Birthday girl Alana Haim leads the Jewish Golden Globes charge - The Jewish Chronicle

She’s the musician and actress who, together with her older sisters, tops the charts with a distinctive brand of pop.

And now Alana Haim has confirmed her multi-talented brilliance with a Golden Globe nomination for her debut film role — making her just one of a clutch of Jewish stars up for awards.

It was a double dose of joy for the Californian, as she shared a birthday party with Taylor Swift to celebrate turning 30.

Ms Haim has been nominated for best actress for her performance in Licorice Pizza, a comedy drama set in the Seventies (released in the UK later this month). It has been acclaimed by critics Stateside, who have been particularly wowed by the youngest member of the Haim trio.

The Hollywood Reporter gushed over her performance, describing “an incandescent presence that marks the arrival of a fully-formed screen star”.

The nominations were announced on Monday, and in the evening Ms Haim, whose birthday fell on Wednesday, shared an early bash with Ms Swift, who celebrated her 32nd on the day.

Ms Swift posted pictures of herself dancing with Ms Haim, as well as photos of the two of them cutting a cake together. Tweeting an assurance to her millions of followers that the gathering was Covid-safe, Ms Swift said: “I’M FEELIN 32. And Alana is feeling 30. Don’t worry we tested everyone! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, I love you all so much.”

Ms Haim’s nomination will further fuel speculation that she will also be on the Best Actress short list at the Academy Awards when it is announced on 8th February.

The Globe winners will be decided next month and have historically been seen as an indicator for which way the Oscars will go.

Among the other Jewish stars up for a Golden Globe, Steven Spielberg is nominated for best director for his new version of West Side Story, which is up for three other awards, including best film.

Despite having earned almost universal five-star reviews, the musical —featuring lyrics by the late Stephen Sondheim — has encountered a lukewarm reception at the box office, and producers will hope a Golden Globes fillip will give it new momentum.

Up against Spielberg is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, directing her first film, The Lost Daughter, a screen adaptation of the novel by Elena Ferrante. The absorbing psychological thriller, starring Olivia Colman, is to be released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve.

Ms Gyllenhaal, sister of fellow Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal, has immediately established herself as a director with what Variety called a “remarkable” and “brilliant” debut.

British actor and comedian Brett Goldstein is nominated for best supporting actor in a TV series for his inspired performance as Roy Kent in the hugely popular football sitcom Ted Lasso.

Goldstein’s scene-stealing portrayal of the intimidating player-turned-coach has won a cult following with fans of the Apple TV+ hit.

Legendary film composer Hans Zimmer has been nominated for his score for the sci-fi epic Dune. Should he win, it would be his third Golden Globe, to go along with his awards for The Lion King and Gladiator.

German-born Zimmer, 64, revealed he was Jewish at a press conference in 1999. His mother had fled the Nazis for England, only to return to Germany after the War.

Other cinema nominees include Andrew Garfield for his performance as Jonathan Larson, the Jewish-American creator of the stage musical Rent, in biopic Tick, Tick… Boom!

Aaron Sorkin, maker of The West Wing and The Social Network, is nominated for his screenplay for Being The Ricardos, in which Nicole Kidman stars as Lucille Ball.

The winners will be revealed on 9th January — as the Golden Globes’ organisers attempt to shake off unwanted controversy.

The glittering ceremony will not be televised by the American network NBC after it was revealed earlier this year that none of the 87 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — the body which judges the awards — are black.

The HFPA has responded to the criticism by expanding its membership to make it more ethnically diverse and adopting a number of other measures.