While the first day back at work after a week-long vacation tends to be a slog for most people, Seth Meyers has at least one good reason to celebrate his return: his first Golden Globe nomination.
On Monday morning, the Late Night host scored a nod for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television for Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking, his first HBO standup special, which premiered on October 26.
Dad Man Walking was well received by audiences and critics alike. In his review of the special for the Chicago Sun-Times, critic Richard Roeper wrote: “With eight years as the anchor of ‘Weekend Update’ on Saturday Night Live followed by a decade as the host of his own late-night talk show, Meyers’ persona is that of the clever and level-headed voice of reason who sits behind the desk and sets things straight in wry and precise fashion. We don’t necessarily think of him as a stand-up artist, but as we saw with the 2019 special Lobby Baby and now with Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking on HBO, he is a polished and comfortable pro who can deliver an hour’s worth of comfort comedy without breaking a sweat.”
While 2019’s Lobby Baby did earn Meyers an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, he was bested by Dave Chappelle for his Sticks & Stones special.
In late October, just ahead of Dad Man Walking’s premiere, LateNighter took part in a virtual press conference with Meyers, who acknowledged the differences between hosting a late-night show and doing stand-up.
“I think that with my show, I am calling out other people’s incompetence, and I try very hard to be a voice of reason,” he explained. “Whereas I think in my standup hour, I am the incompetent one and other people are the voice of reason.”
Clearly, that “incompetence” has paid off. Meyers is set to go head-to-head with some of today’s most accomplished comedians at the Globes: Ramy Youssef (for HBO’s More Feelings); Jamie Foxx (for Netflix’s What Happened Was…); Ali Wong (for Netflix’s Single Lady); Golden Globe host Nikki Glaser (for HBO’s Someday You’ll Die); and fellow SNL alum Adam Sandler (for Netflix’s Love You).
Speaking of Saturday Night Live: Saturday Night, Jason Reitman’s long-anticipated SNL biopic, was largely shut out of the Golden Globes. The film received a single nomination, for star Gabriel LaBelle, who earned a nod for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of Lorne Michaels.
The Golden Globes will take place at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET. They will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
