Golden Globes 2026: UK Stars to Watch & Potential Winners

Tom Place
2026-01-09 17:09:00

Awards season is officially upon us.

This Sunday night, the Golden Globes will take place, the ceremony being held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, kicking off at 1am on Monday in the UK.

Often viewed as an early indicator for Oscars glory, the show will also be dishing out awards for the best shows and performances on TV over the past year.

Nikki Glaser also hosted last year’s ceremony (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Comedian and actor Nikki Glaser will be the host for the second year running – but which UK stars have the best chance to bring home some awards?

Let’s have a look at some of the runners and riders.

Jessie Buckley – Best Actress, Motion Picture, Drama – Hamnet

Jessie Buckley received a nod for her role as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes Hathaway – historically known as Anne – in historical drama Hamnet (Ian West/PA)

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One who seem likely to bring home a gong is Ireland’s Buckley, who lives is Norfolk,

She is considered a frontrunner in the Oscars race, and has already won the Critics Choice award for her incredible performance as Agnes Shakespeare.

Cynthia Erivo – Best Actress, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy – Wicked: For Good

Cynthia Erivo (Jonathan Brady/PA)

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Londoner Erivo is nominated for the second straight year, both times for her role as Elphaba in the Wicked franchise.

She was pipped by Demi Moore last year, and this time around the favourite is Australian actress Rose Byrne for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Emily Blunt – Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture – The Smashing Machine

Emily Blunt (Ian West/PA)

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Blunt has already picked up a Golden Globe, earning a Best Supporting Actress in Television award for her role in the BBC drama Gideon’s Daughter.

She picked up an Oscar nomination for her part in Oppenheimer in 2024, and this is her sixth nomination in the film categories at the Globes.

There isn’t a lot of buzz around her this weekend though, with Amy Madigan and Teyana Taylor among the favourites.

Jonny Greenwood – Best Original Score – One Battle After Another

(Ian West/PA)

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Radiohead guitarist Greenwood has a host of excellent film scores behind him, from There Will Be Blood, to Phantom Thread, to The Power of the Dog.

This year, he is nominated for One Battle After Another, the latest in several collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson. Sinners’ Ludwig Goransson is the favourite, though.

Gary Oldman – Best Actor, Television, Drama – Slow Horses

Sir Gary Oldman (Ian West/PA)

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Oldman is nominated for the third straight year for his performance as the acerbic and tasteless Jackson Lamb in the excellent British series Slow Horses.

Could this be the year he gets the silverware to match the universal critical acclaim?

His biggest rival might be a fellow Brit…

Stephen Graham – Best Actor, Television, Limited Series – Adolescence

Erin Doherty – Best Supporting Actress, Television – Adolescence

Owen Cooper – Best Supporting Actor, Television – Adolescence

Adolescence sparked a national conversation about incel culture and online safety (Ian West/PA)

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Adolescence seems likely to be the biggest UK success story of the night, and there is a great chance that its three nominated actors all bring home the prize.

Stephen Graham is predicted to win a Golden Globe for his incredible performance, having already secured the Emmy and Critics Choice awards.

Stephen Graham (Ian West/PA)

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It’s the role of his lifetime, and surely deserves to be recognised.

Erin Doherty also won an Emmy for her performance – the only thing standing in her way is the jam-packed Supporting Actress field.

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But it’s safe to say that her two-hander episode with Cooper was one of the most remarkable pieces of television we’ve ever seen, and may have wrapped up the award for the both of them.

Cooper seems to be as close to a certainty as it gets for the Supporting Actor award, following his astonishing performance as the troubled Jamie.

Adolescence star Owen Cooper (Jonathan Brady/PA)

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In September, he became the youngest ever male Emmy winner for the role.

Aimee Lou Wood – Best Supporting Actress, Television – The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs – Best Supporting Actor, Television – The White Lotus

Aimee Lou Wood (Ian West/PA)

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Two more Brits have nominations in the supporting actor fields, but seem destined to miss out to the Adolescence duo.

Wood and Isaacs received their nominations for their roles in The White Lotus, Mike White’s smash hit from HBO.

Helen Mirren – Best Actress, Television, Drama – MobLand

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Mirren seems unlikely to win the Best Actress award for her role as crime family matriarch Maeve Harrigan in MobLand.

However, she’ll be able to console herself by taking home some other silverware – she is set to receive the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for her lifetime achievement at a special “Golden Eve” event prior to the main ceremony.