‘One Battle After Another’ Leads Golden Globe Nominations with Nine Nods

‘One Battle After Another’ surges ahead in the 2026 Golden Globe race, clinching nine nominations including best motion picture drama and best director for Ryan Coogler. Michael B. Jordan earns a best actor bid for his portrayal of a battle-weary operative in the Warner Bros. thriller, which grossed $287 million worldwide following its October premiere. The film’s single-take sequences and socio-political undercurrents position it as a frontrunner, outpacing competitors like ‘Sinners’ with seven nods and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ with six.

Coogler’s narrative unfolds over 127 minutes in a continuous shot, capturing urban skirmishes in a dystopian Detroit through a custom Arri Alexa 65 camera mounted on a 120-foot Steadicam. Principal photography spanned 42 days across Michigan soundstages and Atlanta exteriors, incorporating 200 extras for crowd simulations and 15 practical pyrotechnic setups. The screenplay, co-penned with Ta-Nehisi Coates, integrates U.S. Census data on economic disparity to frame its speculative conflict, earning praise for 1,200 VFX integrations handled by Weta Digital over 14 weeks.

Jordan’s dual role as lead and producer via Proximity Media secured 12% of the $110 million budget for local Detroit hires, including 65 crew members from underserved communities. Supporting nods go to Delroy Lindo for best supporting actor as a tactical advisor and Zazie Beetz for best supporting actress as a conflict correspondent, both drawing from archival Vietnam footage for authenticity. Ludwig Göransson’s score, blending field recordings with a 60-piece orchestra at Abbey Road, underscores the film’s 92% Rotten Tomatoes approval from 312 critics.

The Golden Globes, revamped post-2023 with a 325-member international voting body, announce full tallies across 28 categories, adding a podcast honor for the first time. ‘One Battle After Another’ competes in musical or comedy for its ironic score elements, alongside ‘Blue Moon’, ‘Bugonia’, ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘No Other Choice’, and ‘Nouvelle Vague’. Television drama sees ‘The Pitt’ with eight bids, including Noah Wyle for lead actor, while ‘Severance’ garners seven for its Apple TV+ renewal teases.

Production adhered to SAG-AFTRA interim rules, employing intimacy coordinators for interrogation scenes and allocating funds for military consultant input across 150 script revisions. The film’s Toronto debut clinched the People’s Choice Award, with international rollout hitting 52 markets and $112 million overseas, led by the UK at $28 million. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s natural-light approach, using dawn patrols for 65% of footage, enhances its newsreel aesthetic.

Nominations spotlight 2025’s hybrid storytelling, where ‘One Battle After Another’ edges ‘Sinners’—Ryan Coogler’s supernatural follow-up—in drama contention. Jordan’s six-month Marine training informed 14 takes of a pivotal 18-minute monologue, captured in one unbroken setup. Beetz’s 40-page improvised arc explores media ethics, screened for 2,500 at AFI Fest.

The ceremony, hosted by Nikki Glaser on January 11 at the Beverly Hilton, broadcasts on CBS with expanded global reach. Coogler’s streak builds on ‘Black Panther’s prior wins, with the film eyeing Oscar alignment in sound and visual effects. Post-production at Technicolor finalized 1,200 debris simulations, contributing to a $450,000 IMAX per-screen average.

This haul reflects Hollywood’s post-strike pivot to grounded spectacles, with Warner Bros. reporting 92% under-25 attendance. Lindo’s research incorporated 22 minutes of National Archives integrations, deepening institutional critique. As contenders solidify, ‘One Battle After Another’ cements Coogler’s auteur status, grossing past $300 million amid holiday projections of $1.2 billion domestically for tentpoles.