The Golden Globes — long known as Hollywood's favourite party, but rocked by recent scandals — will attempt to stage a celebrity-filled comeback on Tuesday, as films from Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans to Top Gun and Avatar sequels compete for top honours.
The Globes traditionally play a key role in kick-starting the movie awards season, but were taken off air last year amid controversy over ethical lapses and a lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organises the Beverly Hills gala.
This year, following efforts to reform the HFPA — which previously had no black members — NBC will broadcast the 80th Golden Globe Awards on a one-off basis, and invitations have been dispatched to Tinseltown's brightest stars.
A-listers expected in the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton include Spielberg, whose semi-autobiographical film is the favourite to win Best Drama, and Eddie Murphy, who will receive a career achievement award.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael will host the ceremony, and Quentin Tarantino is among the night's presenters.
But many top nominees have not yet confirmed their attendance, and Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond expects this year's Globes to be "different" from the glitzy, hard-partying bashes seen before Covid-19 and industry boycotts interrupted the merrymaking.
"They are going to be muted. There's no after-parties to go to. There's none of that. They're not spending big bucks, the studios, on all of this," Hammond said.
Those who walk the red carpet will be peppered with questions from journalists such as "Do you feel comfortable being here?" and "Are you satisfied they've made all the changes?" he predicted.
"It's not going to be exclusively 'What are you wearing?'"
Spielberg, Cruise, Cameron
Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes movie awards are split between "drama" and "comedy or musical" categories.
On the drama side, The Fabelmans is up against last year's two biggest box office hits — the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise, and James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water.
Tar, set in the cutthroat world of classical music, and rock-and-roll biopic Elvis could also spring surprises.
Their respective stars — Cate Blanchett, who plays a ruthless music conductor, and Austin Butler, stepping into Presley's blue suede shoes — are frontrunners for drama acting prizes.
But The Whale nominee Brendan Fraser, who alleges he was once sexually assaulted by a former HFPA president, has ruled out attending Tuesday's gala.
Cruise, a producer on Top Gun: Maverick, is also unlikely to attend, after he returned his three Globes to the HFPA in 2021 in protest at its behaviour.
The Banshees of Inisherin holds the most overall nominations at this year's Globes, with eight, and is a favourite to win Best Comedy, as well as Best Comedy Actor for Colin Farrell.
The movie about a shattered friendship on a remote Irish island will contend with surreal, multiverse-hopping sci-fi film Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is seeking acting prizes for Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan.
'Scandal'
In years past, success at the Globes was a potential bellwether for films hoping to win Oscars, and served as a valuable marketing tool.
Indeed, Academy voters will begin casting ballots for Oscar nominations on Thursday, only days after the Globes gala.
But recent controversies have muddied the waters.
The addition of more than 100 new, more racially diverse Globes voters, who are not full HFPA members, has made it even harder to predict who the enigmatic group of foreign journalists will reward.
While movie billboards and commercials boasting of Globes nominations have returned after last year's notable absence, few nominees have publicly thanked the HFPA.
According to Hammond, some in the industry privately yearn for the old Globes to return because the show is an important "cog in the wheel of awards season" which has "been around Hollywood for 80 years".
"You can't buy tradition," he said.
But rows over diversity, alleged corruption and lack of professionalism have "lessened" the Globes' sheen when it comes to influencing the Oscars, Hammond said.
"When every (Globes) story talks about the scandal... it doesn't make it as credible, I think, to the Oscar voters," he said.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
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Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company%20Profile
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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The view from The National
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates