The 2025 Golden Globe Awards have come and gone, but the snubs and omissions from this year’s ceremony have sparked further questions about the relevance of these awards in today’s ever-evolving television landscape. The Golden Globes almost feel completely irrelevant, a dress rehearsal for the far more glamourous Emmy and Oscar ceremonies. Their dismissal of many of the most important cultural shows of the past year are what’s really clued viewers into their growing irrelevance. 

One of the most significant snubs of the 2025 Golden Globes was The Last of Us (HBO). Widely regarded as one of the most compelling TV adaptations of a video game, The Last of Us received praise for its storytelling, direction, and performances, particularly from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. The series was expected to be a major contender at the Globes, given its cultural impact and critical success. Yet, despite its widespread acclaim, the show was shockingly absent from the nominations, leaving many to question the Golden Globes‘ ability to accurately gauge what has truly resonated with audiences. In a year where The Last of Us became a cultural phenomenon, the snub only highlights how out of touch the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has become. 

Pachinko (Apple TV+) faced a similar fate in 2025. After its groundbreaking debut, the series had been heralded for its exceptional performances, particularly from Lee Min-Ho and Youn Yuh-Jung, as well as its delicate and powerful storytelling. Yet, once again, Pachinko was left off the list of nominees, despite its critical acclaim and representation of important cultural narratives. The shows snub solidifies a common critique with this year’s ceremony: it’s becoming predictable. Every nomination feels entirely safe and accessible, stripping interesting and challenging voices the chance for bedazzled recognition. Pachinko’s absence from the nominations felt like a glaring oversight, particularly considering how much of a cultural moment the show had created. 

Another major oversight this year was The Bear (FX), which had a significant impact on television in 2024, drawing praise for its intimate portrayal of a chef navigating the pressures of running a family restaurant. Jeremy Allen White’s performance as Carmy was one of the standout performances of the year, yet the series failed to earn a nomination for Best Drama. The snubbing of The Bear not only seemed like an oversight but a missed opportunity to recognize a show that perfectly encapsulated the complexities of family, ambition, and personal growth. The Bear’s omission suggests that the Golden Globes, once a beacon for television excellence, are now more focused on favoring glossy, star-driven projects than on rewarding compelling and innovative storytelling. 

The snub of The Bear brings attention to a larger issue with the Golden Globes: their inability to accurately reflect the diversity and complexity of today’s television landscape. Shows like The Bear and Pachinko represent groundbreaking storytelling that pushes boundaries and explores narratives that don’t fit neatly into traditional categories, yet they are often overlooked in favour of safer, more commercially driven content. With the Globe’s snub of The Bear, their disregard of comedy is once again brought into question. People are beginning to point out their traditional methods of classification and categorization have become outdated in the face of more progressive and complex shows which have become systematically disregarded with each year. It’s clear that the Golden Globes have lost their way in recognizing the true breadth of talent and creativity in television today. 

Ultimately, the 2025 Golden Globe nominations serve as yet another reminder that these awards have become increasingly irrelevant in the world of television. By consistently snubbing some of the most innovative and culturally significant shows, the Golden Globes are proving that they are no longer in touch with the audience’s tastes or the medium’s creative progress. The ceremony may still be broadcasted and watched by millions, but with each passing year, the Golden Globes seem to slip further into obscurity, overshadowed by the more relevant and meaningful voices in television criticism and recognition.