K-pop Demon Hunters big winner at Golden Globes

Kim Eun-jae (center) with fellow Demon Hunter voices Audrey Nuna, left,  and Rei Ami
at the Golden Globes awards on Jan. 11.

There were not a whole lot of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders receiving a Golden Globe at the awards ceremonies Sunday. That alone should say a lot about the state of "representation" in Hollywood.

However, the few AANHPI winners made sure that the rest of the movie industry  audience was reminded about the lack opportunities for AANHPI actors, writers and producers.

The 2026 Golden Globes gave us some truly powerful moments from Asian American winners, focusing on themes like resilience, turning rejection into redirection, and being totally vulnerable. 

AANHPI presence was in the form of the animated film, K-pop Demon Hunters, which won Best Animated Feature and the film's signature song, "Golden," which won Best Original Song. The song was a major global hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

        RELATED: Golden Globe's AANHPI nominees

Lead singer-songwriter EJAE (Kim Eun-jae), who also voices the character Rumi in K-pop Demon Hunters, delivered an emotional speech alongside co-writers Mark Sonnenblick and Lee Hee-joon.

EJAE shared her personal struggle of training for 10 years at SM Entertainment only to be rejected. She stated, "I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn’t good enough... I can confidently say rejection is redirection."

She dedicated the award to those who were told they weren't good enough, noting it is a "dream come true to be part of a song that's helping other girls... get through their hardships and accept themselves."

She concluded, “I just want to say this award goes to people who’ve had their doors closed at them and that I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up.”

EJAE closed by expressing joy that "Golden" helps others get through hardship and accept themselves, quoting its lyrics: "It's never too late to shine like you were born to be." 

Producer Mark Sonnenblick thanked the studios for believing in the film and noted it had been an "amazing year for musical storytelling in movies."

The animated film's co-drector, Maggie Kang, made history as the first Asian woman to win Best Animated Feature, emphasized the film's cultural roots and representation, stating, "This is for everyone who believed that a movie so deeply rooted in Korean culture could resonate with a global audience". She added that they wanted to depict female characters as "really strong and bold... really silly and weird" just like real women.

Director Chloé Zhao took home the biggest film award for Hamnet (which also won Best Motion Picture – Drama). Looking genuinely surprised, she quoted her lead actor about the importance of artists embracing vulnerability and seeing one another. She closed her speech with a powerful call to action: "Let's keep our hearts open, let's keep seeing each other, and allowing ourselves to be seen."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

AANHPI nominees for Golden Globe awards and the Big Snub

Golden Globe nominee Dwayne Johnson is nearly unrecognizable in "The Smashing Machine."

OPINION

Well, here we are again. Another awards season kicks off, another round of Golden Globe nominations announced, and yet again we're left asking: Where's the AANHPI love?

It seems the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (or whatever they call themselves these days) is sticking to their old script. We get a token nod here, a "snub" that screams louder than a Mariah Carey high note there. It's the same story, different year. The "edge" of inclusion is apparently still a cliff they are afraid to jump off.

Let's break down the hits and, more importantly, the misses.

Who Got In?

Lee Byung-hun managed to break through the white noise, snagging a well-deserved nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his work in

No Other Choice. A win is a win, and we'll take it. But does one man make a movement?

Dwayne Johnson is a surprise nominee, but maybe this is Hollywood's way of showing an appreciation for his box office hits and popular appeal. He  foregoes his usual cinematic wisecfracking persona and gets serious as martial artist Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché earning him a nomination as Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama.

We saw a couple of mentions in the animation and music categories:

KPop Demon Hunters earned a couple of nods: Best Animated Feature, and a song from that film, "Golden," the song from 

Wicked: For Good

, got a Best Original Song nomination. Good for them, but these categories often feel like the "kids' table" of the awards circuit when we're talking major industry recognition.

Perhaps animated AANHPI characters are easier to accept for the Hollywood denizens than live actors.

The Snubs Heard 'Round Hollywood

Here's where the real story is. The one that makes you shake your head and wonder if these voters even watch the same movies as the rest of us. Jon M. Chu, the man behind the camera for the mega-hit Wicked: For Good, was left out of the Best Director race. 

A massive blockbuster with critical buzz and strong performances from its leads (Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who did get nominations) is apparently not "directing" enough for the Globes. The film itself was also shut out of the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. 

It's a snub that is, frankly, hard to defend and typical of the industry's blind spot for AANHPI creative talent at the highest level.

In addition, Hailee Steinfeld was left out of the supporting actress nominations for her role in Sinners, a film that received seven nominations.

AANHPI representation this year is better than last year when there were no AANHPI actors nominees. There's definitely room for improvement.

Hollywood's systemic bias

As awards season rolls into high gear, Asian and Asian American actors and projects are comparatively few and far between, according to interviews with some of Hollywood's AANHPI creatives. Despite the box office and creative success of films like Crazy Rich Asians, Everything, Everywhere All At Once, and Minari on the big screen and Shogun and Beef for TV, Hollywood's apparent commitment to diversity appears to waning.

Simu Liu has been an outspoken voice regarding diversity and inclusion in the film and TV industries, using his platform as Marvel's first Asian superhero to advocate for change.

In social media posts in November this year, Liu described the current state of Asian representation as "f***ing appalling". He noted that while Asian-led films like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crazy Rich Asians, and Shang-Chi have been financially successful, studios still seem to view Asian actors as a risk.

Liu points to a "deeply prejudiced system" where white male actors can star in multiple box-office flops and still land leading roles in tentpole films, whereas Asian actors face much higher scrutiny and fewer chances.

Director Chloe Zhao could be a multi-ward winner for the Golden Globes.

Following are the AANHPI projects and actors nominated for the Golden Globes:     

Best Motion Picture – Drama

    HAMNET (directed by Chloé Zhao)

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

    NO OTHER CHOICE 

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama

    Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

    Lee Byung-Hun, No Other Choice

Best Director – Motion Picture

    Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

    Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

 Best Motion Picture – Animated

    KPop Demon Hunters  

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

    No Other Choice

Best Song – Motion Picture

    “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television

    Kumail Nanjiani, Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts

The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony will air live on CBS on Sunday, January 11, at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, and will also stream on Paramount+ in the US. The show returns to the Beverly Hilton and will once again be hosted by comedian and actress Nikki Glaser.

        FYI: For a complete list of Golden Globenominees.

The bottom line? The 2026 Golden Globes are, once again, a mixed bag. We're seeing slow, glacial progress in some areas, but the key power-player categories like directing and non-stereotypical roles remain elusive. It just goes to show, we still have a long way to go before the "edge" becomes the mainstream.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Oscars: Still waiting for an Asian American breakthruogh

'Minari' director Isaac Lee Chung and Steven Yeun.

OPINION

I'm still a little disturbed that Hollywood seems more prepared to embrace Asians if they aren't American, but can't hold American artists who are of Asian descent in the same high esteem.

This is the second consecutive year that the Oscars went to an Asian film director. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho won best director and best picture last year for the Korean language Parasite.

Don't get me wrong. I have no argument for the extremely talented Chloe Zhao winning the Best Director Oscar. Hopefully, her success will spill over on Asian American directors, writers, producers and actors.

Despite being born and raised in China, Zhao has made three films that are quintessentially American. Besides Nomadland, she also helmed The Rider and Songs By Brother Taught Me, all taking place in the American West. 

In her art, she has been able to capture slices of America most people would never encounter if not for her movies. By mixing nonprofessional actors with real actors, she has been able to show the souls of their characters and the locales where the stories take place.

But -- for me, she was my second choice. I was rooting for Isaac Lee Chung to win  the director's prize. I know, just by being nominated, Chung has reached an achievement no other Asian American has reached.

His story and direction on Minari was detailed and nuanced and he did it all minus the star power of Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and the big studio support of Disney, which is considerable.

Chung had an uphill climb to get his movie made. Minari went against all the Hollywood rules for a successful movie featuring Asian Americans: A Korean immigrant family? Dialogue mostly spoken in Korean? No real bad guys? No martial arts? No sex scenes? No violence? 

After being a Hollywood outsider at the start of his career, Chung is starting to view Hollywood with a different lens. Viewing filmmaking as art can be spiritually fulfilling but what good is art if no one sees it? His previous feature, Munyurangabo, was made in Rwanda and in a Rwandan dialect. It was critically acclaimed and became film festival favorite. But still: Outside looking in.

Steven Yeun is a star, but has not yet reached the legend-level of McDormand whose previous Oscars were for 1998's Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri in 2018. Her name alone could carry a movie.

Yeun's depiction of the father in Minari is restrained, underplayed. There is plenty of conflict and emotion, but it is mostly played out in Yeun's face and body language. I think (A gut feeling. I have no data to back this up.) an Asian or Asian American can better see the wave emotions building up behind the Yeun's mask than viewers of other ethnicities.

It is easier to be outwardly emotional: shouting, sobbing, acting hysterically,throwing things around a room, making black and white choices. That's easily interpreted by western eyes. That's acting from a Hollywood point of view.

To me, Yeun's performance was more difficult because audiences didn't know him as well as they know legendary actor Anthony Hopkins. You know what to expect from Hopkins, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in The Father. Despite playing different characters in the roles he plays, he still is Anthony Hopkins, with that British accent (which Americans adore too much, by the way), the world-weary eyes, every motion calculated.

On the other hand, Yeun -- despite his popularity among The Walking Dead fans -- is a blank slate to most audiences. Where does one start? To most viewers, he just goes through the motions of delivering the words given to him. But he speaks volumes: a tightening in the jaw; a seed of doubt in the eyes; a posture of resignation or steel resolve.  It is harder to see the struggles he's going through because -- well, because he's Asian and his culture and the way he was raised told him not to reveal his emotions, but in ways so subtle, he shows us he's on an emotional roller coaster.

And as a final push for the Academy voter, there's that lingering flicker of doubt: He's an American actor playing a foreigner. Voting for and Asian American -- either Chung or Yeun -- would be making a political statement in this era of anti-Asian sentiment. (The same reasoning applies to pre-telecast favorite Chadwick Boseman because of the Black Lives Matter movement.) 

Picking Hopkins, a British citizen and well-known acting quantity, and for that matter, Chinese citizen Chloe Zhao (or  Bong Joon-ho) is safer than making the tougher -- but more controversial -- choice. By voting for Joon-ho or Zhao, Hollywood can show their preference towards diversity by picking foreigners, but at the same time, not upset the apple cart for what they perceive (incorrectly, by the way) is their primary audience -- Whites in America.  This inoffensive decision is a way of putting Asian American in their nonthreatening place -- in line, but not at the front.

Of course, not everyone agrees with me. In fact, I may be in the minority. Most of the reaction for the wins by Asians and Asian Americans were greeted with high praise and jubilation.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers are encouraged to access several news outlets to form their own opinions.

Asians make history at the Academy Awards

Oscar winners, from left: director Chloe Zhao, musician H.E.R. and actress Youn Yuh-jung.

There has never been an Academy Awards like this year's Oscars show. In the midst of pandemic-induced social distancing and mask-wearing, Asians made their presence felt like never before in the history of the coveted statuettes.

An unprecedented number of Asians and Asian Americans were among the nominees and they walked away with awards for directing, best picture, best supporting actor and best song.

Chloe Zhao of China was named best director for helming the drama Nomadland, which also won awards for best picture and best actress (Frances McDormand). In her victory, Zhao made history as the first woman of color -- and only the second woman, ever -- to win the director's Oscar.

“I have always found goodness in the people I met everywhere I went in the world,” she said as she accepted her statuette. “So this is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves. And to hold on to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that. And this is for you, you inspire me to keep going.”

Zhao's was a frontrunner for the award had been building since awards season began. She and Nomadland won a plethora of awards in the film festival circuit including the director's award in the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice and the Director's Guild.

For the first time in Oscar history, there were two directors of Asian descent being considered for the director's Oscar. Isaac Lee Chung was nominated for Minari, a movie about a Korean immigrant family adapting to life in rural Arkansas. 

Like Chao, Youn Yuh-jung, who played the feisty grandmother in Manari, made Oscar history as the first Korean and the second Asian American to win the Best Supporting Actress statuette. Miyoshi Umeki won the award for Sayonara in 1958.

Minari's lead actor Steven Yeun was also nominated for Best Actor. Like the director's category, it was the first time there were two Asians up for Best Actor. Riz Ahmed was also named for the same category for his work in the Sound of Metal. The award was won by  veteran actor Anthony Hopkins for his role in The Father. 

TWITTER

Filipino American musician and singer H.E.R. didn't expect to win the Oscar.

The song for Judas and the Black Messiah, "Fight For You" cowritten and performed by H.E.R., aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, won in the category of Best Song. "I didn't expect to win this award," said H.E.R.

"Musicians, filmmakers, I believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility, to tell the truth, and to write history the way that it was, and how it connects us to today, and what we see going on in the world today. I have no words, I'm so, so thankful," said the 23-year old Filipino American in her acceptance speech. Judas and the Black Messiah is about the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party.

"Knowledge is power, music is power, and as long as I'm standing, I'm always gonna fight for us," she said. "I'm always gonna fight for my people and fight for what's right, and I think that's what music does, and that's what storytelling does."

 

Chloe Zhao makes history with Directors Guild award for 'Nomadland'

CHLOE ZHAO

After winning the Directors' Guild Award for Best Drama means that Chloe Zhao is the favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Director and gives her film, Nomadland the edge for Best Picture.

In winning, Zhao made history by becoming the first woman of color, thus the first woman of Asian descent, to win the DGA award for directing a feature film. The DGA award has been given to only one other woman, Katherine Bigelow for Hurt Locker.

The 73rd Directors Guild of America Awards took place on Saturday, April 10 in a virtual ceremony. 

In her acceptance speech, Zhao dedicated the film to nomadic community, many who had roles in her movie starring Frances McDormand. "The way we treat our elders say a lot of who we are as a society," she said, "we need to do better," perhaps referring to the recent attacks on Asian American elders.

Zhao’s lyrical film about transient workers in the American West also won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the People’s Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Golden Globe for best drama and best director and the top honor from the Producer’s Guild.

It was the first time there were two directors of Asian descent as nominees. Zhao was up against Asian American director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari). "Your film touched me in such a personal level," Zhao told Chung. "You were able to show us such beauty and love in such an honest and authentic way."

Zhao took time to praise each of her fellow nominees that included: David Fincher (Mank), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7. 

Oscars not quite as white; historic year for AAPI filmmakers

For the first time, two directors of Asian descent will compete in the Best Actor category:
Lee Isaac Chung for "Minari" and Chloe Zhao for "Nomadland."

So this is what happens when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts invites more people of color to join: The movie industry's premiere awards, the Oscars, starts to reflect the real America.

This is especially true for AAPI artists and projects. Whether or not they win in their respective categories or not, the sheer number and firsts make this year's Academy Awards one for the history books. For the first time, two Asians have been nominated in the Best Director category and two actors of Asian descent name been nominated as Best Actors.

Isaac Lee Chung and Chloe Zhao were nominated as Best Directors, as were their movies, Minari and Nomadland, respectively, named in the Best Picture catetgory. It's the first time two directors of Asian descent were named. 

Zhao, fresh off her Best Picture win in the Golden Globes, also made history as the first Asian woman nominated in the director category. She has to be the early favorite to repeat her win for the Academy Awards.

"I’m grateful to have gone on this journey with our talented team of filmmakers and to have met so many wonderful people who generously shared their stories with us," Zhao told Variety. "Thank you so much to my Academy peers for recognizing this film that is very close to my heart.” 

For the first time, there will be two Asians in the Best Actor Category: Korean American Steven Yeun for his role of quiet but determined ambition as the Korean American immigrant father in Minari; and Riz Ahmed, a Pakistani Brit, for his emotional portrayal of the drummer losing his hearing in Sound of Metal.

Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun were nominated for Best Actor Oscars.

Minari scored another win as Yuh-Jung Youn, who plays the feisty grandmother, was nominated as Best Supporting Actress.

“Never in my dreams did I ever think a Korean actress would be nominated for an Oscar, and I can’t believe it’s me!," Youn told Variety. 

Minari's director and writer Isaac Lee Chung, who partially based the film on his own story, was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The motion picture was also nominated for Best Original Score, by Emile Mosseri.

Zhao's writing was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Nomadland, which was adapted from the Jessica Bruder novel, "Nomadland: Surviving American in the Twenty-FIrst Century."

The Adapted Screenplay will also feature White Tiger, a rags-to-riches story shot in India and produced by Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas.

The Filipino American R&B singer and songwriter H.E.R. had her song, "Fight For You" from the film Judas and the Black Messiah nominated for Best Song.

In the animated feature category, Over the Moon, based on a Chinese myth and featuring an all-Asian voice cast, earned a nomination.

Mulan, the live-action Disney film featuring an all-Asian and Asian American case and  based on the Chinese legend of the woman warrior, was nominated in a couple of categories, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects.

The nominations for Asian and Asian American projects along with the plethora of Black actors and projects nominated for an Oscar is a marked change in the past. Only a few years ago, the Oscars was derided for nominating only white actors resulting in the infamous #OscarsSoWhite hashtag.

Efforts by the Academy to diversify its selection process by inviting more movie-making individuals in front of and behind the camera to become members may be showing up in the nominations this year.

Whether or not the increased inclusion of people and perspectives other than the still-powerful white view is simply a temporary fad or a permanent trend will depend on next year, and the next and the next.

Hollywood is starting to realize that there is a wealth of material and talent outside of the traditional white bubble of the past. The fact that a majority of the movie-going audience are primarily made up of people of color helps the bottom-line, too is not lost on the profit-motivated industry.

Nomadland's' Chloe Zhao and Lee Isaac Chung's 'Minari' win Golden Globe awards

Chloe Zhao, right, directs actress Frances McDormand in 'Nomadland.'

OPINION

Chloe Zhao made history Sunday night when she won the Best Director Golden Globe for her work on the movie, Nomadland, which was also named Best Dramatic Movie by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Zhao became the first Asian woman to win the director's award and only the second woman, overall. She was able to capture the lifestyle of nomadic American workers who move from job to job. Living in their trailers and vans, they form communities, a part of Americana that has received scant attention until Jessica Bruder's novel of the same name came out.

Minari, the movie which tells the tale of a Korean American immigrants trying to fit into a new country, won the Best Foreign Language Globe. 

The American-made movie, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung and filmed in Arkansas, was at the center of a controversy because it was placed in the Foreign Language category which kept it from being placed in the Best Picture category. 

When the HFPA placed Minari in the foreign language category, it stung Steven Yuen, who plays the father of the Korean American family in the film.

"When you call Minari a foreign film," says Yuen, "it doesn't help the kind of general anti-Asian sentiment, the perpetual foreigner stereotype that Asian Americans are dealing with, not just in an abstract representational way, but in a lived experience, under attack by our government and individuals."

Chung and Zhao, like the other award recipients, received their awards virtually in the unusual Golden Globe Awards show hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler with Fey in New York City and Poehler in Los Angeles.

'Minari' won the Best Foreign Language film for the Golden Globe award.

The two directors and their films could possibly be pitted against each other in other award shows, including the Academy Awards. If that were to occur, having two Asians in the same category would be an unprecedented benchmark in the history of Asian American movie-making.

Zhao called her film, a “pilgrimage through grief and healing.” Upon receiving the award for Best Movie Drama, she said the reason she fell in love with movies. “It’s a chance to laugh and cry together and learn from each other.”

Diversity and inclusion of people of color were the underlying themes of the evening, from Fey's and Poehler's opening monologue to the acceptance speech of most of the awardees after the Los Angeles Times revealed that the 87-member HFPA has no black members. 

Jane Fonda, who accepted the Cecil B. Mayer lifetime achievement award, talked about the power of the movies to break down walls and give people new  perspectives.

"But there's a story we've been afraid to see and hear about ourselves in this industry," said Fonda. "A story about which voices we respect and elevate and which we tune out. A story about who's offered a seat at the table and who is kept out of the rooms where decisions are made. So let's all of us -- including all the groups that decide who gets hired and what gets made and who wins awards -- let's all of us make an effort to expand that tent so that everyone rises and everyone's story has a chance to be seen and heard."

Minari snubbed in Golden Globe nominations

AAPI watchers of the entertainment industry were up in arms early this morning when the Golden Globes announced its nominations for the awards because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association passed over Asian American film 'Minari in the acting,  directing and writing categories.

There was already a controversy when the film, which walked away with a best picture in the Sundance Film Festival, about an Korean American immigrant family was classified as a Foreign Language film. Since the movie is predominantly in Korean, the language spoken at home of first-generation immigrants from Korea, HFPA rules made it ineligible for Best Picture.

When HPFA announced their decision about Minari last December, writer Lulu Wang tweeted her disappointment about the news that the film would be excluded from the Best Picture category. “I have not seen a more American film than #Minari this year,” Wang wrote. “It's a story about an immigrant family, IN America, pursuing the American dream. We really need to change these antiquated rules that characterize American as only English-speaking.”

Adding insult to injury, when Minari's lead actor, Steven Yeun (Walking Dead)  and presumed frontrunner Youn Yuh-Jung were passed over for best actor and best supporting actress, respectively, the criticism exploded on social media.

Minari director Lee Isaac Chung, who also wrote the screenplay partially based on his real-life experiences, also missed out when he wasn't among the nominees for best director, either.

Some of the sting of having Chung overlooked was eased by Chloe Zhao's nomination in the Best Director's category. She is the first woman of Asian descent to be included in that classification. She was nominated for her work for Nomadland, a moody piece of contemporary Americana starring Frances McDormand, who was also nominated for Best Actress in a Drama.

Nomadland is in the running for Best Motion Picture Drama. Zhao also nabbed a nomination for her screenplay.

The Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama includes Riz Ahmed for his performance in The Sound of Metal, in which he plays a metal band drummer who is losing his hearing.

(For the curious, Tahar Rahim who received a Best Actor nomination for The Mauritanian, although Muslim, is from Algeria and so we could not list him as an Asian.)

Joining Ahmed is Dev Patel, who in a case of color-blind casting, was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, for  playing the lead role in The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Filipino American H.E.R. (Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) was nominated in the Best Song category for "Fight For You" (cowritten by Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Tiara Thomas) for Judas and the Black Messiah, the story of Black Panther Fred Hampton who was killed in the infamous shootout with Chicago police.

Over the Moon, the animated feature of an Asian American girl and her friends seeking the moon goddess, based on a Chinese fable, was nominated for Best Animated Movie. It featured AAPI actors giving voice to the characters.

The HFPA, made up of about 90 members who are based in Southern California and write for a wide-ranging list of foreign media, are the voters of the Golden Globes. The group are not exclusively movie critics but also include feature writers or gossip writers, have been criticized for their subjectivity and for their susceptibility to celebrity glamor and influence. In other words, if an actor or studio caters to the HFPA, he or she would likely be better received by the HFPA than someone who doesn't cater to them.

It's no small comfort to know that a lot of really outstanding products got overlooked  by the Golden Globes, and perhaps its just coincidence that the majority of the snubs were films that featured POC. I mean, Emily in Paris? Really? Certainly  Netflix's Da Five Bloods, HBO's groundbreaking Insecure, the actors of Lovecraft Country and PEN15, the Good Place deserved some mention.

The 78th Golden Globe Awards will take place 8 p.m. ET, on Feb. 28 on NBC. Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will split co-hosting duties for the ceremony, (or should I say "ceremonies?) being held simultaneously in New York City and Los Angeles.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is my opinion. Readers are urged to read several sources to form your own opinion.

Thanks to 'Minari,' 'Nomadland' & 'Sound of Metal,' Oscars and AAPI could have a historic convergence

The Americanization of a Korean American immigrant family is told in 'Minari.'

OPINION

More and more, it looks like it could be a history-making year for Hollywood, AAPI movies and filmmakers when the Oscar nominees are announced March 15.

It looks like Minari could be up against Nomadland for best picture and best director with Sound of Metal starring Riz Ahmed as a darkhorse.

Minari, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, won the best picture award by the New York Film Critics Online last week. This is the third straight year the critics  picked a foreign language film as best picture. Minari, the story of a Korean American family and set in Alabama is mostly in Korean.

Last year, the film critics picked the Korean film, Parasite and the year before that, Roma, the Spanish-speaking Argentinian movie. Both films were named in the Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts in their respective years with Parasite winning Best Picture last year and Roma winning best foreign feature the year before. 

If history is a predictor, it bodes well for Minari, to win Hollywood's coveted Oscar.

Director Chloe Zhao on location for 'Nomadland.'

Although the film Minari won the NY film critics' Best Picture accolades and Best Supporting Actress went to Yuh-Jung Youn as the grandmother in Minari, the Best Director award went to Chloé Zhao for her work on Nomadland, which she can add to the three dozen other awards she received for directing the Frances McDormand starrer.

The NY critics gave the best actor award to another Asian American, Riz Ahmed for his performance in Sound of Metal. Ahmed is also in contention to be nominated for the Oscar's best actor award along with Minari's Steven Yeun.

The exclusive club of studio heads who give the green light to most Hollywood production is still overwhelmingly white and despite China overtaking the U.S. as the No. 1 moviegoing market, they are hesitant to venture beyond the Eurocentric paradigm when deciding which movies get made.

Riz Ahmad delivers an Oscar-worthy performance in "Sound of Metal."

There is also an outside chance that no Asian or Asian American will win an Oscar nomination, in which case, we should skip the Oscars altogether. If nothing else, this year demonstrates the depth of Asian and Asian American talent to Hollywood decision-makers. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced March 15 and the in-person awards show will held on April 25, 2021.

While the awards -- Golden Globes, SAG, Critics' Choice, People's Choice -- are nice to have, just as important is that there are so many choices to pick from. There are still not enough movies by and about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders but this year, there is at least more than one film under consideration. That's a sign of progress, I guess. It is too early to say whether this year is an anomaly, a temporary trend or the birth of a permanent genre.

For members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts who vote in the several categories, especially the newly inducted members who were "invited" to join in order to diversify its membership, we refer you to the list compiled by Gold Open in partnership with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) for their first-ever Gold List of outstanding work by AAPI artists. 

The full list of Gold List selections are below:

Best Picture
Minari and Sound of Metal
Honorable Mentions: The Half of It, The White Tiger, Yellow Rose

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
Honorable Mentions: Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Alice Wu (The Half of It), Alan Yang (Tigertail)

Best Actor
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Steven Yeun (Minari)
Honorable Mentions: Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Harry Shum Jr. (All My Life) 

Best Actress
Yeri Han (Minari) and Leah Lewis (The Half of It)
Honorable Mentions: Hong Chau (Driveways), Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma), Eva Noblezada (Yellow Rose)

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Kim (Minari) and Orion Lee (First Cow)
Honorable Mentions: Lucas Jaye (Driveways), Tzi Ma (Mulan), Rajkummar Rao (The White Tiger)

Best Supporting Actress
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari)
Honorable Mentions: Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger), Gong Li (Mulan), Lea Salonga (Yellow Rose)

Best Original Screenplay
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Alice Wu (The Half of it)
Honorable Mentions: Mong-Hong Chung and Yao-Sheng Chang (A Sun), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca), Alan Yang (Tigertail) 

Best Adapted Screenplay
Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Documentary Feature
Be Water and A Thousand Cuts
Honorable Mentions: 76 Days, The Donut King, The Social Dilemma

Best Animated Feature
Bombay Rose and Over the Moon
Honorable Mentions: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, On-Gaku: Our Sound, A Whisker Away

A WORD OF CAUTION: This is an opinion piece. Readers should research multiple sources to form their own opinion.

CORRECTION Feb. 3, 12:30 p.m. to clarify Roma winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Motion Picture in 2019.