2018 Golden Globes Predictions: Who Will Be the Big TV Winners?

All your favorite shows are competing once again, but the Golden Globes tend to be harder to predict

By Chris Harnick Jan 05, 2018 5:00 PMTags
Golden Globes predictions, split #11, Claire Foy, Sterling K. Brown, Freddie Highmore, Rachel Brosnahan, Reese Witherspoon

Predicting the winners at the Golden Globes is always a hard task. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association tends to buck trends every once in a while and give a coveted award out to a surprising (but usually deserving) choice. 2018 will probably not be an exception to that habit. However, we here at E! News have been watching this award show like it's our job—because it is our job.

Any TV project released within the calendar year (January 1-December 31, 2017) was eligible, meaning 2017 latecomers like The Crown season two and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shook up the race. Emmys favorites The Handmaid's Tale and Big Little Lies are also vying a Golden Globe in various categories. Who will reign supreme? Read on...

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2018 Golden Globes TV Nominations Snubs and Surprises
Best Miniseries or TV Movie

Let's be real: Big Little Lies is going to take this. The HBO miniseries (that isn't a miniseries anymore, season two is coming), is up against Fargo, Feud: Bette & Joan, Top of the Lake: China Girl and The Sinner.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Big Little Lies

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Big Little Lies

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie

This category looks a lot like the Emmys, with the addition of Jessica Biel for The Sinner. Feud: Bette & Joan's Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange are up against Big Little Lies stars Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Nicole Kidman

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Nicole Kidman

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

This category could go to anybody nominated: Wizard of Lies star Robert De Niro, Fargo's Ewan McGregor, Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan, The Young Pope himself Jude Law and Genius star Geoffrey Rush.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Ewan McGregor—he played two roles!

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Robert De Niro

Best Supporting Actress

Big Little Lies stars Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley are up against The Handmaid's Tale's Ann Dowd, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz and Wizard of Lies' Michelle Pfeiffer. Both Dowd and Dern won Emmys for their work, but Golden Globes combines the drama, comedy, miniseries and TV movie categories.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Laura Dern

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Laura Dern

Best Supporting Actor

Big Little Lies star and recent Emmy winner Alexander Skarsgard is up against Stranger Things favorite David Harbour, Fargo's David Thewilis, Feud: Bette & Joan's Alfred Molina and Mr. Robot star Christian Slater in this combined drama-comedy-TV movie-miniseries category.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Alexander Skarsgard

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Alexander Skarsgard

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Tracee Ellis Ross of black-ish is out of the race—Golden Globes tend not to do repeats—and perennial Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus did not get a nod. Insecure's Issa Rae is back again, joined by Better Things star, director, writer and co-creator Pamela Adlon, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel breakout Rachel Brosnahan, GLOW's Alison Brie and SMILF creator, director, writer and star Frankie Shaw. The race will likely come down to Shaw and Brosnahan.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Really, anybody up for this award. Every woman here is amazing.

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Rachel Brosnahan or Frankie Shaw

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Donald Glover won the award for Atlanta last year and is out of the race in 2018. Anthony Anderson from black-ish is the only returning face from the previous year. Master of None's Aziz Ansari, Will & Grace star Eric McCormack, I Love Dick's Kevin Bacon and Shameless star William H. Macy are all in the running. Golden Globes love a good streaming show, but they also love comebacks.

WHO SHOULD WIN: William H. Macy

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Eric McCormack

Best Comedy Series

Last year's winner Atlanta is not in the running, leaving the Comedy Series race wide open. There are plenty of newcomers joining the fray, including the revived Will & Grace, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and SMILF. Master of None and black-ish return for another go at the prize. All shows are critically acclaimed, but SMILF and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are the true shiny and new entries and one of them will likely take home the honors. Golden Globes do love a good Amazon series...

WHO SHOULD WIN: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Best Actress in a Drama Series

The Crown's Claire Foy took home the award in 2017 and is back again, this time up against The Handmaid's Tale star and Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss, The Deuce's Maggie Gyllenhaal, 13 Reasons Why breakout Katherine Langford and Outlander star Caitriona Balfe. Foy is magnificent as Queen Elizabeth II, but Moss's work as Offred has been the toast of the town. However, Langford, a newcomer, could get the ingenue vote.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Honestly, each one is very deserving.

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: Elisabeth Moss

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Last year's winner Billy Bob Thornton isn't in the running this year, making the race between The Good Doctor's Freddie Highmore, This Is Us veteran Sterling K. Brown, Liev Schreiber of Ray Donovan, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and Ozark's Jason Bateman. Golden Globes tend to love a good random streaming winner, this could be Bateman's year, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association does love them a massive hit and that's what Highmore's The Good Doctor is. It's a tough race to call.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Sterling K. Brown

WHO WILL (PROBABLY WIN): Jason Bateman

Best Drama Series

Last year's winner The Crown is back in the race (yes, even though the new season dropped at the start of December) and taking on Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and This Is Us once again. The Handmaid's Tale, the Emmy winner in the drama series race, enters the race for the first time. The second season of The Crown was just as acclaimed as the first, but The Handmaid's Tale has been the belle of every ball so far. Golden Globes doesn't tend to repeat, but The Crown could have another chance when season three with the new cast debuts.

WHO SHOULD WIN: The Handmaid's Tale

WHO WILL (PROBABLY) WIN: The Handmaid's Tale

What do you think of our picks? Tell us in the comments below.