2025 Golden Globe Winner Predictions – Television

This year’s Golden Globe nominations show a slew of new and returning shows fighting for the top prize. A huge year in TV saw programs like the Emmy-winning Baby Reindeer and Shōgun making massive impacts on audiences, as well as other awards bodies. 

Shōgun will likely be the winner for Best Drama Series as well as leading actor for Hiroyuki Sanada, with Anna Sawai being a real contender for the Leading Actress in Drama race. She’s going against Kathy Bates, though, a veteran performer with plenty of goodwill from voters and a great new series to highlight her talents. It will come down to those two actresses in the lead category, with the other nominees not having enough support around their performances to make a dent in the voting. Even with Keira Knightley and Maya Erskine in the category, it feels locked to Bates. On the comedy side, Matt Berry seems poised for his first win in the Leading Actor category, with Jean Smart surely returning to the winner’s circle for her performance in Hacks. Hannah Einbinder could be considered a big contender because of her performance and raves surrounding it for the third season of Hacks that saw her at her best yet. 

One of the biggest shows of the year, Baby Reindeer, will likely dominate the Limited Series categories. Richard Gadd is a huge contender in the Leading Actor category for limited series and even with all supporting performances going into one category, it only seems correct to assume Jessica Gunning will take home the award for her performance in the Netflix series. They will surely take home at least two Globes on the night of the ceremony. The other limited series, including Presumed Innocent and Ripley, will likely fall behind Baby Reindeer in their pursuit of awards. 

Other series’ that could see success are Abbott Elementary, What We Do in the Shadows, Disclaimer, and The Penguin. The Penguin’s found a huge following after its premiere on MAX, with raves surrounding both Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti (both nominees here). There’s certainly a path where it could find a late-year run that sees it besting Baby Reindeer, but it doesn’t seem likely. Disclaimer might have had Cate Blanchett in it, but fell short of keeping a momentum after its premiere. 

EGOT-winning actress, producer and Golden Globe winner Viola Davis is the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for 2025 and 14-time Golden Globe nominee and three-time winner Ted Danson is the Carol Burnett Award honoree.

For the first time, the Golden Globes will host a separate event to honor the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille and Carol Burnett Award winners at a gala dinner on Friday, January 3, two days before the main telecast.

Nikki Glaser is set to host the 82nd Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday, January 5, 2025 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Here is my list of predicted winners and who could upset at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards..

Best Television Series – Drama

Will win: Shōgun (FX)

Could win: Squid Game (Netflix)

Other nominees: The Day of the Jackal (Peacock), The Diplomat (Netflix), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video), Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Will win: Hacks (MAX)

Could win: Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Other nominees: Abbott Elementary (ABC), The Bear (FX), The Gentlemen (Netflix), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Will win: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun (FX)

Could win: Gary Oldman, Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Other nominees: Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video); Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent (AppleTV+); Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal (Peacock); Billy Bob Thornton, Landman (Paramount+)

Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Will win: Kathy Bates, Matlock (CBS)

Could win: Anna Sawai, Shōgun (FX)

Other nominees: Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon (HBO); Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video); Keira Knightley, Black Doves (Netflix); Keri Russell, The Diplomat (Netflix)

Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Will win: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear (FX)

Could win: Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside (Netflix)

Other nominees: Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This; Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building; 

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This; Jason Segel, Shrinking; Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Will win: Jean Smart, Hacks (MAX)

Could win: Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Other nominees: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC); Ayo Edebiri, The Bear (FX); Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu); Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along (Disney+)

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Will win: Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Could win: The Penguin (MAX)

Other nominees: Disclaimer (AppleTV+), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix), Ripley (Netflix), True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Will win: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Could win: Colin Farrell, The Penguin (MAX)

Other nominees: Kevin Kline, Disclaimer (AppleTV+); Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix); Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman in Moscow (Showtime); Andrew Scott, Ripley (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Will win: Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer (AppleTV+)

Could win: Kate Winslet, The Regime (HBO)

Other nominees: Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country (HBO); Cristin Milioti, The Penguin (MAX); Sofía Vergara, Griselda (Netflix); Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans (FX)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

Will win: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Could win: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (MAX)

Other nominees: Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear (FX); Dakota Fanning, Ripley (Netflix); Allison Janney, The Diplomat (Netflix); Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

Will win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear (FX)

Could win: Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun (FX)

Other nominees: Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix); Harrison Ford, Shrinking (AppleTV+); Jack Lowden, Slow Horses (AppleTV+); Diego Luna, La Máquina (Hulu)

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television

Will win: Nikki Glaser, Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO)

Could win: Seth Meyers, Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking (HBO)

Other nominees: Jamie Foxx, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was (Netflix); Adam Sandler, Adam Sandler: Love You (Netflix); Ali Wong, Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix); Ramy Youssef, Ramy Youssef: More Feelings (HBO)