How many Golden Globes did JAWS win?

JAWS (1975) may have swum to success at the box office, but just how did the Steven Spielberg’s shark film perform at the Golden Globes in 1976?

The shark spectacular about a great white that stalks the beachgoers and tourists of Amity Island was nominated for a total of four awards, which were for Best Picture – Drama – JAWS, Best Director – Motion Picture – Steven Spielberg, Best Score – Motion Picture – John Williams and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Peter Benchley.

Curiously, although both Benchley – the author of JAWS who had a cameo in the film as a newscaster on the beach – and Carl Gottlieb had been credited on the film as having a co-screenwriting credit, only the former received the Golden Globes nod.

In the end, not that it mattered, as only John Williams and the all-conquering and powerful JAWS score came away with a Golden Globe statuette on the evening. The shark film lost out to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest in the Best Picture – Drama stakes, Spielberg lost out to Cuckoo’s Nest Director Milos Forman and Bo Goldman won the Best Screenplay award, again for Nest.

Almost 50 years later, Spielberg and his films continue to be nominated for Golden Globes at the 2023 awards, which is the 80th ceremony, with The Fabelmans nominated for a total of five award, which are Best Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama – Michelle Williams, Best Director – Motion Picture – Steven Spielberg. Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner and Best Original Score – Motion Picture – John Williams.

 Words by Dean Newman

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