Tom Cruise's Past Actions May Have Led To A Golden Globes Snub For Top Gun: Maverick

On Monday, December 12, the father-daughter duo George and Mayan Lopez announced the 2023 Golden Globes nominations, effectively kickstarting awards season into high gear. "The Banshee of Inisherin" leads the pack with eight nominations, with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" not far behind with six nominations. The television race is tighter, with "Abbott Elementary" ahead with five nominations. "The Crown," "Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," "Only Murders in the Building," "Pam & Tommy," and "The White Lotus" all coming in after that with four nominations each.

Of course, the absence of nominations for certain projects is equally — if not more — telling. For example, despite its massive budget and buzzy fanbase, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has zero Golden Globes nominations. And while "Top Gun: Maverick" received nominations for best motion picture — drama and best original song, the name of lead actor Tom Cruise is glaringly absent from any acting recognition.

Tom Cruise is no stranger to the Golden Globes Awards. The actor earned Golden Globes for his performances in 1989's "Born on the Fourth of July," 1996's "Jerry Maguire," and 1999's "Magnolia," plus four more nominations for other projects (via IMDb). 

However, in 2021, Cruise returned his three statues in response to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's lack of diversity and history of corruption.

One week before the 2021 ceremony, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that the voting body did not include a single Black journalist, as well as allegations of self-dealing and dubious journalistic ethics. Cruise was one of several high-profile actors to chastise the HFPA, including Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo, and NBC backed out as the award show's network (via Variety). In January, the Golden Globe Awards will return to NBC. This follows a reckoning at the HFPA, which now boasts a larger voting body and a commitment to greater racial and ethnic diversity.

It remains to be seen whether Cruise's actions directly led to his being snubbed, or if the acting category is especially competitive this year. Most likely, any questions regarding whether the HFPA is holding a grudge over this matter will never be resolved, particularly considering the controversies involved.