Golden Globes 2026: Dwayne Johnson, Owen Cooper and six others score their first-ever nominations

Golden Globes 2026 nominations

The Golden Globes 2026 have arrived with a refreshing mix of veteran performers and rising stars earning their very first nominations. From international icons finally receiving long-overdue recognition to newcomers making extraordinary leaps, this year’s list celebrates eight actors who broke through with career-defining performances across film and television.

Dwayne Johnson leads the pack with a surprising but well-deserved nod for The Smashing Machine. Though Benny Safdie’s wrestling biopic didn’t shake the box office, Johnson’s complete physical and emotional transformation into MMA legend Mark Kerr became one of the year’s most talked-about performances. His portrayal of Kerr’s volatile early years and romance with Dawn (Emily Blunt) has been hailed as his most layered work yet.

Jacob Elordi, meanwhile, enjoys a landmark year with two nominations. His terrifying turn as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein earned him a Best Supporting Actor nod, while his role in the Australian limited series The Narrow Road to the Deep North cemented his status as a global breakout talent.

Michael B Jordan also scores his first nomination for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Playing twins Smoke and Stack in a supernatural drama set in 1930s Mississippi, Jordan delivers dual performances that explore brotherhood, folklore and Black cultural memory—earning him some of the strongest reviews of his career.

Also Read: Golden Globes 2026 Nominations: Complete list of nominees

Sixteen-year-old Owen Cooper, already an Emmy winner, continues his skyrocketing rise with a nomination for Netflix’s Adolescence. Shot in a single take, the series follows a teenage boy at the centre of a murder accusation, and Cooper’s raw, unsettling performance has captivated critics.

Charlie Hunnam earns his first nod for embodying serial killer Ed Gein in Ryan Murphy’s latest Monster instalment, while Aimee Lou Wood breaks through with her fan-favourite turn in The White Lotus Season 3.

Rounding out the list are Paul Mescal, nominated for Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, where he plays William Shakespeare grieving the loss of his son, and Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun, recognised for his darkly satirical collaboration with Park Chan-wook.