The 78th Golden Globe awards kicked off what has already been a highly unusual awards season Sunday night. They were hosted live from New York City’s Rainbow Room and Los Angeles’ Beverly Hills Hilton by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; they aired on NBC. This was the pair's fourth time co-hosting, and their first time doing it separately, due to COVID restrictions. “Nomadland” won Best Film, Drama, and Chloe Zhao also nabbed Best Director for “Nomadland.”
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” scooped up Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.
The late Chadwick Boseman won Best Actor, Motion Picture, Drama for “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,” while Andra Day won Best Actress, Motion Picture, Drama for “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday. Sacha Baron Cohen took home Best Actor, Musical or Comedy for his work in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” while Rosamund Pike won the award for Best Actress, Musical or Comedy for her role in “I Care a Lot.”
On the TV side, “The Crown” won Best Drama, “Schitt’s Creek” won Best Musical or Comedy. “The Crown” also grabbed Best Performances for Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin for their respective roles as Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Going in, Netflix led in all nominations with 42, including film’s Mank (with six) and TV’s The Crown (with six). Other top contenders include The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Queen’s Gambit. Amazon Studios managed 10 nominations, as did Hulu.
And while many see the Golden Globes as a reliable harbinger of the Oscars, the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association behind the show are often criticized for their controversial decisions. This year, an expose in the Los Angeles Times criticized voting practices and the lack of diversity among members.
HIGHLIGHTS
In their opening speeches, Poehler and Fey poked fun at the awkwardness of their virtual show, the “no black” and greying composition of the HFPA and the fact that pandemic changed the way people consumed media this year, and ergo what kinds of shows and films were nominated. “Let’s see what these weirdos nominated this year,” Fey said, before rattling off the major contenders.
The live audience, instead of showing a vast room filled with laughing, bedazzled celebs, featured virtual shots of major nominees and socially distanced array of first responders, all wearing masks.
The first award—Best Supporting Actor for his work in “Judas and the Black Messiah”—also became the first tech glitch, but Daniel Kaluuya was able to come in and thank his fans and supporters after initial radio silence.
Bill Murray, his neon shirt and tropical locale, beamed through in his appearance during the Best Supporting Actor nomination roll call for his part in “On the Rocks” earned him many new fans on Twitter.
Members of the board at the HFPA appeared for a quick promise to create a more inclusive and diverse environment in the future, which was seen as an empty gesture by many.
Mark Ruffalo gave a stirring speech calling for healing of the earth and our troubled relationships with each other while accepting the award for Best Performance in a Limited Series, “I Know This Much Is True.” He said: “The more we include each other and see each other, the faster we will heal our dying hearts and minds… let's turn the page on the cruel past of this nation.”
Catherine O’Hara‘s husband held a cell phone during her acceptance speech, blaring a live broadcast. Because it’s the deeply funny O’Hara, it was unclear if it was a real glitch, or an ironic joke. She pulled it off.
Kenan Thompson and Maya Rudolph appeared as faux bad-speech-givers, molesting Poehler, melting down and thanking Miller Light.
Jason Sudeikis rejected “the premise” of awards and his, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy in “Ted Lasso.”
Josh O’Conner accepted the award for his role as Prince Charles on “The Crown,” making a call for compassion. He said: “I'm very lucky to be able to work in this period, and there are so many people who are unable to work and are isolated. I hope we can put mental health at the forefront of our minds.”
Jane Fonda accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and reminded everyone that for all of our “diversity, we are all human beings.” She hailed the way storytellers and films can open perspectives, deepen empathy and remind us of the fragility of the environment and our democracy is. “Stories really can change people.”
Chadwick Boseman‘s wife Simone Ledward gave a heartfelt speech thanking the Hollywood community while accepting the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.”
THE WINNERS:
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Support Role: John Boyega, “Small Axe”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Catherine O'Hara, “Schitt's Creek”
Best Motion Picture, Animated: “Soul”
Best Performance by an Actor in Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much is True”
Best Director, Motion Picture: Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama: Emma Corrin, “The Crown”
Best Original Song, Motion Picture: “Io Sì (Seen),” Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi – The Life Ahead”
Best Original Score, Motion Picture: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, “Soul”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy: Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, “Schitt's Creek”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Rosamund Pike, “I Care a Lot”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama: Josh O'Connor, “The Crown”
Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language: “Minari”
Best Television Series, Drama: “The Crown”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture: Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role: Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen's Gambit”
Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: “The Queen's Gambit”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom”
Best Director, Motion Picture: Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: “Borat Subsequent Moveifilm”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Andra Day, “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”
Best Motion Picture, Drama: “Nomadland”
BROADCAST AUDIO
BACKSTAGE AUDIO