Golden Globes history in the making: Niecy Nash-Betts win would end half century drought

Fifty-two years ago, Gail Fisher (“Mannix”) followed Diahann Carroll (“Julia”) as the second Black woman to win an acting Golden Globe and the first to be so honored for a supporting TV performance. After all this time, her name remains the only one on the latter list, but she could soon be joined by Niecy Nash-Betts, who is looking to set a record of her own as the first Black actress to ever receive a Golden Globe for work on a limited series. If she succeeds on her bid for Netflix’s “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” she will also be the 21st Black actress ever honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in any competitive category.

Nash-Betts is one of the five inaugural nominees in the newly-established Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actress category, which was created to separate featured female performers on continuing and non-continuing programs. Her competitors include “The White Lotus” pair Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza as well as Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Under the Banner of Heaven”). Danes is seeking a record-tying fifth TV Golden Globe victory, which would break her tie with Laura Dern and Sarah Jessica Parker and put her on par with Carol Burnett.

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Although four Black women have taken home Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress Golden Globes, their wins were all for one-off telefilms. These lead champs were Alfre Woodard (“Miss Evers’ Boys,” 1998), Halle Berry (“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” 2000), S. Epatha Merkerson (“Lackawanna Blues,” 2006), and Queen Latifah (“Life Support,” 2008). Aside from Carroll and Fisher, the only other Black actresses who have won Golden Globes for continuing series are Debbie Allen (“Fame,” 1983), Regina Taylor (“I’ll Fly Away,” 1993), Taraji P. Henson (“Empire,” 2016), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish,” 2017), and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (“Pose,” 2022).

Prior to this year, only seven Black women had followed Fisher by receiving HFPA recognition for supporting TV performances. Regina King (“American Crime,” 2016) stood alone as the only limited series nominee in the group, which also consisted of comedy and drama program cast members Marla Gibbs (“The Jeffersons,” 1985), Jackée Harry (“227,” 1989), Della Reese (“Touched by an Angel,” 1998), Gloria Reuben (“ER,” 1998), Uzo Aduba (“Orange is the New Black,” 2015-2016), and Thandiwe Newton (“Westworld,” 2017; 2019).

Nash-Betts is one of seven Black TV actors competing for a Golden Globe this year, with the others being Zendaya (“Euphoria”), Donald Glover (“Atlanta”), and “Abbott Elementary” quartet Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Tyler James Williams. James, Ralph, or Williams could make history as the first Black performer to win a supporting Golden Globe for a comedy series, while Brunson and Zendaya could be the respective fourth and fifth Black victors in the female lead comedy and drama categories. Glover already established himself as the fifth Black Best TV Comedy Actor winner in 2017.

The 80th Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, January 10 in Beverly Hills, California. Jerrod Carmichael will host the live televised event, which is set to air on NBC and stream on Peacock.

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