The Rock Fails to Win First Golden Globe for The Smashing Machine

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may have poured his soul into The Smashing Machine, but the Golden Globe slipped through his fingers Sunday night in Los Angeles.

On January 11, 2026, Johnson lost out on his first-ever Golden Globe nomination, with the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama going to Wagner Moura for his role in The Secret Agent. Johnson had been nominated for his powerful performance as former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, a role he had fought for over seven years to bring to the big screen.

Others in the star-studded category included Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), and Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere).

While The Smashing Machine underperformed at the box office—bringing in just $19 million on a $50 million budget—Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr was praised for its raw emotion and vulnerability. In an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Rock talked about the deep personal meaning behind the nomination:

“The nomination represents the fight in everybody, especially with addictions and those demons that you battle… It is a love letter to those that I just talked to you about. That’s why this nomination means so much.”

Though he didn’t take home the trophy, Johnson’s journey through The Smashing Machine left a major mark on both his fans and himself. His performance continues to resonate with those struggling with addiction, grief and personal reinvention—making the role more than just another step in his Hollywood career.