Chadwick Boseman Gets Posthumous Golden Globes Nomination for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Chadwick Boseman has been nominated for a Golden Globe. The late actor, best known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in movies like Black Panther, unexpectedly passed away last year after a long, secretive battle with cancer. But Boseman had one final great performance in the can before his passing with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which debuted on Netflix late last year. That performance has officially earned Boseman a posthumous nomination at the Golden Globes.

The full list of Golden Globe Awards nominees were revealed today. Chadwick Boseman was one of five actors to land a nomination in the Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama category. Nominated alongside Boseman are Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal, Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank and Tahar Rahim for The Mauritanian. It was also believed that Boseman had a legitimate shot at earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, which was also released on Netflix just prior to his passing. Da 5 Bloods was completely shut out of all major categories in the end.RELATED: Simone Boseman Pays Loving Tribute to Husband Chadwick Boseman at the Gotham Awards

While it remains to be seen what will happen throughout the rest of this truly strange awards season, this majorly increases the chances of Chadwick Boseman earning an Oscar nomination as well. Should that happen, Boseman will join a small number of actors who have been nominated for an Oscar posthumously. Heath Ledger was nominated and went on to win Best Supporting Actor for his work as the Joker in The Dark Knight following his untimely passing.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was directed by George C. Wolfe and was adapted from the award-winning play of the same name by August Wilson. It centers on a legendary jazz musician named Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis. For her work, Davis was nominated for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes as well. The cast also includes Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, Jeremy Shamos and Jonny Coyne.

Hollywood was rocked in August 2020 when it was announced that Chadwick Boseman had died of cancer. His battle had long been kept secret and the actor worked for years while quietly receiving treatment. Through his journey as Black Panther from Captain America: Civil War to Avengers: Endgame, and while bringing icons to life in movies like 42, where he played Jackie Robinson, and Get On Up, in which he portrayed James Brown, Boseman continued to work while fighting a major battle behind the scenes. As for his role as T'Challa, Marvel has already said they will not recast it. Instead, it is expected that another character will take up the mantle in Black Panther 2.

Netflix dominated the rest of the pack overall. Director David Fincher's Mank led the pack in terms of movies with a total of six nominations, including one for Best Picture Drama. The Crown also scored big in the TV department, leading the pack with six nominations as well.