Here Are The Highlights From The 2021 Golden Globes
Netflix's "The Crown" and "The Queen's Gambit," Korean-American drama "Minari" and drama "Nomadland" were some of the ceremony's shining titles
The 78th Golden Globes became the first-ever edition of the Hollywood awards ceremony to be held virtually, making the streamed event a historic feat on its own. It's the first of 2021's first major film and television awards nights, but even with the absence of traditional red carpet arrivals, star-studded audience, hosts, presenters, and acceptance speeches, the 78th Golden Globes still managed to leave its mark in the industry, what with its most memorable winners and highlights.
The themes of racial and gender diversity ruled the evening, and political self-awareness was as usual part of the fun of things. Though awards ceremonies like the Golden Globes are still essentially designed for entertainment and fanfare, recent years have seen them evolve into more socially, culturally, and politically relevant events and it was no different this year.
Its list of winners and nominees—many of Asian and African descent—was meant to be a testament to a slowly changing Hollywood landscape that's only just begun to value inclusivity. (Note: A few days before the ceremony, the Golden Globes received much criticism over its relationship with and support of the HFPA, a.k.a. the Hollywood Foreign Press Association having zero black members. The HFPA is a non-profit media group in charge of telling stories about the entertainment industry outside the US. The ceremony awarding several black and Asian actors and filmmakers was seen as a response to this).
Regardless of the controversy that marred the countdown to the first-ever online Golden Globes (and the many technical problems that came with streaming a massive event worldwide), the evening was a success overall.
Read on for the 78th Golden Globes' most notable winners in the gallery below, and why these awards stood out among the rest. And for the complete list of winners, check out our story in the link below.
Notable Winners from the 2021 Golden Globes
Notable Winners from the 2021 Golden Globes
Emma Corin ("The Crown"), Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Beginning the list of big winners is none other than Emma Corin. A relatively newcomer in big productions, she successfully and oh-so-elegantly portrayed Princess Diana in the latest season of "The Crown." She impressed viewers not only with her physical resemblance to the Princess of Wales, but also for her commitment to studying her mannerisms, speech, and nuances to be able to serve the most authentic and true to life portrayal of the beloved royal.
Photo Credit: @emmalouisecorrin
Chadwick Boseman ("Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Chadwick Boseman, star of Marvel's "Black Panther," passed away in 2020 from cancer and the whole world mourned his death. The actor and overall great guy, however, left behind a couple of projects for his many adoring fans to enjoy despite having bid a final farewell. One of them was "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom," an intimate look at the relationships of a 1927 American blues band's members. He received his award posthumously.
Photo Credit: @chadwickboseman
Anya Taylor-Joy ("The Queen's Gambit"), Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Honestly, how surprised was anyone when Anya Taylor-Joy bagged this award? She was amazing as the fictional chess player Beth Harmon, and her performance made us all wish that her character was a real woman in history. "The Queen's Gambit" is this actress' most successful project to date, marking her biggest departure from supporting roles and limited release projects.
Photo Credit: @anyataylorjoy
"Minari," Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
Asian players in Hollywood got another big nod during awards season with "Minari" winning Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language. The film, directed by Chinese-American director Lee Chung, tells the story of a young Korean family moving to Arkansas to start life anew and all the heartache and struggle that come with being immigrants in a land far, far from home.
Photo Credit: @stevenyeun
Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland"), Best Director and Best Film
History was made by a woman, an Asian woman, at the Golden Globes this year when Chloe Zhao won the Best Director award. She's only the second woman to bag the accolade at the ceremony and the first of Asian descent to do so. The cherry on the cake is that her film, "Nomadland," also took home the major award for Best Film, Drama.
Photo Credit: @harpersbazaarus
Jane Fonda wins the Cecil B. DeMille Award
The Cecil B. DeMille Award is given to someone from the entertainment industry for outstanding contributions in the field, be it in TV, film, hosting, and beyond.
Photo Credit: @goldenglobes
Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat Subsequent MovieFilm"), Best Actor, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Surprise! Borat is a Golden Globe winner now! The irreverent made up character from Kazakhstan made a comeback years after he first appeared 15 years ago and he's still just as well-loved as was back then. For Sacha Baron Cohen though, the comedian behind the film and its titular character, the win was a big surprise. (Note: He was nominated for "The Trial of the Chicago 7," too, where he plays a 70s anti-war leader who arguably is just like Borat in more ways than one).
Photo Credit: @sachabaroncohen
Daniel Kaluuya, ("Judas and the Black Messiah"), Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
You probably first saw Daniel Kaluuya in horror film "Get Out," but the writer and director with a passion for covert social commentary has done much more than that. His win with "Judas and the Black Messiah" proves how his views are more relevant than ever, what with the story of the film focused on the betrayal of a leader of the Black Panther Party (an African-American political organization that peaked in the 60s). Issues tackled in the film still resonate with 21st century America.
Photo Credit: @goldenglobes
Andra Day, ("The United States vs. Billie Holiday"), Best Actress in A Motion Picture, Drama
Andra Day was a part of the winners circle that led the fight for more diversity in Hollywood. Her award made her only the second black woman in Golden Globes history to win the coveted title, and it happened 35 years after the first black woman won it: Whoopi Goldberg in 1986.
Photo Credit: @andradaymusic
Pixar's Soul, a movie about a musician who reexamines existence, life, and death also won two major awards: Best Animated Film and Best Original Score.
The ceremony hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, also deserve credit for keeping the evening snappy. Though they hosted the event from opposite coasts (Tina in California and Amy in New York) and had to endure streaming delays plus an audience-less show, the comedic duo managed to make things work as they always do when they're together onstage, even virtually.
Lead photos from @vanityfair @mspike @tvnnoticias @anyataylorjoy @aspictures
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