Griend Awards - Pop Culture

Another year has come and gone, and I think it's safe to say that 2015 was a great year for movies, television, music, sports, etc., as evident by all the awards that have already been handed out this year. 

I am a huge fan of all things entertainment, but even I still have a hard time keeping track of everything. There are still a few movies and shows that I have yet to see, but just like years past, I will let those carry over into the 2016 awards. I'm sure movies like Black Mass, The Martian and Steve Jobs are all Oscar-worthy, so I will keep those in mind for next year.

Without any further ado, I present to you the first ever Griend Awards for pop culture...

Best of

Movie Star (Male)

Winner: Jake Gyllenhaal (Southpaw)

Is there really anything that this man can't do? I think he proved with this performance, if he hadn't already with previous performances, that he belongs in that upper echelon of talent that is able to secure these starring roles. This character brought out something in him that I don't think had ever been seen before. It was a much different role than he usually gets, as I don't think he's ever portrayed a father before, let alone a deadbeat father, and he was almost unrecognizable in the role, which I thought was a good thing.   

Other nominees:

Dev Patel (Chappie)
Ian McKellan (Mr. Holmes)
Miles Teller (Fantastic Four; The Divergent Series: Insurgent)
Armie Hammer (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)

Movie Star (Female)

Winner: Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)

It's been a while since we've seen her in anything, so this was quite refreshing. It seems like she always gets similar roles, but I liked her performance in this one, because I really think she stole the show. She was totally believable in the role, and I thought she had great chemistry with everyone she worked with in the movie. 

Other nominees:

Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina; Seventh Son; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Margot Robbie (Focus)
Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey)
Rose Byrne (Annie; Spy)

Television Actor

Winner: John Barrowman (Arrow)
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I think what I like so much about this actor is that he isn't used every week. I think the fact that he's used in small doses makes him stand out, and on top of that, he's also a brilliant actor. The majority of acting on this show is terrible, but his character is one of the convincing ones, because he's so smug and his facial expressions and body language pretty much tell the whole story without him having to say anything. He just makes you want to hate him, and his mannerisms emphasize the fact that his character cannot be trusted. Even when he was on Talking Dead this year, we kind of got a glimpse of that personality, which makes me think that he's either someone who takes his work home with him, or that it's just who he is. 

Other nominees:

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham)
Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele)

Television Actress

Winner: Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
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She wasn't my favourite character at first, but I think she really shattered the glass ceiling this season. Her character is just so easy to hate, but I think when she was going through that public 'shaming' this season, it exposed a more vulnerable side of her, which had never been seen before. Her performance during that scene was brilliant, and it almost made the audience feel sorry for her, despite all the cruel things that she had done. I'm not sure if that was the intention, but it was a fantastic performance regardless.

Other nominees: 

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs)
Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Jada Pinkett Smith (Gotham)

Musician (Male)

Winner: The Weeknd

This guy hit the music charts like a bolt of lightning, didn't he? He has a unique name, unique hair and a unique sound to his voice. And on top of all that, he had at least three major hits in 2015, so it's kind of hard to go against him.

Other nominees:

Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith
Dr. Dre
Jason Derulo

Musician (Female)

Winner: Taylor Swift
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If someone had told me five years ago that I'd ever even consider Taylor Swift for a best female artist award, I'd have called them crazy. But what a difference five years can make. I think 2015 was the turnaround year for me, and she completely won me over. I still don't think she's the best, but I think 2015 was her year. She had a number of chart-topping hits, and she is actually a skilled performer as well, and always keeps it classy, which I admire; she's a true role model. I think ever since she sort of distanced herself from country music, which I don't think was the best fit for her, she's improved by leaps and bounds. I think pop/r & b is definitely better suited to her style, and I prefer that she does these kinds of songs with a country twist, which she has been doing, so she isn't completely abandoning her roots. 

Other nominees: 

Adele
Alessia Cara
Selena Gomez
Ellie Goulding

Song

Winner: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

I don't think this is one of those songs that will be remembered for years to come. But it has a catchy tune, and it literally makes people just want to shut up and dance. It was definitely the song of the summer, and my pick for song of the year.

Other nominees:

Cheerleader by Omi
Hello by Adele
​Heroes by Alesso
See You Again by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

TV Show

Winner: Gotham

I don't think there is any show of its kind that has placed such strong emphasis on character development and story line progression in such a short period of time. Last season was good, but thus far, this season puts the show head and shoulders above the rest in my opinion. It had one of the strongest builds to a mid-season finale, and a huge payoff for that finale, with plenty of teasers for the next half of the season. It accomplished what every show should accomplish with a finale, which is to leave the audience wanting more.

Other nominees:

Game of Thrones
Arrow
Man Seeking Woman
Daredevil
"Honourable Mention": SNL Anniversary special (particularly Celebrity Jeopardy) 
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Movie

Winner: Ex Machina
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I love that there is always so much creativity with these Sci-Fi movies. I liked that the robots in the movie were made to look smarter than the humans who created them, and they evolved on a daily basis, which I guess was the whole point of the movie. I felt that Alicia Vikander really owned every scene that she was in, and really became the character. But most of the acting was great. They took bits and pieces from other movies that preceded it, but I thought it was an interesting plot, and for a movie that kind of fell under the radar as far as Hollywood Blockbusters go, I think they hit a home run with this one. 

Other nominees:

Selma (carried over from 2014)
Southpaw
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Mad Max: Fury Road

Worst of

Movie Star (Male)

Winner: Robbie Amell (The Duff)

There really wasn't a lot of bad acting this year, but I definitely thought that he was the weakest character in the movie, and I didn't find him funny at all. For the most part, I thought he was pretty much carried by his female counterparts, and it just wasn't the greatest performance. Perhaps he should consider doing the superhero thing like his brother on Arrow. 

Other nominees:

Adam Sandler (Pixels)
Channing Tatum (Jupiter Ascending; Magic Mike: XXL)
Adrian Grenier (Entourage)

Movie Star (Female)

Winner: Shailene Woodley (The Divergent Series: Insurgent)

I think this girl has potential. In fact, I think I picked her as my best actress last year. But this performance really paled in comparison to the first movie, and honestly, I think it fell flat. It's the same kind of movie as The Hunger Games, but I don't think Woodley is anywhere near the same league as Jennifer Lawrence, and unfortunately, I think this will be her only claim to fame. 

Other nominees: 

Gwyneth Paltrow (Mortdecai)
Michelle Rodriguez (Furious 7)
Mila Kunis (Jupiter Ascending)
​Amanda Seyfried (Ted 2)

Television Actor

Winner: Grant Gustin (The Flash)

Again, there aren't very many options, which I suppose is a good thing. It's been over a year now, and I still don't think this guy has fully adjusted to the role. I think his character is likable, but it's just not believable. Hopefully Ezra Miller does a better job playing Barry Allen on the silver screen.

Other nominees:

Stephen Amell (Arrow)
Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead)

Television Actress

Winner: Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls)

I actually really liked the series premiere, but ever since then, I have grown to hate everything about this show, starting with the actors. I initially thought Dennings was going to be another Sara Gilbert, but boy was I wrong. Her delivery is awful, and her jokes are always mistimed. Her facial expressions basically tell the audience to expect something funny to happen, but once it does, nobody cares. Each joke is worse than the next, and it's always some kind of terrible pun that nobody would ever use in a real conversation. 

Other nominees:

Anna Faris (Mom)
Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy)
Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy)
Willa Holland (Arrow)

Musician (Male)

Winner: Sam Hunt

I just find his style so boring and unoriginal. It's essentially just one sad country song after the next, and I don't think his voice really appeals to the masses.

Other nominees:

Andy Grammer

Musician (Female)

Winner: Rachel Platten

She just reminds me of everything I used to despise about Taylor Swift. She only had one big hit this year, but that's all it took for me. The song wasn't bad, but I just think she has a generic look with a completely unoriginal voice.

Other nominees:

Elle King
Nicki Minaj
Meghan Trainor

Song

Winner: Take Me to Church by Hozier

I don't know what it is about this song, but I just find it incredibly depressing. I don't know if that was the intended effect, I liked it the first time I heard it, but I guess that's the case with most songs. Nowadays, whenever I hear it, it just makes me want to go to sleep.

Other nominees:

Four Five Seconds by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney
Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer
Fight Song by Rachel Platten

TV Show

Winner: Grey's Anatomy
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This show has been on the air for far too long, and it needs to go. The popular characters have all left, and I think most of the story lines are just repetitive. I actually think Sandra Oh was a much bigger loss than Patrick Dempsey, but I stopped watching at the point that Dempsey was written off, because it had gotten so unbelievably bad.

Other nominees:

The Walking Dead
2 Broke Girls
Two and a Half Men
Orange is the New Black

Movie

Winner: The Gunman
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You would think that a movie with such great actors like Sean Penn and Javier Bardem would be in contention for an Oscar or something, but this was just a major flop. It was just so cliche, and it had a story that just went nowhere. The action scenes were very forgettable, and if anything saved this, it was the acting, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

Other nominees:

Pixels
The Gambler
Jupiter Ascending
Fifty Shades of Grey

So there you have it.
​Until next time...