Norwegian film Golden Globes success reached a new milestone this week as family drama Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi/Affektionsværdi) secured eight Golden Globes nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and multiple acting awards.
Sentimental Value puts Norwegian cinema at the heart of Golden Globes
The Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier, has emerged as one of the main contenders in this year’s Golden Globes race. Announced in Hollywood on 8 December, the nominations place the film just behind Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark comedy One Battle After Another, which leads with nine nods. By reaching eight nominations, Trier’s film positions Norwegian cinema at the centre of a highly competitive international awards season.
Set largely in Oslo, Sentimental Value follows a fractured family trying to navigate shared history, grief and unfinished conflicts. The story focuses on a celebrated but self-absorbed film director, his two estranged daughters and the legacy of a house that carries both artistic dreams and unresolved emotions. The film blends intimate family drama with reflections on art, memory and the stories people tell themselves to hold a family together.
A family drama rooted in Oslo and emotional memory
Co-written by Joachim Trier and long-time collaborator Eskil Vogt, Sentimental Value continues the director’s exploration of contemporary life in Oslo, which many viewers associate with his earlier “Oslo trilogy” (Reprise, Oslo, 31. August, The Worst Person in the World). Once again, the Norwegian capital is more than a backdrop: its streets, apartments and cultural spaces shape the rhythm and tone of the story.
The film centres on Gustav, a renowned director who returns to Norway after years abroad, and his daughters Nora and Agnes, who have grown up in his absence. Their attempts to reconnect are complicated when Gustav decides to make a new, deeply personal film about their shared past. As old wounds resurface, Sentimental Value examines how families negotiate ownership of memories and who gets to tell the story of what happened.
The cast includes Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, whose performances have been widely praised by critics. The ensemble gives the film a distinctly Nordic-European character, mixing Norwegian actors with international stars and underlining the cross-border nature of contemporary Nordic cinema.
Eight Golden Globe nominations across major categories
According to the official Golden Globes awards database and industry reports, Sentimental Value has been nominated in eight categories, covering both the film as a whole and several of its key performances. The nominations are:
- Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language (for Norway)
- Best Director – Motion Picture (Joachim Trier)
- Best Screenplay – Motion Picture (Joachim Trier)
- Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Renate Reinsve)
- Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Elle Fanning)
- Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas)
- Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Stellan Skarsgård)
This combination of nominations is rare for a Norwegian film and indicates broad recognition across directing, writing and acting. It also confirms Sentimental Value as one of the central titles in this awards season, alongside One Battle After Another and the horror film Sinners, which follows with seven nominations.
From Cannes Grand Prix to awards season momentum
The strong result at the Golden Globes follows an already successful festival and distribution trajectory. Sentimental Value premiered in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received wide critical acclaim and won the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest honour. The film was released in Norwegian cinemas in September and is gradually reaching wider European and international audiences.
Internationally, the film is being distributed across several European countries and the United Kingdom, supported by a network of production companies in Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the UK. Its mixture of Norwegian and English dialogue, as well as its cross-border production structure, reflects how Nordic cinema increasingly operates within a broader European framework.
Norway has also selected Sentimental Value as its official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, which means the Golden Globes recognition may strengthen its visibility among Oscar voters.
Nordic cinema visibility in a competitive year
This year’s Golden Globes nominations underline a strong presence of European and particularly Nordic stories in the global film conversation. While Sentimental Value represents Norway and the wider Nordic region, it competes in categories dominated by high-profile US and international productions, including Frankenstein, Hamnet and Sinners.
For Joachim Trier, the eight nominations confirm his status as one of the most prominent contemporary directors from the Nordic countries. After the global success of The Worst Person in the World, which brought Oscar nominations and a wide international audience, Sentimental Value consolidates his position as a filmmaker who combines intimate character studies with questions about art, ethics and responsibility.
Critics point out that the film’s themes – intergenerational conflict, artistic integrity and the negotiation of personal and collective memory – resonate well beyond Norway. This helps explain why a Norwegian film in Norwegian and English can compete on equal terms with big-budget productions in the Golden Globes race.
What the Golden Globes recognition means for Norway and the Nordics
For the Norwegian film industry, the eight Golden Globes nominations are expected to have a concrete impact on funding, co-production opportunities and international distribution for future projects. Strong visibility at one of Hollywood’s most watched awards ceremonies can make it easier for Nordic producers and directors to secure financing and partnerships for ambitious, story-driven films.
The nominations also reinforce the image of the Nordic region as a hub for high-quality, character-focused cinema that can appeal to audiences across Europe and beyond. In recent years, Nordic films and series have become known internationally for their distinct visual style and their willingness to address complex social and emotional themes.
The Golden Globes ceremony will take place in Beverly Hills on 11 January 2026, with winners chosen by more than 300 international entertainment journalists. Regardless of the final outcome, Sentimental Value has already marked a significant achievement for Norwegian cinema and added a new chapter to the growing international profile of Nordic film.
