The Golden Globes were first handed out in 1944, created by Hollywood-based journalists writing for overseas publications — so it’s no surprise that those voters always had an international point of view. And Hispanic talent were always a big part of the mix.
Sept. 15-Oct. 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., with the theme of “honoring the past and exploring the future.” The concept was begun in 1968 and the idea of saluting Hispanic Heritage takes on added significance in 2025, with non-Anglo cultures in the U.S. increasingly being targeted.
In one of the earliest Globes ceremonies, Gabriel Figueroa won for his cinematography on Mexico’s 1947 film La Perla, directed by Emilio Fernández, based on a story by John Steinbeck. Five years later, Mexican actress Katy Jurado scored two nominations for her work in 1952: best newcomer and supporting actress for High Noon, winning the latter.
A few years later, Cantinflas (aka Mario Moreno) won as best actor in a musical or comedy for the 1956
Around the World in 80 Days.
And Rita Moreno took home the Golden Globe for Supporting Actress for her performance in West Side Story (1961). Though half the characters in the film are Puerto Rican, she was one of the few actors in the film who actually has that heritage.
Anthony Quinn was the 1987 Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient at 44th Globes, honoring the work of 1986. The Globes saluted him with the statement, “Born in Mexico, he entered films in 1936 after a brief stage experience. In addition to his acting (
Zorba the Greek,
Lawrence of Arabia,
La Strada), he was an accomplished painter and sculptor.” And that only scratches the surface of his talent. He was also nominated for five Globes as an actor, ranging from 1956 through 1996, a 40-year span.
For many decades, Hispanic talent was recognized, but not in huge numbers. Certain individuals helped keep up the Hispanic profile, including actor Jimmy Smits, who was nominated four times as Actor in a TV Drama Series for NYPD Blue, winning for the 1995 year.
And Mexico’s “Three Amigos,” the trio of filmmakers who are friends and who have been consistently recognized for their great films.
Alfonso Cuarón won the Golden Globe for Director with the 2013 Gravity. Cuarón repeated his triumph with Roma (2018), awarded the Golden Globe for Director and Foreign Language Film, and also nominated for Screenplay. In addition, Cuarón was cited by the Golden Globes along with his entire team, thanks to the 2001 film Y tu mamá también, which was nominated in the Non-English Language category.
Guillermo del Toro was represented by Pan’s Labyrinth (2005) for non-English-language film and he himself was a double nominee as writer and director of The Shape of Water (2017) and a songwriting contender for co-writing “Ciao Papa,” from his animated Pinocchio (2022).
Alejandro González Iñárritu saw his Amores Perros (2000) nominated in the category that was then called Best Foreign Language Film. His 2006 Babel (2006) upped the tally with seven nominations and won as best drama film. His Mexican-Spanish co-production Biutiful (2010) was nominated for the Golden Globe for Foreign Language Film.
Inarritu himself scored four nominations. He won the Golden Globe for Screenplay for the 2014 Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), a film also cited for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical, and for Director. The 2015 film The Revenant earned him his first Golden Globes win as Director.
Another Hispanic trio earned multiple Globes nominations over the years.
A six-time nominee was
Javier Bardem, who won for Supporting Actor for his work in the 2007
No Country for Old Men, directed by brothers
Joel and
Ethan Coen. He was also nominated for Best Actor in a Dramatic Film for
Before Night Falls (2000) and in 2004 for
The Sea Inside, a Spanish production that won the Golden Globe for Non-English Language Film. Bardem was also cited for Actor in a Comedy or Musical for
Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He was also nominated for his work in
Being the Ricardos for Best Actor in a Drama. His latest nomination was as the sadistic father in TV’s 2024
Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
His wife
Penélope Cruz has not won the statuette yet, but her work is so consistently strong that it’s a good possibility. She was nominated for
Volver (2006),
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008),
Nine (2009), and
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018).
And of course there are many other actors who kept the Hispanic flags flying. Puerto Rican star
Benicio del Toro took home the award for Supporting Actor for the 2000 film
Traffic. Mexican
Gael García Bernal, with his work as a quirky conductor in
Mozart in the Jungle, won the 2015 award for Best Comedy Actor in a television series, a nomination that he repeated a year later.
América Ferrera, an actress of Honduran origin, took home the 2006 Golden Globe for Actress in a Comedy or Musical Series for
Ugly Betty, an award for which she was nominated again twice.
Ugly Betty also won the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Television Series, Comedy or Musical.
The Guatemala-born
Oscar Isaac was honored as Best Actor in a Television Miniseries for his role in
Show Me a Hero, after having been nominated in 2014 as Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for the 2013
Inside Llewyn Davis . He also was nominated for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie for his role in
Scenes from a Marriage (2021).
The series
Jane the Virgin was nominated for the Golden Globe for Comedy or Musical Television Series in 2015, and its actress,
Gina Rodríguez, of Puerto Rican heritage, won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Television Series in 2014 and subsequently nominated for the same award in 2015 and 2016.
And there are others, of course. The Hispanic Heritage has been strong, but it’s gaining momentum. It’s fitting that the 82nd annual Golden Globes, held Jan. 5, 2025, had a record number of Hispanic and Latino nominees. At the January 2025 ceremony, honoring work from the previous year, The Spanish-language film Emilia Perez, set in Mexico, was the big winner
The film, from French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, earned a whopping 10 nominations and took home four Globes, including best film, musical or comedy, and best non-English-language film.
The film stars three Hispanic women, all of them nominated for their performances, with Zoe Saldana winning for supporting actress. Selena Gomez was a double nominee that year, also for her work in TV’s “Only Murders in the Building.” And Karla Sofia Gascon became the second trans actress nominated for a Golden Globe, following Michaela Jae Rodriguez, saluted for her work in the series Pose.
In all, nine Hispanic actors were nominated for 2024 work, also including Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here, from Brazil, named Best Actress in a Drama amid heavy competition.
Aside from Torres, Bardem and the
Emilia Perez trio, other contenders include Liza Colon-Zayas,
The Bear, supporting TV actress; Colman Domingo,
Sing Sing, actor drama film; Diego Luna,
La Maquina, TV supporting actor
; and
Sofía Vergara,
Griselda, female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
Directors from Latin America were also recognized through their work. Disclaimer, created by Alfonso Cuarón, and Issa López’s True Detective: Night Country were nominated. Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s film Maria earned a nomination for its leading actress, Angelina Jolie. Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus was nominated in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.
