The Golden Globes are today announcing their nominations and it turns out Apple has a chance to make a splash this awards season with The Morning Show.
Apple’s flagship original show received multiple nominations across a couple of categories, most significantly as a candidate for best TV series drama. Stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon also picked up best actress nominations for their roles in Apple’s show.
Update: Apple highlights Golden Globe nominations and notes “Apple TV+ Becomes First Streaming Service to Earn Nominations in its Launch Year.” Read the full Apple Newsroom post below…
For best drama series, The Morning Show is lined up against Big Little Lies, The Crown, Killing Eve and Succession. The Golden Globes television awards ceremony will be held on January 5 2020, which is when we will find out if any of Apple’s nominations are converted into wins.
Nevertheless, getting nominations from a prestigious institution such as the Golden Globes is a significant achievement for Apple TV+ out of the gate. Earlier, Billy Crudup was nominated for best supporting actor in the Critics Choice awards.
Out of the gate, reception to Apple’s launch slate of originals was very mixed with many TV critics derisively laughing at the output of Apple’s video efforts. The just-released Truth Be Told was similarly damned by TV critics, but Servant was generally well received.
Some critics have come around as the seasons of Apple’s flagship shows like The Morning Show and For All Mankind have progressed. Apple has since screened the finale of The Morning Show to critics; one reviewer at The Guardian described it as “one of the most impressive season finales of the decade”.
Internally, Apple has been pushing hard for awards recognition. The company has hosted numerous Hollywood events for its shows to try and appeal to Hollywood critics. Apple regularly got starring cast members to appear at these events, many of which took place on weekends. Apple has also followed classic industry tactics including aggressive targeted advertising and giving away free trial vouchers for Apple TV+ in industry magazines.
Apple running targeted ads on Hollywood news websites aimed at enticing TV critics to nominate TV+ shows for the upcoming award season, “For Your Consideration in all Drama Categories”. pic.twitter.com/7a4pzcu1tC
— Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) November 20, 2019
With today’s nominations for “The Morning Show,” Apple TV+ became the first streaming platform to receive recognition from the HFPA in its launch year, with the service launching only one month ago. These are also the first drama TV actress nominations for both Aniston and Witherspoon. Aniston is now only the fourth person in history to receive Golden Globe nominations for both TV Comedy and Drama, Lead Actress. The multiple nominations received by Apple this morning include:
Best TV Series – Drama – “The Morning Show” Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama – Jennifer Aniston in “The Morning Show” Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama – Reese Witherspoon in “The Morning Show”
“Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for today’s historic nominations,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “After the debut of Apple TV+ just last month, today’s nominations are a true testament to the powerful storytelling that went into ‘The Morning Show,’ as well as all of our Apple Originals.”
“‘The Morning Show’ is resonating with audiences all around the world and today’s recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association further reinforces how timely and special this series is,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “Congrats to Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Ellenberg, Kerry Ehrin, Mimi Leder and the unparalleled cast and creative minds behind this project. We cannot wait to continue exploring the world of ‘The Morning Show’ into season two.”
“I’m incredibly proud that the show was nominated, and it’s so rewarding to see the hard work and talent of Reese and Jen recognized,” said Kerry Ehrin, executive producer and showrunner of “The Morning Show.” “Mimi, Michael and I could not be more delighted and grateful to the HFPA for this honor, and to Apple for all their support.”
“What a beautiful morning for ‘The Morning Show!’ Feeling grateful to be able to bring this story to light alongside a most brilliant group of artists — our cast and crew who worked passionately from their hearts and souls to continue the conversation of power, greed and toxicity in the workplace,” said Mimi Leder, director and executive producer of “The Morning Show.” “It is an important time, and a privilege, to be able to tell stories and create art that reflects the times we are living in. Thank you HFPA for this incredible honor and for also recognizing Jennifer and Reese. Working with them is a dream come true. Kerry, Michael and I are blown away!”
“I am so grateful to the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for recognizing ‘The Morning Show’ and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s outstanding performances,” said Michael Ellenberg, executive producer of “The Morning Show.” “A huge thank you to Apple TV+ for their incredible partnership and the remarkable cast and crew, who I’m honored to share this nomination with.”
Customers can watch “The Morning Show” exclusively on Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, with new episodes premiering worldwide every Friday. The season finale premieres Friday, December 20.
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