The 81st Golden Globes glistened with a renewed spirit, shimmering like a phoenix rising from the ashes of controversy. Gone were the whispers of exclusion and ethical lapses, replaced by a celebration of diverse voices and cinematic brilliance. In this night of reinvention, the winners were not just individuals or films, but the very essence of storytelling itself.
Barbenheimer’s summer heatwave continued its reign, with Barbie snatching the prestigious Best Cinematic Achievement Award, the first female-directed film to cross the $1 billion box office threshold. Margot Robbie, radiating grace in a shimmering gown, accepted the award on behalf of the film, dedicating it to every moviegoer who embraced the magic of the silver screen. In a poignant moment, Billie Eilish and Finneas’s somber ballad “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie scooped the Best Original Song trophy, adding another layer of depth to the film’s exploration of identity and belonging.
Golden Night for Outstanding Talent
Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic, amassed the most awards of the night, five in total. Cillian Murphy, his blue eyes glimmering with quiet intensity, snagged the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of the enigmatic J. Robert Oppenheimer. Robert Downey Jr., sporting a mischievous grin, took home the Best Supporting Actor award for his captivating performance as the enigmatic General Leslie Groves. Ludwig Göransson’s score, a symphony of tension and hope, garnered the Best Score award, while Nolan himself received the coveted Best Director trophy. His acceptance speech was a testament to the collaborative spirit of filmmaking, acknowledging the power of collective vision in bringing stories to life.
But the night wasn’t just about the big names. Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, a haunting exploration of historical injustice, received recognition for Lily Gladstone’s powerful performance as a young Osage woman. Gladstone, the first Indigenous actor to win in the Best Actress category, delivered a stirring speech in both English and Blackfeet, honoring her heritage and paving the way for future generations.
The new and improved Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s global reach was evident in the wins for international features. Anatomy of a Fall, a French film exploring the complexities of love and loss, surprised everyone by taking home the Best Screenplay award, beating out frontrunners like Barbie and Oppenheimer. Japanese animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki’s supposedly final film, The Boy and the Heron, soared to victory in the Best Animated Feature category, a testament to the enduring power of his storytelling magic.
On the television side, HBO’s juggernaut Succession cemented its dominance, winning four awards. Sarah Snook, the ever-scheming Shiv Roy, emerged victorious in the Best Drama Actress category, while Kieran Culkin’s quirky Roman Roy captured the Best Actor award. Matthew Macfadyen, the scene-stealing Tom Wambsgans, delighted the audience with his acceptance speech, praising his “weird and wonderful human grease stain” of a character. Creator Jesse Armstrong, accepting the Best Drama Series award, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the collaborative spirit that makes Succession such a powerhouse.
FX’s The Bear, a show that defies categorization, brought home the comedy awards. Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal of the frenetic chef Carmy Berzatto earned him the Best Actor award, while Ayo Edebiri’s breakout performance as sous chef Sydney Adamu secured the Best Actress trophy. In a heartwarming moment, Edebiri dedicated her award to the unsung heroes behind the scenes, thanking her agents, managers, and assistants for their unwavering support.
Netflix’s revenge dramedy Beef also carved its niche, winning awards for Best Limited Series, Best Actor for Steven Yeun, and Best Actress for Ali Wong. Wong, the first Asian-American actor nominated and win in the category, dedicated her award to her ex-husband, acknowledging his role in supporting her career and motherhood. Yeun, with humility etched on his face, expressed his gratitude to the lineage of artists and audiences who paved the way for his success.
Even perennial favorite The Crown couldn’t resist the winds of change, receiving only one award for Elizabeth Debicki’s captivating portrayal of Princess Diana. Oprah Winfrey, the legendary talk show host and producer of musical/comedy nominee The Color Purple, graced the stage to present the final award, Best Drama, to Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan’s wife and the film’s producer. Thomas, in her acceptance speech, celebrated the collaborative spirit of filmmaking, emphasizing how stories come to life through the collective passion of countless individuals.
The Full list of winners:
Best film – drama
- Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Maestro
- Past Lives
- The Zone of Interest
- Anatomy of a Fall
Best Actress – drama
- Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon – WINNER
- Carey Mulligan, Maestro
- Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
- Annette Bening, Nyad
- Greta Lee, Past Lives
- Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla
Best film – musical or comedy
- Barbie
- Poor Things – WINNER
- American Fiction
- The Holdovers
- May December
- Air
Best Actor – musical or comedy
- Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario
- Timothée Chalamet, Wonka
- Matt Damon, Air
- Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers – WINNER
- Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid
- Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Best TV series – drama
- 1923
- The Crown
- The Diplomat
- The Last of Us
- The Morning Show
- Succession – WINNER
Best Actress in a TV series – drama
- Helen Mirren, 1923
- Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
- Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Sarah Snook, Succession – WINNER
- Imelda Staunton, The Crown
- Emma Stone, The Curse
Best TV series – musical or comedy
- The Bear – WINNER
- Ted Lasso
- Abbott Elementary
- Jury Duty
- Only Murders in the Building
- Barry
Best limited series, anthology series or TV movie
- All the Light We Cannot See
- Beef – WINNER
- Daisy Jones & the Six
- Fargo
- Fellow Travelers
- Lessons in Chemistry
Cinematic and box office achievement
- Barbie – WINNER
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
- John Wick: Chapter 4
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
- Oppenheimer
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- The Super Mario Bros Movie
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Best original song
- Addicted to Romance by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa (She Came to Me)
- Dance the Night by Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
- I’m Just Ken by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
- Peaches by Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond and John Spiker (The Super Mario Bros Move)
- Road to Freedom by Lenny Kravitz (Rustin)
- What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish and Finneas (Barbie) – WINNER
Best original score
- Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
- Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest
- Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron
Best actor – drama
- Bradley Cooper, Maestro
- Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Colman Domingo, Rustin
- Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
- Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
Best actress – musical or comedy
- Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
- Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings
- Natalie Portman, May December
- Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves
- Margot Robbie, Barbie
- Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER
Best director
- Bradley Cooper, Maestro
- Greta Gerwig, Barbie
- Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
- Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Celine Song, Past Lives
Best animated film
- The Boy and the Heron – WINNER
- Elemental
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- The Super Mario Bros Movie
- Suzume
- Wish
Best actor in a TV series – drama
- Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
- Kieran Culkin, Succession – WINNER
- Jeremy Strong, Succession
- Brian Cox, Succession
- Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
- Dominic West, The Crown
Best actress in a TV series – musical or comedy
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri, The Bear – WINNER
- Elle Fanning, The Great
- Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
- Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face
Best non-English language film
- Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER
- Fallen Leaves
- Io Capitano
- Past Lives
- Society of the Snow
- The Zone of Interest
Best performance in stand-up comedy on TV
- Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais Armageddon – WINNER
- Trevor Noah, Where Was I
- Chris Rock, Selective Outrage
- Amy Schumer, Emergency Contact
- Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
- Wanda Sykes, I’m an Entertainer
Best actor in a TV series – musical or comedy
- Bill Hader, Barry
- Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
- Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
- Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
- Jeremy Allen White, The Bear – WINNER
Best screenplay
- Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
- Tony McNamara, Poor Things
- Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
- Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Celine Song, Past Lives
- Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER
Best supporting actor in a TV series
- Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
- Matthew Macfadyen, Succession – WINNER
- James Marsden, Jury Duty
- Ebon Moss–Bachrach, The Bear
- Alan Ruck, Succession
- Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
Best supporting actress in a TV series
- Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown – WINNER
- Abby Elliott, The Bear
- Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets
- J Smith-Cameron, Succession
- Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building
- Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Best actor in a limited series, anthology series or TV movie
- Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers
- Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & the Six
- Jon Hamm, Fargo
- Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers
- David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves
- Steven Yeun, Beef – WINNER
Best actress in a limited series, anthology series or TV movie
- Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six
- Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
- Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death
- Juno Temple, Fargo
- Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers
- Ali Wong, Beef – WINNER
Best supporting actor
- Willem Dafoe, Poor Things
- Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Ryan Gosling, Barbie
- Charles Melton, May December
- Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best supporting actress
- Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
- Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
- Jodie Foster, Nyad
- Julianne Moore, May December
- Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINNER