Check this! The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy tipped to lift Golden Globe prize

Playing chess prodigy Beth Harmon, Anya Taylor-Joy triumphed after taking on a series of Grand Masters.

Now The Queen’s Gambit star is tipped for success at tonight’s Golden Globe awards, despite facing tough competition from Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett.

Anya, 24, is nominated for Best Actress in a limited TV series or motion picture for her role as Beth Harmon in the Netflix series and is also shortlisted for best actress in a motion picture (comedy or musical) for Emma as the Hollywood awards season starts after a year when cinemas stayed pretty much shut.

Despite being born in Miami before moving to Argentina, Anya speaks English with a slight Scottish accent inherited from her father, Dennis Alan Taylor. She only began learning English when the family moved to London when she was six.

Scots producer behind Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit on his 30-year struggle to film chess drama and how he almost missed premiere due to Covid

Asked if she shared Beth’s desire to win, she said: “More than win, you must convince all these people that you can do it. Since nobody knows you, it’s pretty hard to tell anyone: ‘I promise you, if you give me this role, I can do it and I can do it very well.’”

Meanwhile the ceremony itself will be largely virtual, with nominees appearing from their homes.

British nominees include Riz Ahmed for Sound Of Metal, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father and Gary Oldman for Mank. All three are up for best drama actor.

The drama actress category includes Promising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan and Vanessa Kirby, for Pieces Of A Woman.

In the supporting categories, Sacha Baron Cohen is up for The Trial Of The Chicago 7, Daniel Kaluuya for Judas And The Black Messiah and Olivia Colman for The Father.

In the small screen categories The Crown stars Colman, Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter are all up for awards.