Spike Lee was snubbed at the Golden Globes even though his 2 children are the show's ambassadors

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Spike Lee was snubbed at the Golden Globes even though his 2 children are the show's ambassadors
Lee with his wife Tonya and children Satchel and Jackson.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
  • The Golden Globes nominations were announced Wednesday.
  • Spike Lee was shut out despite his children being chosen as the show's ambassadors.
  • Lee's Vietnam drama "Da 5 Bloods" had previously been an awards season favorite.
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The 2021 Golden Globes nominations were announced on Wednesday, and among the most surprising snubs was Spike Lee's acclaimed war drama "Da 5 Bloods."

But Lee's exclusion is particularly noticeable as earlier this year, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association - who organize the Golden Globes - announced that Lee's two children, Satchel and Jackson, would act as this year's Golden Globes ambassadors.

The role of the show's ambassadors is traditionally given to the children of prominent Hollywood figures who assist with the presentation of the show and use time during the ceremony to raise awareness of a charitable cause of their choosing.

Last year, Pierce Brosnan's two sons Paris and Dylan took on the role, and the year before that it was Idris Elba's daughter Isan.

Spike Lee was snubbed at the Golden Globes even though his 2 children are the show's ambassadors
From left, filmmaker Spike Lee with Clarke Peters, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors and Norm Lewis on the set of "Da 5 Bloods."Associated Press

Lee's "Da 5 Bloods" had previously been an awards frontrunner, particularly in the acting categories with critics hailing stand-out performances by Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman. "Da 5 Bloods" had also picked up numerous awards from critics groups including the American Film Institute, which included the film in its top 10 movies of 2020.

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In his round-up of this year's biggest snubs, Insider's senior entertainment reporter Jason Guerrasio said Lindo's exclusion is one of the HFPA's "all-time blunders."

Read more: The 16 essential Spike Lee movies everyone should see - including his latest film 'Da 5 Bloods'

Spike Lee has a notoriously spotty relationship with Hollywood's biggest awards shows. In 1991, his film "Do The Right Thing" lost the best picture race to "Driving Miss Daisy" and the 63-year-old director wouldn't pick up a competitive Oscar until 2019 with his crime drama "Blackkkklansman."

On social media, people reacted to Lee's surprising snub and highlighted the awkward fact that his children would be the show's ambassadors.

New York Times film critic Kyle Buchanan said: "Well this won't be awkward at all: Spike Lee's kids will be Golden Globe ambassadors the same year their dad's movie was brutally snubbed across the board."

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