H.E.R. makes history as the 1st Filipina-American to get a Golden Globe nod for 'Best Original Song - Motion Picture'

Los Angeles — It was worth waking up early at the crack of dawn to watch former Golden Globe awardees Sarah Jessica Parker and Taraji P. Henson announce the 2021 Golden Globe Awards nominees which honor the best performances and productions in film and television in 2020.

Fil-Am singer-songwriter, H.E.R. (aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) got her first Golden Globe nomination for her song “Fight For You” for the movie, “Judas and the Black Messiah” in the “Best Original Song – Motion Picture” category.

The talented 23-year-old, whose mother hails from Nueva Ecija and whose father is a Black American, also became the first Filipina-American to get a Golden Globe nomination in the said category.

She follows the footsteps of Robert “Bobby” Lopez, who, together with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, became the first Filipino-American to be nominated in the said category back in 2013 for "Let It Go" in the movie "Frozen."

The married couple were nominated in the same category twice after that: In 2017 for “Remember Me” in “Coco” and again in 2019 for “Into the Unknown” for “Frozen II."

In an exclusive interview, H.E.R., who was born and raised in Vallejo, California, told us, “It is an honor to be nominated for a Golden Globe this year, but it is an even bigger honor to be the first Filipina to be nominated in this category!!! So happy and proud to be part of telling such an amazing story.”

Asked how long it took her to write the song, H.E.R. said, “It wasn’t very long. Getting into the idea was the hard part. I watched the movie in the studio with some of my collaborators and we sat there. I tried a few different things. I picked up the bass and then it just happened. And then it was organic, it was just a few hours in the studio and I pretty much had the foundation of it and slowly built on it and put the ad-libs and all the different flavors.”

Of the song’s message, she added, “Fight for the message of my music and fight for what we all go through and what makes us kind of all the same in some of the things that we go through. Women relate to my music from all ages, you know, middle school, high-school, then to women who’ve been married for 20, 30 years. Women who are 70 who take their daughters to my shows and listen to my music. So, I try to bring everybody together in a way and create a universal message so that anybody can relate to it. And everybody is fighting for something. And if you aren’t then what is the purpose? But I think the message is really to bring people together and find that relation.”

Jon Jon Briones, who portrayed Dr. Richard Hanover in Ryan Murphy’s “Ratched,” reacted to the Golden Globe nomination of the hit series in the “Best Television Series – Drama” category where his co-star Sarah Paulson also got Golden Globe nods in the “Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role” respectively.

“I’m so proud to be a part of ‘Ratched.’ It truly was an ensemble show but because of the wonderful writing and great direction, our amazing cast were lifted to new heights," he told us in an exclusive interview.

"Further proof of that being Sarah Paulson and Cynthia Nixon’s nominations. Thank you to Ryan Murphy and Evan Romansky and to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”

Kudos also need to go to the cast and crew of “Soul,” the Disney-Pixar film that had our own Paul Abadilla as the Sets Art Director.

The animated film helmed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers got a Golden Globe nod in the “Best Motion Picture – Animated” category.

In an earlier interview, Abadilla told us, “Part of being an Art Director or even just a filmmaker at Pixar, it's really a team effort. We don't just isolate ourselves in our offices just doing the work that we do, but another huge part of the job is also interacting with others and making sure that everybody's at their best selves to create their best work.”

Also getting a Golden Globe nod in the same category is the animated Netflix film, “Over the Moon,” that featured Filipina-Chinese-American actress Cathy Ang as the voice of Fei Fei.

Ang, whose father Robert is from Binondo, Manila and mother Grace is from Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, told us in an exclusive interview her reaction to the Golden Globes nom.

“Thank you HFPA for celebrating the story that Glen, Audrey, Netflix, and Pearl brought to life in ‘Over the Moon’. It’s been the greatest honor to play an intelligent and courageous Asian heroine, and I just hope that Fei Fei’s journey through healing helped us all find a little joy. My love and gratitude to the moon and back!”

For the first time in the history of the Golden Globes as well, three female directors made the cut in the “Best Director – Motion Picture” category – Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman,” Regina King for “One Night in Miami” and Chloe Zhao for “Nomadland.”

Chloe Zhao also became the first Asian woman director to land a Golden Globe nod in that category. She told us, “I'm proud. Very happy. I love telling stories. I don't want to do anything else. And, if this means more people like me that get to do it, it's a great thing.”

Also nominated for the Golden Globe “Best Screenplay-Motion Picture,” Zhao is also the first Asian woman to be nominated in that category as well. “Really?” she simply replied and added, “If that is true, that means it will open doors for more people, then I think that is great.”

Asked about making history with Emerald Fennell and Regina King as the three women directors who got a Golden Globe nod for Best Director, she replied, “I'm very proud to be nominated with them. I've seen their movies and I love them. And that is you can't stop the need, the desire to want to see the world through other perspectives. It is only a matter of time. I also think that for upcoming young female filmmakers, it's important to know that who you are is good enough.  Don't try to fit in, who you are, just be true to what kind of story you want to tell and I think it's enough.”

Asked where she was when she heard about the nominations, she said, “I slept through it and then I got messages in the morning from my publicist. And I was looking for the right emoji to send back to express myself.”

As for her plan to spend the rest of the day and celebrate? She shared, “Well, I have another baby I have to take care of, ‘The Eternals.’ I have meetings and meetings. But I am going to order sushi for lunch.”

The 78th Golden Globes will take place on February 28, coast to coast from 5 pm to 8 pm PT/ 8 pm to 11 pm ET on NBC. The event will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, returning for the fourth time, after hosting in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Fey and Poehler will share duties from their respective cities, with Fey on the East Coast and Poehler on the West Coast. Fey will be live from New York’s Rainbow Room, Poehler will be live from the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, and nominees, from various locations around the world. — LA, GMA News