Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt both scored Golden Globe nominations for their roles in the Benny Safdie- directed feature film The Smashing Machine, which told the life story of UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr.
On Monday, the full nominations for the 2026 Golden Gloves were revealed with the ceremony set to take place on Sunday, Jan. 11 with the awards airing on CBS and Paramount+
Johnson earned a nomination for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for his role playing Kerr, the embattled former UFC heavyweight who struggled with substance abuse issues during his career. The film was a passion project for years for Johnson, who championed the story after watching the 2002 documentary of the same name that detailed Kerr’s rise and fall as one of the top fighters in MMA.
Johnson faces some stiff competition in his category with names like Oscar Isaac, Michael B. Jordan and Jeremy Allen White also up for the same award.
Emily Blunt, who portrayed Kerr’s girlfriend and future wife Dawn Staples, also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture. The category also includes names like Ariana Grande, Amy Madigan and Teyana Taylor.
While not a total surprise for a prestige, independent film produced by A24, mixed reactions to The Smashing Machine could have potentially led to the movie being shut out at the major award shows. Instead, Johnson and Blunt both got acting nods, although those are the only nominations received for The Smashing Machine at the 2026 Golden Globes.
When the film first premiered, many critics expected Johnson to end up as a strong contender to receive award nominations, including a possible nod at the 2026 Academy Awards.
The film ultimately came and went at movie theaters with just over $21 million earned on a budget that reportedly exceeded $50 million.
But Johnson and Blunt are still getting their flowers for their performances in the film with both earning Golden Globe nominations.
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