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Los Globos Dorados: Everything Latinx at the 2019 Golden Globes

Photo Credit @GoldenGlobes IG

As 2018 comes to a close that means one very important thing for all of us who spend a whole lot of time glued to our TV screens or parked in movie theaters: it’s awards season! The Golden Globes kicks off awards season on Sunday, January 6th, 8pm EST, with a night that is sure to be packed with glamour, gossip, lots of entertaining Hollywood banter and above all, spectacular talent. But there’s an even bigger cause for celebration for Latinx viewers, fans and actors everywhere. The 2019 Golden Globes are more packed with minority nominees and Hispanic talent than ever before.

In the past, awards shows have been strongly criticized for their lack of minority representation in terms of on-stage talent, from the hosts to the presenters, as well as nominees and awards winners. In previous years the Academy Awards in particular has received a lot of flack for under-representing blacks, Latinx and Asian Americans. In fact, according to a CNN article last March, only 5 Hispanic-Americans have won an Oscar in a major category to date in the 90 years of the awards show’s history. This seems especially concerning and downright absurd considering that Hispanic-Americans are the largest minority group in the U.S. It’s clearly not that there is lack of Latinx people in Hollywood, and it’s not because there is a lack of talent; it’s just that there has seemed to be a lack of recognition in the past.

The 2018 Golden Globes Featured a Few Key Wins for Latin Americans.

While only two minorities won awards in major categories at the 2018 Golden Globes, it was a big night for the Latinx community in several ways. First, Coco took home the honor for Best Animated Motion Picture, which was a huge deal because it told the story of the Day of the Dead, a traditional Mexican cultural celebration. It is the first time in history that a Pixar film has covered Hispanic culture, with an all-Latinx voice cast and a director dedicated to authentically representing a diverse Latin culture and tradition.

In addition, Mexican filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro, won the award for Best Director for a motion picture for The Shape of Water. In his acceptance speech he politely asked to turn the music down so he could continue speaking, bluntly stating “It took me 25 years, give me at least a minute.” [His win also shed some light on the lack of representation of Latinx in Hollywood, especially at awards ceremonies.

Let’s Talk About Latinx at the 2019 Golden Globes.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Mary Poppins

All signs point to an even better year for the Latin community at the Golden Globes. Let’s start with one of our all-time favorite stars, and arguably one of the most talented and groundbreaking artists of our time (or any time), Lin-Manuel Miranda. You know him as the brains and incredibly gifted talent behind Hamilton, and the musical genius behind Disney’s Moana. He’s no stranger to awards ceremonies or the stage, both big and small, but his nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Mary Poppins Returns has him feeling super grateful and has Latinx people everywhere feeling super proud.

There’s also Alfonso Cuarón, the Mexican-born filmmaker who is nominated for not one, but three big-time awards: Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language, Best Director – Motion Picture and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for Roma. And while it’s important and impressive for anyone to be nominated for several awards, it’s extra meaningful because Cuarón is Latin, and his film is an autobiographical look at his childhood in Mexico City, a story that often isn’t told.

Antonio Banderas is a household name in Hollywood; you’ve loved him since his role in Interview with the Vampire, Evita, The Mask of Zorro and the heartbreaking but eye-opening Philadelphia. But he’s once again getting a lot of attention for his role in Genius: Pablo Picasso, where he epically portrays the infamous Spanish painter, sculptor, artist and poet. Banderas himself was born and raised in Spain, and began his acting career in Spain in the 80s and early 90s.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story also garnered a few nominations, most notably for two Latinx actors, Penélope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez for Best Performance by an Actress and Actor in a Supporting Role. Cruz hails from Spain and Ramirez from Venezuela.

In the world of Animated films, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Animated, with a Afro-Latino teen named Miles Morales taking over as the lead character to replace Peter Parker. In addition, this film was produced by Cuban-American writer-producer Phil Lord, who is from Miami, Florida, but has Cuban heritage.

So, Are Latinx Taking Over the Golden Globes in 2019?

Not quite. While there is a lot more diversity among this upcoming awards show nominees, and hopefully all upcoming awards shows (Oscar Nominations Announcements are made on January 22nd), we still have a long way to go. There are several Latino and Latin American actors and other talent who weren’t nominated, and who were notably snubbed despite epic performances. No nominations for the team behind Narcos: Mexico, or for Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin, or Ricky Martin for his role in Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, despite the fact that several of his co-stars were nominated. Yes, there were snubs. Yes, the list of nominees is still predominantly white. But yes, the 2019 Golden Globes is more diverse than last year, with an Asian American host, several black and Hispanic nominees, and a whole lot of talent to celebrate.

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