Golden Globe Musings: Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Last year’s nominees:
Amy Adams (The Master)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy)

This category always has a bona fide frontunner, and this year, that’s Oprah Winfrey (The Butler). Another good bet is newcomer Lupita Nyongo (12 Years a Slave). Next up are two recent Globe (and Oscar) winners, Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station), both of whom face different hurdles to getting nominations. June Squibb (Nebraska) is a good bet if her film goes over well with voters. Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) and Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis) could end up here if their films prove popular enough, and Margo Martindale (August: Osage Country) might also place if costar Julia Roberts (August: Osage Country) shows up in the lead race instead. I’m sure there will be someone unexpected like Nicole Kidman in “The Paperboy” last year, but I’m not yet sure who that will be.

Current predictions:
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis)
Lupita Nyongo (12 Years a Slave)
June Squibb (Nebraska)
Oprah Winfrey (The Butler)