While the Golden Globes have long been a fun-filled fête full of A-list film and TV stars eating and, more memorably, drinking throughout the ceremony, this year’s event was markedly different. Unlike in years past, the 79th Golden Globe Awards were not televised. Gone was the familiar banter between hosts like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who presented the show from opposite coasts last year, even amid a pandemic. Instead, after a year of controversy for the Hollywood Foreign Press, the party went off without a red carpet or any celebrity presenters. And in lieu of its signature ceremony, the HFPA unveiled winners and losers via…Twitter.
The HFPA has long been considered a grift for its members, who’ve been accused of more or less accepting bribes in the form of lavish press junkets where they hobnob with stars. But the real trouble started last February, when an L.A. Times investigation revealed that the organization had no Black members among its 87 voters. The report came after several acclaimed Black-led films, such as Judas and the Black Messiah and Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, failed to receive nominations for best picture at the 2021 ceremony, sparking outrage at the voting bloc’s lack of diversity. A few months later, NBC announced it would not broadcast the 2022 Golden Globes, and several other networks and streaming services severed ties with the HFPA indefinitely. Tom Cruise even gave back the three Globes he’d won.
In December, the HFPA shared an open letter detailing its efforts to improve its culture, stating it had recruited the “largest and most diverse group of journalists to date, all of whom are excited to be first-time voters this year.” The organization also unveiled a five-year partnership with the NAACP that will “address diversity issues within our organization and Hollywood overall.” The HFPA additionally noted that it had taken “the time to reflect on past missteps and reform our organization for the better. We have worked tirelessly to not only adopt changes addressing policies and conduct, diversity and equity, and voting but to implement these changes thoroughly and meaningfully.”
That said, this year’s crop of Globes hopefuls were still, well, pretty white. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog were the top nominees in the film category, with seven nods each. In the TV world, Succession led the pack with five nominations, with The Morning Show and Ted Lasso coming up just behind the series with four nominations each.
Some projects focused on people of color did make appearances in the winners’ circle: Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story took home three Golden Globes, including Best Picture, Musical or Comedy, while Will Smith scored Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ dad in the biopic King Richard. Most notably, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez made history as the first transgender actor to take home a Golden Globe for her role as Blanca on Pose.
Otherwise it was largely business as usual, with Succession and its stars dominating three categories, like Best Television Series, Drama, and The Power of the Dog taking home three trophies, too, including Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Director, Motion Picture.
Maybe next year we’ll see the full impact of the changes the HFPA has instituted. Until then, party privileges are still revoked.
Here are all of tonight’s big winners:
Best Motion Picture, Drama
Belfast
CODA
Dune
King Richard
The Power of the Dog
Best Television Series, Drama
Lupin
The Morning Show
Pose
Squid Game
Succession
Best Director, Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh — Belfast
Jane Campion — The Power of the Dog
Maggie Gyllenhaal — The Lost Daughter
Steven Spielberg — West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve — Dune
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain — The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman —The Lost Daughter
Nicole Kidman — Being the Ricardos
Lady Gaga — House of Gucci
Kristen Stewart — Spencer
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
Cyrano
Don’t Look Up
Licorice Pizza
Tick, Tick … Boom!
West Side Story
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Marion Cotillard — Annette
Alana Haim — Licorice Pizza
Jennifer Lawrence — Don’t Look Up
Emma Stone — Cruella
Rachel Zegler — West Side Story
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Uzo Aduba — In Treatment
Jennifer Aniston — The Morning Show
Christine Baranski — The Good Fight
Elisabeth Moss — The Handmaid’s Tale
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez — Pose
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Ben Affleck — The Tender Bar
Jamie Dornan — Belfast
Ciarán Hinds — Belfast
Troy Kotsur — CODA
Kodi Smit-McPhee — The Power of the Dog
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Mahershala Ali — Swan Song
Javier Bardem — Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch — The Power of the Dog
Will Smith — King Richard
Denzel Washington — The Tragedy of Macbeth
Best Original Score, Motion Picture
The French Dispatch — Alexandre Desplat
Encanto — Germaine Franco
The Power of the Dog — Jonny Greenwood
Parallel Mothers — Alberto Iglesias
Dune — Hans Zimmer
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Be Alive” from King Richard — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto — Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down to Joy” from Belfast — Van Morrison
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect — Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
“No Time to Die” from No Time to Die — Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Leonardo DiCaprio — Don’t Look Up
Peter Dinklage — Cyrano
Andrew Garfield — Tick, Tick … Boom!
Cooper Hoffman — Licorice Pizza
Anthony Ramos — In the Heights
Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Dopesick
Impeachment: American Crime Story
Maid
Mare of Easttown
The Underground Railroad
Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
The Great
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Reservation Dogs
Ted Lasso
Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Hannah Einbinder — Hacks
Elle Fanning — The Great
Issa Rae — Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross — Black-ish
Jean Smart — Hacks
Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Jessica Chastain —Scenes From a Marriage
Cynthia Erivo — Genius: Aretha
Elizabeth Olsen — WandaVision
Margaret Qualley — Maid
Kate Winslet — Mare of Easttown
Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Paul Bettany — WandaVision
Oscar Isaac — Scenes From a Marriage
Michael Keaton — Dopesick
Ewan McGregor — Halston
Tahar Rahim — The Serpent
Best Supporting Actress, Television
Jennifer Coolidge — White Lotus
Kaitlyn Dever — Dopesick
Andie MacDowell — Maid
Sarah Snook — Succession
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Paul Thomas Anderson — Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh — Belfast
Jane Campion — The Power of the Dog
Adam McKay — Don’t Look Up
Aaron Sorkin — Being the Ricardos
Best Television Actor, Musical / Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson — Black-ish
Nicholas Hoult — The Great
Steve Martin — Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short — Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis — Ted Lasso
Best Picture, Non-English Language
Compartment No. 6 — Finland, Russia, Germany
Drive My Car — Japan
The Hand of God — Italy
A Hero — France, Iran
Parallel Mothers — Spain
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Brian Cox — Succession
Lee Jung-jae — Squid Game
Billy Porter — Pose
Jeremy Strong — Succession
Omar Sy — Lupin
Best Motion Picture, Animated
Encanto
Flee
Luca
My Sunny Maad
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best Supporting Actor, Television
Billy Crudup — The Morning Show
Kieran Culkin — Succession
Mark Duplass — The Morning Show
Brett Goldstein — Ted Lasso
O Yeong-su — Squid Game
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Caitríona Balfe — Belfast
Ariana DeBose — West Side Story
Kirsten Dunst — The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis — King Richard
Ruth Negga — Passing