Golden Globes 2017: Predictions for winners in the TV categories

Golden Globes 2017 will be a celebration of the best of the silver screen — both big and small — from the year 2016 and, perhaps, as host Jimmy Fallon called it, "the last party" before Donald Trump takes over as US President.

The year didn't begin or end on a good note for a lot of people. The entertainment industry lost a lot of talented actors and legends of the craft. It started with David Bowie and it ended with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.

But the silver lining to these clouds were the amazing movies and shows the viewers were treated to. Deadpool became a viral sensation and we ended the year singing along to the tunes of La La Land.

2016 was a phenomenal year for TV. The definition of small screen kept broadening. Netflix and Amazon continued to overshadow network and cable programmes with shows like The Crown, Transparent, Stranger Things, and Mozart in the Jungle. TV channels put up a fight with mega hits like Game of Thrones, Veep and Mr. Robot. If Ryan Murphy redefined the importance of miniseries with The People v OJ Simpson, Donald Glover brought music to your drawing rooms with Atlanta.

All the names mentioned above and others will be vying for the golden orb mounted on a stone block awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 9 at 7.30 am (IST). So let's take a look at who stands where in the race.

Best TV Series, Drama

The Crown
Game of Thrones
Stranger Things
This Is Us
Westworld

Strangers Things and The Duffer Brothers created quite a storm with the Netflix series set in the 80's. Touted as the comeback vehicle for Winona Ryder, the show ended up giving us a new crop of talent in Millie Bobby Brown who played Eleven in the series. The competition here will be tough for the sci-fi show after being put in the same category as big budget shows like Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Westworld. This Is Us is an adorable story, but when you have Jon Snow coming back from the dead, Sir Anthony Hopkins creating a whole universe of AI and bots, and the story of the longest living monarch to compete against, you stand very little chance.

Prediction: Game of Thrones

Possible upset: The Crown

Winner in 2016: Game of Thrones

Best TV Series, Comedy/Musical

Atlanta
Blackish
Mozart in the Jungle
Transparent
Veep

This is the category that gives hopes and moments of laughter to all who need it after a gruelling day at work, a glass of wine in hand. Mozart in the Jungle took the award last year and is back again in the competition. The simple wit of Gael Garcia Bernal's maestro combined with an amazing selection of symphony pieces sets this show apart from the crowd. Transparent and Veep also returned with their strongest seasons so far. But I would love to see Donald Glover's Atlanta win in this category. The show has music, hustle, and it doesn't shy away from commenting on reality with deadpan humour.

Prediction: Veep

Possible upset: Atlanta

Winner 2016: Mozart in the Jungle

Best TV Miniseries or Movie

American Crime
The Dresser
The Night Manager
The Night Of
The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Possibly the toughest decision the voters have to make. Ryan Murphy changed the rules of miniseries category single-handedly. The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story has ruled at every award show so far. Golden Globes 2017 will not be an exception. Stellar performances, gripping storyline and an American icon proved to be selling points of the show. The Night Of and The Night Manager have stayed close to American Crime Story when it came to getting all the loving of TV critics but that is not enough to win you an award.

Prediction: The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Possible upset: There won't be any

Winner 2016: Wolf Hall

Best Actor, Drama

Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath

This is Rami Malek's year. He will win for Mr. Robot.

Prediction: Rami Malek for Mr Robot

Possible upset: There won't be any

Winner 2016: Jon Hamm for Mad Men

Best Actress, Drama

Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Claire Foy, The Crown
Keri Russell, The Americans
Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld

This is a category where everyone has an equal chance of winning. Caitriona Balfe's Claire Fraser in Outlander is one of the strongest female characters written for TV in recent times and she plays it well. But I am putting my money on Claire Foy bagging the award for The Crown. It is not easy to portray someone who is alive and has been crucial in shaping modern history. From the posture to getting the accent right, Foy has come a long way from playing another monarch in the BBC series Wolf Hall. Evan Rachel Wood's droid Dolores is the centerpiece of Westworld and the chaos that goes in that universe. But Thandie Newton in supporting actress category is the better hope for HBO's new show.

Prediction: Claire Foy for The Crown

Possible upset: Winona Ryder for Stranger Things

Winner 2016: Taraji P Henson for Empire

Best Actor, Comedy

Anthony Anderson, Blackish
Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Nick Nolte, Graves
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Donald Glover for Atlanta is the wish I have been making at every well and pond. But Anthony Anderson is a serious threat in this category. Gael Garcia Bernal won last year and HFPA is not that generous unless it's Jeffrey Tambor who has had a good season of Transparent.

Prediction: Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent

Possible upset: Donald Glover for Atlanta

Winner 2016: Gael Garcia Bernal for Mozart in the Jungle

Best Actress, Comedy

Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
Issa Rae, Insecure
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Tracee Ellis Ross, Blackish

Another tough category for voters. Rachel Bloom continues to rule the comedy world with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is done with Veep. So who do you award? The winner from last year or the HFPA favourite bowing out, à la Jon Hamm and Mad Men? Or do you choose Issa Rae who made a strong impact with her comic timing and freestyle rap in Insecure?

Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep

Possible upset: Issa Rae for Insecure

Winner 2016: Rachel Bloom for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, The People vs. O.J. Simpson
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
John Lithgow, The Crown
Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
John Travolta, The People vs. O.J. Simpson

This is a no brainer to an extent. We have two nominees from The People vs. O.J. Simpson. One of them will take it home. My money would be on Sterling K Brown because he won at the 2016 Emmys for the same role. A formal shout out to Hugh Laurie and John Lithgow for being phenomenal in The Night Manager and The Crown respectively.

Prediction: Sterling K Brown for The People vs. O.J. Simpson

Possible upset: John Travolta for The People vs. O.J. Simpson

Winner 2016: Christian Slater for Mr. Robot

Best Supporting Actress

Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Chrissy Metz, This Is Us
Mandy Moore, This Is Us
Thandie Newton, Westworld

This is the category where Westworld can start adding to their award kitty. Thandie Newton as droid Maeve in HBO drama is a masterclass in acting. I am not undermining Lena Headey's hurt, ambitious Cersei in Game of Thrones or pregnant Olivia Colman's daring performance in The Night Manager in a part originally written for a man. Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore, the daughter-mother duo of This Is Us pose a good amount of threat but maybe next year will be theirs.

Prediction: Thandie Newton for Westworld

Possible upset: Lena Headey for Game of Thrones

Winner 2016: Maura Tierney for The Affair

Best Actor, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
John Turturro, The Night Of
Courtney B Vance, The People vs. O.J. Simpson

This will be Courtney B Vance's category to lose.

Prediction: Courtney B Vance for The People vs. O.J. Simpson

Possible upset: There won't be any

Winner 2016: Oscar Isaac for Show Me a Hero 

Best Actress, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience
Sarah Paulson, The People vs. O.J. Simpson
Charlotte Rampling, London Spy
Kerry Washington, Confirmation

Strong contenders but nobody is as strong as Sarah Paulson who has won all the awards there are for her portrayal of Macia Clarke in The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

Prediction: Sarah Paulson for The People vs. O.J. Simpson

Possible upset: Riley Keough for The Girlfriend Experience

Winner 2016: Lady Gaga for American Horror Story: Hotel