Netflix was the big winner at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, bagging top drama with The Crown and best limited series with The Queen’s Gambit, and with those series’ stars racking up prizes too. Schitt’s Creek, which premiered on Pop TV but built a mass audience on Netflix, got top comedy.
Tina Fey hosted the primetime event from the Rainbow Room in New York and Amy Poehler from the Beverly Hilton, where a collection of vaccinated first responders were in attendance.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association awards the Golden Globes, and the consortium took some heat in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 28 affair. That there are but 90 members that vote for the Golden Globes has long made for oddball picks now and then, but the Los Angeles Times also reported that none of the voters are Black.
Midway through the three-hour production, HFPA brass addressed the criticism. “Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital,” said VP Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.”
Black artists were nonetheless well-represented among the winners. The first prize, for supporting actor in a drama film, went to Daniel Kaluuya for his work in HBO Max’s Judas and the Black Messiah, about the battle between the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, and the FBI. Kaluuya played Hampton.
Kaluuya’s remote response initially had connectivity issues, setting an ominous tone for the virtual awards. Eventually his words came through. “We’re here to give until we’re empty, and I gave everything,” Kaluuya said.
John Boyega got the next award, for best supporting actor in a series. He was in the Steve McQueen-directed Small Axe on Amazon. Later on, Chadwick Boseman got best actor in a motion picture drama for his work in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Boseman died in August, and his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, spoke on his behalf. “He would say something beautiful,” said an emotional Ledward. “Something inspiring.”
Receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Jane Fonda cited Small Axe and Judas and the Black Messiah, among others, as projects that gave her empathy and opened her mind across this difficult past year. She pushed Hollywood to be more inclusive. “Let’s all of us make an effort to expand that tent so that everyone rises,” said Fonda.
Norman Lear got the Carol Burnett Award for TV achievement. “He paved the way for all of us who follow,” said Tina Fey of the 98-year-old producer.
“I’ve never lived alone,” Lear said. “I’ve never laughed alone.”
Catherine O’Hara got best actress in a comedy for her work in Schitt’s Creek and Jason Sudeikis got best actor in a comedy for Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso.
Best actor in a limited series went to Mark Ruffalo of HBO’s I Know This Much Is True and best actress in a limited series went to Anya Taylor-Joy of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.
The Queen’s Gambit got best limited series.
Best actress in a drama went to Emma Corrin of Netflix’s The Crown, Corrin beating out Olivia Colman from the same series. Corrin plays Princess Diana. Best actor in a drama stuck with The Crown, as Josh O’Connor got the prize. He plays Prince Charles.
The show was again saluted when Gillian Anderson got best supporting actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher.
Best TV drama went to, yes, The Crown, beating out HBO’s Lovecraft Country, Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian and Netflix’s Ozark and Ratched.
Upon getting best TV comedy for Schitt’s Creek, Eugene Levy called the award “a lovely vote of confidence in the messages the show stands for,” such as inclusion. Schitt’s won against Netflix’s Emily in Paris, HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, Hulu’s The Great and Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso.
Netflix, ‘Borat’ Rack Up Wins
Netflix did well in terms of the movie awards. Its The Trial of the Chicago 7 won best screenplay and Rosamund Pike won best actress in a comedy for I Care a Lot.
Best actor in a motion picture comedy went to Sacha Baron Cohen for Amazon’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. He joked that Donald Trump was contesting the result amidst reports of dead people voting.
Borat then took best comedy movie. “This movie couldn’t have been possible without my co-star,” Cohen said. “I’m talking, of course, about Rudy Giuliani.”
Andra Day got best actress in a motion picture drama for her work in The United States vs. Billie Holliday.
Best motion picture drama was given to Nomadland (which, like Billie Holliday, is on Hulu). Director Chloé Zhao called the film “a pilgrimage through grief and healing.”
“We don’t say goodbye,” Zhao added. “We say, see you down the road.”
