The hymns are alive with the sound of music.
Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee,” a historical drama starring Amanda Seyfried as the 18th-century religious leader who founded the Shakers, will compete in the musical or comedy categories at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards, Variety has learned exclusively.
“The Testament of Ann Lee” has been hailed by critics and festivalgoers as Fastvold’s most ambitious work to date — a sweeping, musically infused portrait of faith, isolation and female empowerment. In addition to Seyfried, the ensemble cast includes Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Stacy Martin, Christopher Abbott and Tim Blake Nelson. The film’s tonal fusion of music, spirituality and emotional irony led the filmmakers, in collaboration with awards strategists, to position it in the Globes’ musical or comedy field — a thoughtful choice intended to highlight its unconventional musical sequences and themes.
Fastvold and her co-writer and co-producer Brady Corbet are coming off an impressive Oscar run with their previous collaboration, “The Brutalist,” which earned 10 Academy Award nominations and won three, including best actor for Adrien Brody, cinematography and original score. It also took home three Golden Globes for best motion picture (drama), director (for Corbet) and actor.
Reuniting with composer Daniel Blumberg, Fastvold worked closely with the experimental musician from preproduction through sound mixing to craft a soundscape rooted in original Shaker hymns. In addition, Searchlight Pictures has submitted two original songs — “Clothed by the Sun” and “John’s Running Song” — for awards consideration. Both tracks, penned and performed by Blumberg, capture the film’s haunting spiritual essence, blending minimalist instrumentation with choral harmonies inspired by authentic Shaker music traditions.
Seyfried, 39, continues to solidify her standing as one of the industry’s most versatile performers. The Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner for Hulu’s “The Dropout,” and Oscar nominee for her role in David Fincher’s “Mank” (2020), delivers what many describe as a career-best performance as the titular visionary whose message of celibacy, equality and ecstatic worship defied 18th-century convention. Seyfried was honored on Monday at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival with the Vanguard Award for her stunning turn.
A late entry into the awards race, “The Testament of Ann Lee” could boost Seyfried’s chances in one of the most competitive lead actress lineups in recent years. In the Globes’ musical or comedy lead actress category, she is expected to face off against powerhouse contenders Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”), Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”) and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”).
If Seyfried were to join Erivo and Hudson at in the Academy’s best actress lineup — both of whom are also in musical roles — it could mark a first in Oscar history. Last year, Erivo was nominated for best actress for the first installment, “Wicked,” alongside Karla Sofía Gascón for the Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez” marked the second occurrence in 60 years, that two lead performances from musicals were nominated in the category. The first, for traditional musicals with non-diegetic music came during Hollywood’s 1960s musical renaissance, when Julie Andrews and Debbie Reynolds earned nominations for “Mary Poppins” and “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” respectively, with Andrews taking home the prize.
With “The Testament of Ann Lee,” Fastvold revives that legacy — a haunting, hymn-filled meditation on faith and feminism that may soon find itself singing its way into awards history.
The film premiered in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 1, where it competed for the Golden Lion. It was later acquired by Searchlight Pictures and is scheduled to open in limited release on Dec. 25.
The Golden Globe nominations will be revealed on Dec. 8. Updated predictions for both film and television categories are listed below.
“The Testament of Ann Lee”
Film
Best Picture (Drama)
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) ***
“The Secret Agent” (Neon)
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Alternates: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon); “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “Train Dreams” (Netflix)
Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
“Bugonia” (Focus Features)
“Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Alternates: “No Other Choice” (Neon); “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures); “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix)
Actor (Drama)
Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams” (Netflix)
Colin Farrell, “Ballad of a Small Player” (Netflix)
Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent” (Neon) ***
Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” (20th Century Studios)
Alternates: Russell Crowe, “Nuremberg” (Sony Pictures Classics); Daniel Day-Lewis, “Anemone” (Focus Features); Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24) ***
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Hugh Jackman, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Josh O’Connor, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix)
Channing Tatum, “Roofman” (Paramount Pictures)
Alternates: Lee Byung-hun, “No Other Choice” (Neon); George Clooney, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix); Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Actress (Drama)
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features) ***
Jennifer Lawrence, “Die My Love” (Mubi)
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Julia Roberts, “After the Hunt” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Sydney Sweeney, “Christy” (Black Bear Pictures)
Tessa Thompson, “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Alternates: Saja Kilani, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Willa); Lucy Lui, “Rosemead” (Vertical); June Squibb, “Eleanor the Great” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) ***
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Amanda Seyfried, “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Alternates: Olivia Colman, “The Roses” (Searchlight Pictures); Laura Dern, “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); Jodie Foster, “A Private Life” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Alternates: Delroy Lindo, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); William H. Macy, “Train Dreams” (Netflix); Andrew Scott, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) ***
Regina Hall, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Alternates: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon); Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.); Hailee Steinfeld, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios)
“Kpop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
“Lilo and Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“A Minecraft Movie” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Superman” (DC Studios)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Alternates: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios); “How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures); “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)
Directing
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” (Neon)
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Alternates: Park Chan-wook, “No Other Choice” (Neon); Jon M. Chu, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures); Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Screenplay
“Bugonia” (Focus Features) — Will Tracy
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao
“Marty Supreme” (A24) — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Paul Thomas Anderson
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ryan Coogler
Alternates: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — Jafar Panahi; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer; “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Kleber Mendonça Filho
Original Score
“Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Max Richter
“Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
“A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Volker Bertlemann
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ludwig Göransson ***
Alternates: “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Nicholas Britell; “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) — Daniel Blumberg
Original Song
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — “Drive” by John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) — “Golden” by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — “I Lied to You” by Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” by Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson and Alice Smith
“The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) — “Cloth by the Sun” by Daniel Blumberg
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — “The Girl in the Bubble” by Stephen Schwartz
Alternates: “Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest” (A24/Apple Original Films); “Waiting on a Wish” from “Snow White” (Walt Disney Pictures); “Train Dreams” (Netflix) — “Train Dreams” by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner
Animated Feature
“Arco” (Neon)
“Elio” (Pixar)
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) ***
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” (GKids)
“Ne Zha 2” (A24)
“Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Alternates: “The Bad Guys 2” (DreamWorks Animation); “In Your Dreams” (Netflix); “Scarlet” (Crunchyroll)
Non-English Language Film
“It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — France
“No Other Choice” (Neon) — South Korea
“Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix) — France
“The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Brazil
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Norway ***
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” (U.S. Distributor TBD) — Tunisia
Alternates: “Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Argentina; “Sirāt” (Neon) — Spain; “Sound of Falling” (Mubi) — Germany
Podcast of the Year
“Call Her Daddy”
“Good Hang with Amy Poehler” ***
“SmartLess”
“The Joe Rogan Experience”
“This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von”
“Up First from NPR”
Alternates: The Daily (The New York Times); “Dateline NBC”; “Pod Save America”
Courtesy of Disney
TV
TV Series (Drama)
“Andor” (Disney+)
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“Task” (HBO Max)
Alternates: “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max); “The Lowdown” (FX); “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
TV Series (Comedy)
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Paper” (Peacock)
“The Studio” (Apple TV) ***
“Wednesday” (Netflix)
Alternates: “The Bear” (FX); “The Chair Company” (HBO Max); “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max); “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
TV Limited Series/TV Movie
“Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
“All Her Fault” (Peacock)
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
“Dying for Sex” (FX)
“The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” (Hulu)
Alternates: “Death by Lightning” (Netflix); “Dope Thief” (Apple TV); “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
TV Actor (Drama)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+)
Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” (FX)
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (HBO Max)
Adam Scott, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
Alternates: Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu); Diego Luna, “Andor” (Disney+); Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
TV Actor (Comedy)
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Domhnall Gleeson, “The Paper” (Peacock)
Glen Powell, “Chad Powers” (Hulu)
Tim Robinson, “The Chair Company” (HBO Max)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV) ***
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Alternates: Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix); Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu); Benito Skinner, “Overcompensating” (Prime Video)
TV Actor (Limited/TV Movie)
Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Michael Chernus, “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” (Peacock)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Brian Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief” (Apple TV)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Alternates: Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror” (Netflix); Jude Law, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix); Michael Shannon, “Death by Lightning” (Netflix)
TV Actress (Drama)
Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (CBS)
Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max) ***
Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Alternates: Kim Kardashian, “All’s Fair” (Hulu); Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu); Taylour Paige, “It: Welcome to Derry” (HBO Max)
TV Actress (Comedy)
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Sabrina Impacciatore, “The Paper” (Peacock) ***
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Rachel Sennott, “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Alternates: Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix); Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” (FX); Sarah Jessica Parker, “And Just Like That…” (HBO Max)
TV Actress (Limited/TV Movie)
Patricia Arquette, “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” (Hulu)
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Meghann Fahy, “Sirens” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX) ***
Renée Zellweger, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Peacock)
Alternates: Toni Collette, “Wayward” (Netflix); Kaitlyn Dever, “Apple Cider Vinegar” (Netflix); Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)
TV Supporting Actor
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Tom Pelphrey, “Task” (HBO Max)
Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Tramell Tillman, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Alternates: Patrick Ball, “The Pitt” (HBO Max); Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV); Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
TV Supporting Actress
Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Allison Janney, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Alternates: Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
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