The Golden Globes have announced their nominations for the 2013 award ceremony and the race for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television includes two returning nominees and three new actresses who all have a shot at winning the award.
Returning nominees:
Sofia Vergara: Modern Family: The hilarious Colombian actress stars in the ABC hit comedy series Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett. Vergara, known for her curvaceous figure and Latino accent, is a veteran Latino soap opera star who has also had roles in major films in the U.S. Vergara has received a number of awards nominations, including three Primetime Emmys and three ALMA Awards. She has also been nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010-2013) five times and has won another two times (2011-2012). The actress has also snagged a Kid's Choice Award nomination for Favorite Movie Actress (The Smurfs) in 2012 and a People's Choice Awards nomination for Favorite Comedic TV Actress (Modern Family) in 2013. Vergara has been nominated three years in a row for Best Supporting Actress in Television (2011-2013), making her an ideal frontrunner for the award in 2013.
Maggie Smith: Downton Abbey (Season 2): The British actress stars as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on the hit PBS series Downton Abbey. But perhaps she is best known for her role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the popular film series Harry Potter. The formidable actress, who began her acting career in the 1950s, has won a number of awards both in the UK and the US. Smith has been nominated for the Oscars six times and has won twice for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). She has also been nominated twice for the Laurence Oliver Theatre Award (in 1998 and 2000) and has won three London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Best Actress (1981, 1984 and 1994). In 2003, she joined the elite few to win the Triple Crown in acting: an Oscar for Best Actress (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) and Best Supporting Actress (California Suite); a Tony for Best Actress in a Play ("Lettice and Lovage"); and an Emmy for Best Actress in a Miniseries/Movie (My House in Umbria). As for the Golden Globes, Smith has been nominated 10 times and has won twice. With her vast experience in film, television and on stage, Maggie Smith is a definite contender to take home the 2013 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Television).
New nominees:
Hayden Panettiere: Nashville: The 23-year-old American actress is no stranger to the small screen circuit. Panettiere stars ABC drama Nashville as the young Country singer Juliette Barnes, but she is perhaps best known for her role as Claire Bennet in Heroes. The actress has also starred in a number of TV movies including Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy, Lies My Mother Told Me and Tiger Cruise. Penettiere is a three-time Teen Choice Awards nominee and three-time Teen Choice Awards winner. She has won critical acclaim for her role on Nashville, with the Daily Beast calling her performance "surprising" and one to watch. This is her first Golden Globes nomination, but her breakout performance on her new show is sure to grab her many more.
Archie Panjabi: The Good Wife: The British actress, who has worked in international blockbusters and the critically acclaimed film A Mighty Heart, stars in The Good Wife as Kalinda Sharma. Her character is her firm's in-house private investigator, known for having bisexual relationships and not always working ethically to win cases. Panjabi has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award her part in The Good Wife three times in the past three years. She has also been nominated for a Primetime Emmy twice (2011-2012) and has won once (2010) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 2007, Panjabi won a Chopard Trophy from the Cannes Film Festival for Female Revelation. This is her first Golden Globes nomination.
Sarah Paulson: Game Change: The Florida native has starred in a number of hit television series, including the mini-series American Horror Story: Assylum, Desperate Housewives and Jack & Jill. Paulson is nominated for her role as Nicolle Wallace in the hit HBO TV Movie Game Change, a movie about John McCain's failed 2008 presidential campaign and his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. She has received several award nominations including two for the Satellite Awards (2006 and 2012), one for the Primetime Emmy Awards (2012) and one for the Gotham Awards (2011). This is her second Golden Globes nomination, her first nomination was in 2007 for Best Supporting Actress in Television for her performance in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. With all the buzz surrounding her film, Paulson could also pull off a surprise win.
Prediction: The Golden Globe award will likely be a tossup between Downton Abbey's Maggie Smith and Modern Famiy's Sofia Vergara. Both shows have been nominated for Best Television Series-Downton Abbey for Drama and Modern Family for Comedy or Musical-and both actresses are favorites to win. Given Modern Family's incredible success, I predict that Sofia Vergara will take home the Golden Globe.