Last year, Amazon wasn’t even included in the Golden Globes. Netflix took home one of five nominations with the help of Robin Wright from House Of Cards.
This year, both companies are walking away winners.
Amazon, in particular has elevated its original video brand with two of three wins at the Golden Globes, beating out Netflix in both of the categories in which they were competing.
Transparent, a show about a transgender parent turned out to be a significant player for Amazon. The shows star, Jeffrey Tambor, won Best Actor in a TV comedy (beating out Ricky Gervais for Netflix’s Derek). Transparent also won for best comedy series against Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, HBO’s Girls and Silicon Valley.
Netflix had a fine night, too. The media streaming company was nominated in seven different major categories, including Best Comedy and Best Drama in Television.
House Of Cards won (after tons of Emmy nominations last year) with Kevin Spacey taking home Best Actor in a TV Drama.
House of Cards lost to The Affair for Best TV Drama.
Orange Is The New Black was also recognized in three different categories — Best Comedy Series, Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — though it went home 0 for three.
Of course, these big wins add even more credibility to the media streaming companies. When these budding programs win prestigious awards in major categories, their online exclusivity puts added pressure on consumers who have yet to sign up for Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. But even if they walked home with no wins, the Golden Globes would still be considered a huge marketing success for both companies, Amazon in particular.
Many of the shows that are nominated tonight, win or lose, are available to stream on Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video with a monthly subscription. For folks who haven’t seen them yet, tonight is a great reminder to head over to Netflix or Amazon Prime and get cracking on the this year’s acclaimed television content.
And beyond content included with an Amazon Prime or Netflix account, Amazon Instant Video offers a bunch of tonight’s movie nominations to buy, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Amazon Studios but doesn’t hurt the bottom line, either.
It also doesn’t hurt that Jane Fonda gave a shout-out to her upcoming Netflix series, Grace And Frankie.
Both the Golden Globes and the Emmys will play a role in the success of original programming from Netflix and Amazon. Last year, Netflix pulled in 31 nominations at the Emmys (and won seven in minor categories), while Amazon was entirely shut out.
As cable prices soar and a potential monopoly awaits us (I’m talking to you, Comcast/TWC), cord cutting is becoming a more and more attractive option. Netflix, Amazon and Hulu combined offer on-demand and unlimited access to most of the best television out there, and award-winning programming stands as proof that these companies can not only distribute content in a way that consumers absolutely love, but they can create it, too.
This year’s Golden Globe wins are not just a win for Amazon and Netflix, but for all online streaming.
Here’s a complete list for Golden Globe nominations and wins.
Editorial Note: An earlier version of this post indicated that Robin Wright won for Best Actress this year, mistaking it for her win last year.