[Only IN Hollywood] Will Greta Lee, Fantasia, Meryl Streep and more set record-breaking wins at Golden Globes?

LOS ANGELES, USA – Will actress Greta Lee and filmmaker Celine Song, through their Past Lives, score several historic wins at the Golden Globes on January 7? Will Meryl Streep break her own record as the individual with the most acting wins?

And will Fantasia Barrino be the first Black woman to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical since Angela Bassett won in this category 30 years ago?

These are among the historic or record-setting win prospects when the 81^st Golden Globe Awards are handed out on Sunday, January 7, starting at 5 pm PT (9 am Monday in Manila), at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

Note that these are what-if projections. This coming Golden Globes, to be hosted for the first time in the awards show’s 81-year history by a Filipino American, Jo Koy, is anyone’s game.

This makes the show honoring excellence in film and television even more exciting. While Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Poor Things earned the most nominations in film, there is no clear frontrunner.

Even in the television categories, although Succession, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, and The Crown lead in the nominations count, it has been such a bumper year of good shows that there will be true suspense when the envelopes are opened.

Jo Koy is neck-deep in rehearsals for the show produced by the multi-Emmy-winning team of Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, whose sterling credits include last year’s Academy Awards, Tony Awards, Primetime Emmys, and Kennedy Center Honors.

In a joint statement, Glenn and Ricky promised, “We look forward to raising the bar for the awards season right out of the gate.” The Globes are traditionally the first major show of the awards season.

I culled these guesses of records that could be broken or set from awards watch sites, articles, news stories, and VegasInsider.com.

Back to Past Lives, Greta could become the first South Korean and performer of Asian descent to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Celine, on the other hand, has two chances to make history – she could become the first South Korean to bag Best Director – Motion Picture and Best Screenplay.

If Meryl prevails in Best Supporting Actress – Television for Only Murders in the Building, she will break her own record for the most wins for acting by an individual. That would bring her acting Globes total to a whopping nine.

Another win in what is dubbed Hollywood’s Party of the Year could also make Streep break her tie with Barbra Streisand for the most wins by an individual. Both have nine now, with La Streep’s ninth for her Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2017.

There’s one record where La Streep is hard to beat. With her nod for Only Murders in the Building, she secured her distinction for the most nominations (33). Legendary composer John Williams follows with 27 nods.

If Emma Stone triumphs in two categories where she is cited (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Poor Things and Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama for The Curse), she joins a group of thespians who won two acting Globes in a single night: Helen Mirren (2007), Kate Winslet (2009), Sigourney Weaver (1989) and Joan Plowright (1983).

Two other records could be established in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama race: Lily Gladstone, a Native American actress who stars in Killers of the Flower Moon, could become the first indigenous woman winner in this category; The Anatomy of a Fall’s Sandra Huller has a chance to be the first German actress to win in this race.

In the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama derby, Leonardo DiCaprio, cited for Killers of the Flower Moon, could join Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks in the elite circle of three-time winners in this derby.

If Jennifer Lawrence goes on stage Sunday night in the International Ballroom as the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy winner for No Hard Feelings, she joins legends Julie Andrews and Rosalind Russell who won three Globes each in this field.

American Idol champion Fantasia Barrino could be the second Black woman to cop the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her performance in The Color Purple. Angela Bassett, who made history as the first Black winner in this field three decades ago for What’s Love Got to Do With It, will be a presenter on Sunday.

Five have won Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture two times. Make that six if Jodie Foster wins again in this field for Nyad.

Jodie is in excellent company with Meryl as the two thespians who have won or been nominated for the Globes every decade since the ’70s.

The master, Martin Scorsese, thanks to his Killers of the Flower Moon, could be in the company of  Elia Kazan if he cinches his fourth Best Director – Motion Picture Globe.

But if Bradley Cooper is named the winner in that category and also wins Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, both for Maestro, the 81^st Globes will be quite a night for him. He could be the first to win Best Director and Best Actor for the same film.

Others who had a milestone chance to win in both directing and acting in the same film were Barbra Streisand (Yentl), Warren Beatty (Reds), and Woody Allen (Annie Hall).

Based on its eight nominations, Oppenheimer could top La La Land’s feat of seven triumphs in one night.

In television, more records could be set. Ali Wong, for her portrayal of Amy Lau in Beef, could make history as the first Asian actress to bag Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television.

The other tantalizing question is, could Ali’s Beef costar, Steven Yeun, also triumph in the male equivalent of the aforementioned category?

And will the night belong to Succession? If Jeremy Strong or Brian Cox from that series wins, the victor will join several others who won Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama twice. Jeremy and Brian’s previous Globes are also for Succession.

Another Succession star is in the running in this category: Kieran Culkin. Will the fifth Globe nomination be the charm for Kieran?

Three other actors are in the race in this category: Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), and Dominic West (The Crown). If Pedro’s name is called, he would be the first Chilean actor to triumph in this field.

The Crown could beat its own record as the series with the most thespians conquering the Best Actress in a TV series – Drama. Will Imelda Staunton join Emma Corrin, Claire Foy, and Olivia Colman who won for this series?

And if Imelda wins, she would be the third one from the series to prevail for playing Queen Elizabeth II, following Claire and Olivia.

Still on The Crown, that series or Succession could tie The X-Files and Mad Men for the most wins (three).

Will Steve Martin finally win a Globe? He’s up for Best Actor in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy, his third nod for Only Murders in the Building. He earned five other nominations in the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy race for Pennies from Heaven, All of Me, Roxanne, Parenthood, and Father of the Bride Part II.

A long list of 27 performers were nominated for the first time. These individuals include Ayo Edebiri, Bella Ramsey, Charles Melton, Chris Rock, Colman Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Danielle Brooks, James Marsden, Jason Segel, Trevor Noah, and Wanda Sykes.

Who among them will win on their first nomination?

As I write this, among the presenters announced are Michelle Yeoh, last year’s Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Amanda Seyfried, Justin Hartley, Gabriel Macht, George Lopez, Julia Garner, Patrick J. Adams, and Will Ferrell.

Watch the Globes for the results and cheer on Jo Koy on his historic gig!

(Full disclosure: Ruben V. Nepales is a Golden Globe Awards voter.)

– Rappler.com