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The peak of award season for film and television is here, and that includes the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards. In recent years, it’s a well-known fact that the Golden Globes has faced extreme criticism and backlash, particularly with its relations to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. However, with the removal of the HFPA, this is the year for the Golden Globes to showcase the changes they’ve made, prove themselves to audiences, and win back annual viewers. And there’s no doubt that this year, the Golden Globes proved to be quite intriguing.
With the list of the nominees consisting of some of the best of what we saw in 2023, it’s been difficult to pick a solid favorite for every category especially now that the amount of nominees for each category has increased. From Succession to Oppenheimer, the act of “sweeping” awards was always eminent, and while some wins were expected, there were also plenty of close calls amongst nominees. Let’s take a moment to dive into last night’s festivities and showcase some incredible highlights as we congratulate all the winners of the night.
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Television
2023 was quite the year for television, from engaging and buzz-worthy dramas like Succession and The Last of Us to popular and uplifting comedy series like Abbott Elementary and The Bear. And with several hit series coming to a definitive end last year like Ted Lasso or Barry, everyone has been hoping their favorites will take some statues home.
Last year, television fanatics could not stop raving about FX’s The Bear and its second season. The shower manage garner even more viewers this go around than during its first season, so it’s not shock to anyone that it received three awards last night. The Bear took home the statues for Best Musical or Comedy Series, and Best Male and Female Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri). The leading actors of the series stunned us with their incredible chemistry and one can only hope to see more seasons of the two stars cooking up a storm.
Netflix and a24’s Beef also walked away with the awards for Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television as well as Best Male and Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television (Steven Yeun and Ali Wong). A series that broke barriers in representation and different narratives in storytelling, this was certainly a win for Asian Americans.
However, no one is in the least bit surprised by the multiple awards that Succession walked away with last night. The series won Best Drama Series, Best Male and Female Actor in a Drama Series (Kiernan Culkin and Sarah Snook), and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Matthew Macfadyen). And for a show that had such a widely talked about finale, it’s an understatement to say that the awards were well-deserved after four successful seasons. And frankly, nobody will forget Kiernan Culkin’s hilarious comment about beating out Pedro Pascal for the Best Actor award.
Film
It’s important to acknowledge how much of a struggle the past year has been for film, particularly due to the writers and actors strikes that paused several pending projects but also halted any formal marketing from those attached to 2023 releases. Nevertheless, creatives within the industry persevered and managed to deliver their works of art to audiences, garnering high praise across the board. If 2023 proved anything in the world of film, it is that audiences are changing and showing up for more than just your average franchise film.
In past years, Disney and Pixar have typically dominated the category of Best Animated Motion Picture Film. But putting Elemental and Wish up against the likes of films like Suzume, Across the Spider-Verse, and The Boy and the Heron proved to be futile given the level of quality these three films produced. Nevertheless, it was incredibly fitting to see Hayao Miyazaki’s well-crafted film, The Boy and the Heron take home the award. Whether or not the film becomes Miyazaki’s final film doesn’t really matter at this point. What does matter is the heart and soul that has been poured into a story like The Boy and the Heron, which is present enough to garner tons of attention during awards season.
Musically, it was Barbie and Oppenheimer that won big last night, both of which carried a specific tone throughout each individual film. Barbie took home the award of Best Original Song for Billie Eilish’s emotional song, “What Was I Made For?” And it was Oppenheimer that was awarded Best Original Score for the beautifully haunting music composed by the musical genius Ludwig Göransson.
But the wins don’t end there! A new category titled Cinematic and Box Office Achievement was rightfully awarded to Barbie. Given its pop culture impact, mysterious nature surrounding the film prior to its release, and the dual marketing of the summer, “Barbenheimer”, Barbie dominated theaters and the box office globally as one of the biggest international phenomenons.
We also can’t forget about some of the amazing performances that won the night. Da’Vine Joy Rudolph snagged Best Supporting Female Actor in Any Motion Picture while Paul Giamatti was achieved the award for Best Male Actor In a Comedy/Musical Motion Picture, both being major wins for The Holdovers which just released in November. Another shining star of the night with her second Golden Globe was Emma Stone who won Best Female Actor in a Comedy/Musical Motion Picture for her unique and colorful performance of Bella Baxter in Poor Things.
While it was a close call, one of the most memorable and historic moments of the night was Lily Gladstone winning Best Female Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon. Not only is Gladstone the first ever Indigenous person to win a Golden Globe, but their acceptance speech is partly spoken in Blackfeet, a native language they grew up learning. Given the heavy nature of past grievances between Indigenous artists and award shows, we can only hope that this truly signifies change as we move forward. And if genuine, this will be a moment that will open even more doors to Indigenous actors and creatives in the industry.
Lastly, however, the big winner of the evening was Christopher Nolan’s summer hit, Oppenheimer, a film that had its theatrical run extended several times due to its ongoing popularity and has been the talk of Hollywood alongside Barbie. The film won a total of five awards last night, which is the most awards won for a single film since La La Land at the Golden Globes in 2017. The awards include Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Male Actor in a Drama Motion Picture (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Male Actor in Drama Motion Picture (Robert Downey Jr.), and Best Score (Ludwig Göransson). Whether you liked Oppenheimer or not, the film’s impact on film and pop culture cannot be ignored or denied as it pushes the limits on what audiences are willing to watch.
You can find the full list of categories, nominees, and winners on the official Golden Globe Awards website.
