The 76th Golden Globe Awards have officially kicked off awards season, and comedian Andy Samberg and actress and nominee Sandra Oh hosted the night. Nominees and audience members were in for a treat — some even got a surprise snack from Melissa McCarthy. For viewers at home, the ceremony was filled with a slew of surprise wins and snubs, some more expected wins and tons of powerful acceptance speeches. Here are seven takeaways from the evening:
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse won Best Animated Motion Picture in a year that proved exciting for animated films
Beating out Incredibles 2 and several other successful pictures, the latest Spiderman animation proved once again the extent of Marvel’s influence in the film world. Although it wasn’t produced by Marvel Studios, the movie was a collaboration between Marvel Entertainment and Sony, and the influence of the entertainment powerhouse shows. Ironically, the award was presented by the cast of Black Panther, which is also predicted to continue to make waves as the Academy Award nominations quickly approach.
Carol Burnett was honored with a new award for Lifetime Achievement in Television
The award, which will hereafter bear her name, is a new addition to the Golden Globes. The presentation of the award by Steve Carell was moving, and her acceptance bore her signature humor and charm. Naming the award after and presenting it to a woman in its first year is an exciting step forward for the Globes.
A Star Is Born took home fewer awards than expected
Lady Gaga tearfully accepted an award for “Shallow” for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture — a win no one doubted it would earn. Yet, the blockbuster’s wins ended there. Perhaps it resonated less with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, similar to the way it was less successful at the international box offices. But its lack of Globes shouldn’t stop it from being considered a serious contender for several major Oscars.
Sandra Oh won Best Actress in a TV Series - Drama for Killing Eve
As a groundbreaking woman in television for many years, Sandra Oh’s evening as hostess was further elevated with her win. With this win, she becomes the first Asian performer to win multiple Globes, offering an example of progress in the inclusiveness of television and film.
Green Book won big in multiple categories
Picking up multiple major wins throughout the night, Green Book appears to be setting itself up for an impressive run through the 2019 awards season among several films featuring diverse casts. The film took home Best Screenplay, Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Mahershala Ali earned Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Actor in any Motion Picture.
Streaming platforms have all but taken over
HBO’s Sharp Objects and Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel of all earned their actors major awards. Netflix’s The Kominsky Method won Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. And finally, Alfonso Cuarón earned Best Director - Motion Picture for his moving foreign film Roma in major win for Netflix. It’s been steadily occurring for years, and it seems the inevitable is here as traditional television studios struggle to compete for awards with the powerful productions made by streaming platforms.
Time’s Up may have quieted down, but messages of change remained
Many stars attending could been seen sporting Time’s Up pins or bracelets once again, but the movement seemed to have quieted down significantly since last year’s awards season. However, several winners added a touch of politicism to their acceptance speeches, advocating for love, respect, and resistance to hate.
