'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' Receives Major Golden Globe Nomination

The Paramount+ show Lawmen: Bass Reeves has received a big nomination from the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. David Oyelowo, who plays the title character, is nominated for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television. This is the third Golden Globe nomination for the 47-year-old actor as he was also recognized for playing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film Selma and playing Peter Snowden in the film Nightingale. 

As the official synopsis states, Lawmen: Bass Reeves "follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family."

Oyelowo stars in the series with Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund as guest stars. It also includes Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Emmy Award winner Barry Pepper, Honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland and Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid.

In November, Oyelowo spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about what made him interested in exploring Bass Reeves. "Larger than life, extraordinary historical figure, couldn't believe when he was first brought to my attention in 2014 that he wasn't more widely known; haven't seen a movie, haven't seen a TV show," he said. "It was like, what the heck? And that's where my obsession with rectifying that in some way came along.

But also, it's the uniqueness of the story, to go from being enslaved to empowered in the way he was, and to then have a career — a 32-year career in law enforcement in literally one of the most dangerous territories in those times — to be law enforcement in this country's history. To have the record he had. You know, if he was white there would be monuments, there would be multiple movies, there would be graphic novels, everyone would be dressed up as him for Halloween.  

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is one of the many shows and movies from Paramount that will be recognized at the Golden Globes. The show will air on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.