Sunday's Golden Globes to launch Hollywood's awards festivities

Hollywood will kick off its 2025 awards festivities on Sunday at the annual Golden Globes ceremony, where films such as "Wicked," "The Brutalist" and "Emilia Perez" compete for trophies and attention ahead of the Oscars.

Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Angelina Jolie are among the stars running for acting honors at the red carpet ceremony, which comedian Nikki Glaser will host for the first time. The show will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ PARA.O.

Spanish-language musical "Emilia Perez" and post-World War Two epic "The Brutalist" lead the night's movie nominees.

"The Brutalist" stars Adrien Brody as a Holocaust survivor who flees to the United States to chase the American dream. The 3-1/2 hour tale is considered a frontrunner for the night's top prize, best film drama.

Competitors include "Conclave," which is about the selection of a pope, and two movies starring Chalamet - Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" and the sci-fi epic "Dune - Part II."

Unlike the Oscars, musical and comedy films compete in a separate category at the Globes. Nominees in that field include the box office smash "Wicked" and the dark romantic comedy "Anora."

Actor Adrien Brody attends the premiere of the film "The Brutalist" at Vista Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Etienne Laurent

Winning a Globe can help films in the March Academy Awards run-up. If a movie or actor takes home a Globe, "it increases the likelihood a film academy member will check out that project," said Scott Feinberg, executive editor for awards at The Hollywood Reporter.

Feinberg predicted that "The Brutalist" or "Conclave" would win the drama prize at the Globes. He said the musical or comedy category is harder to gauge because the nominees are so different.

"Emilia Perez," a musical thriller, tells the story of a Mexican drug lord who transitions from a man to a woman. "Wicked," a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," was adapted from a popular Broadway stage show.

FILE PHOTO: Cast members Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez attend a screening of the film Emilia Perez on the opening night of the 28th Annual American French Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

Feinberg said "Anora," about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, is more of a traditional comedy, while "The Substance," starring Demi Moore as a fading celebrity seeking a fountain of youth, is essentially a horror movie.

"That (category) is just all over the place," Feinberg said.

The Globes winners are chosen by 334 entertainment journalists from 85 countries, compared with roughly 9,000 voters who select the Academy Awards. The Globes voting body was expanded in recent years, and organizers instituted reforms after being criticized for ethical lapses and a lack of diversity.

In TV categories, restaurant tale "The Bear" leads the Globes nominees, followed by mystery comedy "Only Murders in the Building" and historical epic "Shogun."