincher's Mank leads the nominations this year with six Golden Globe nominations.
Netflix is one of the big winners to come out of this year's nominations as it racked up a total of 42 nominations for its film and TV offerings.
In a year when people spent an exorbitant amount of time in front of their screens at home, it comes as no surprise that streaming services account for a huge number of nominations.
Amazon received 10 nominations, HBO got seven while Apple TV+ came away with four.
Other big winners were TV series Schitt's Creek and The Queen's Gambit and films A Promising Young Woman and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
The 78th Golden Globes will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and nominees will appear from around the world during the ceremony on February 28.
You can read the full list here.
