The annual awards season is in full swing. Multiple regional and national critics groups are handing out their nominations and wins to what they consider to be the Best from the year of 2022 at the movies. This morning, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association laid claims to the bulk of the entertainment headlines by announcing its nominations for the 2023 Golden Globes, and regardless of how you might feel about the organization as a whole due to its assorted behind the scenes controversies – or of its looser, sort of unpredictable ceremony – there are always talking points to pull from the slate of nominees. Like this bizarre fact about Top Gun: Maverick, and two of the most famous celebrities on the planet.
Once the full slate of nominations were revealed, it was finalized that Tom Cruise did not receive recognition in the acting category for reviving Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the acclaimed sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. This doesn’t mean that the movie was snubbed completely, however. The Paramount movie did receive a major nomination in the Best Motion Picture, Drama category (thereby giving Cruise a nomination as the film's producer). And Lady Gaga picked up a Song nomination for her incredible contribution to the film, the original number Hold My Hand – which, to be fair, Cruise credits as the element that tied the entire movie together in ways he didn’t imagine possible.
There could be ulterior motives as to why the Hollywood Foreign Press Association left Tom Cruise out of the Best Performance By An Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama category. The Jerry Maguire star made headlines back in 2021 when he publicly announced he was returning the three awards he had received from the HFPA, denouncing their lack of diversity in their membership ranks. Cruise had been nominated for a Golden Globe seven times, and had won at the ceremony for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia.
It’s very possible that the voters in that organization didn’t find Cruise’s performance as Maverick in the movie titled Top Gun: Maverick worthy of an award. Looking at the other nominees in the category, I’m going to assume that Jeremy Pope took Tom’s nom, as his performance in The Inspection hasn’t been garnering much awards notice outside of this morning’s slate. While the other four nominees – Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Austin Butler (Elvis), Bill Nighy (Living) and Hugh Jackman (The Son) all were predicted to make some waves during this season.
Then again, there’s also just the reality that Lady Gaga’s song for Top Gun: Maverick is just that good. I mean, watch this video and try not to be moved:
This is the beginning of a long road to the Oscars, and Top Gun: Maverick getting nominations can only help the movie’s chances at the Big Dance. Cruise could be right back in the conversation for Best Actor if The Critics Choice recognize him this week. And of course, the Academy is much, much larger than the HFPA, so Cruise has more of a shot to pick up recognition and momentum. Even without awards, this has been a banner year from Cruise and Top Gun: Maverick. Prepare for the movie to come back into theaters, and keep cheering it on if you want to see it do well at the various awards ceremonies.
