Here’s what happened at the 2024 Golden Globes:
- "Oppenheimer" was the big winner of the night, picking up five marquee awards, including best motion picture (drama) and best director for Christopher Nolan. "Barbie," the second half of the summertime cultural phenom known as "Barbenheimer," turned in a solid showing, too, nabbing two awards, including best original song.
- In the film acting races, Globes were handed out to Cillian Murphy ("Oppenheimer"), Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon"), Paul Giamatti ("The Holdovers"), Emma Stone ("Poor Things"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Oppenheimer") and Da'Vine Joy Randolph ("The Holdovers").
- "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" dominated the television categories. "Succession," HBO's corporate saga, nabbed four awards; "The Bear" and "Beef" each notched three. "Beef," which stars actor Steven Yeun and comedian Ali Wong, made history by becoming the first show created by and starring Asian Americans to win in its category.
- The host was stand-up comedian Jo Koy, whose monologue didn't seem to excite the crowd. Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig got big laughs for a bit involving hokey music, and Oprah appeared at the end of the night to present the final award.
The night's biggest surprises
'Poor Things' beats 'Barbie'
I expected Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" to conquer the best comedy film category, but Globes voters ultimately went with the offbeat "Poor Things." However, it's worth noting that sometimes Globes voters go in a more highbrow direction in this category. Last year, for example, the dour "The Banshees of Inisherin" beat the exuberant "Everything Everywhere All at Once."
'Anatomy of a Fall' wins screenplay prize
The script for the French legal drama "Anatomy of a Fall" is excellent — intelligent and suffused with dread. Still, I expected the best screenplay award to go to Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for "Barbie" or Christopher Nolan for "Oppenheimer." Gerwig and Baumbach's cheeky dialogue is key to the movie's appeal, and Nolan's script is a structural marvel. The triumph of "Anatomy" suggests the movie has legs going into Oscar balloting.
Elizabeth Debicki wins for 'The Crown'
Elizabeth Debicki was one of the highlights of the final two seasons of Netflix's "The Crown" as the doomed Diana, Princess of Wales, delivering one of the show's most sensitive performances. But lots of awards prognosticators expected this prize to go to Meryl Streep, for "Only Murders in the Building," or Hannah Waddingham, for the final season of "Ted Lasso."
Charles Melton leaves empty-handed
"May December" co-star Charles Melton seemed to have a lot of momentum in the best supporting actor category heading into the show after picking up a string of equivalent honors from critics groups, but Robert Downey Jr. ultimately prevailed for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in "Oppenheimer." It's possible RDJ's win has blunted Melton's momentum, but maybe the former "Riverdale" star will surprise us on Oscars night.
That's a wrap in the press room!
After a long night at the first major awards show of the year, the press room is winding down at the Golden Globes. While the celebs are headed to after-parties, we are gladly heading home and straight to bed.
Emma Stone shares her reaction to Taylor Swift encouragement
Emma Stone said her "Poor Things" character, Bella Baxter, was “unlike anything" else she's played or seen.
“It was about unlearning things more than tapping into things from my past, which was very beautiful and very freeing,” Stone said in the press room after the show wrapped. “Restarting from scratch was a very exciting part of Bella.”
When a reporter asked about Taylor Swift’s enthusiastically cheering her win, Stone joked: “What an a------, am I right?”
“I’ve known her for almost 20 years, so I was very happy she was there,” Stone added.
Glen Powell responds to being mixed up with Justin Hartley
After The Hollywood Reporter misidentified actor Justin Hartley as Glen Powell in a post on X, Powell responded in the most unserious way.
"I think this is the perfect time to announce that @justinhartley and I will be starring in the most boring body-swap movie of all time," he wrote on X.
TBH we're dying to see that flick.
Lily Gladstone says parents always supported her dreams
After a history-making Golden Globes win, Lily Gladstone delivered a heartfelt tribute to her mother — whom she brought to the show tonight.
She knows that succeeding in the entertainment industry “doesn’t happen for everybody,” she said, but her parents never wavered in their support of her career pursuits.
“So every time I’ve felt a level of guilt or felt like it wasn’t possible,” Gladstone said, “my mom and my dad never questioned that this was what I was meant to do.”
Nolan on the 'tragedy' at the center of 'Oppenheimer'
"Oppenheimer" director Christopher Nolan told reporters at a post-Globes news conference that he was drawn to J. Robert Oppenheimer because of what he described as the "tragedy" at the heart of his life story.
The film portrays Oppenheimer's development of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan during World War II and chronicles the period when the famed physicist was essentially excommunicated from American power.
"He always maintained his loyalty to his country, what he needed to do," Nolan said. (The movie notably does not depict the deaths caused by Oppenheimer's weapon of war.)
Cillian Murphy, who portrays Oppenheimer and won a Globe for his performance, said: "I think he was complex and contradictory and brilliant and arrogant and vain, and a genius."
Christopher Nolan did not ride the Peloton today
Director Christopher Nolan isn't breaking up with his Peloton just yet.
The Golden Globe-winning director made headlines after he revealed that he'd taken a 2020 Peloton ride in which instructor Jenn Sherman complained about his movie "Tenet." She has since responded, saying she's actually a big fan of "Oppenheimer."
Asked about that in the press room, Nolan laughed.
"Nothing but love for the Peloton, but I did not climb on it today," he said.
He said he did think he'd "skip it for a while ... but thank you for your concern," he told reporters.
ICYMI: Ali Wong made history. Watch the video here:
Paul Giamatti gushes about his favorite horror movie, 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'
Though Paul Giamatti scored a win this year in the musical or comedy category, he raved about his appreciation for horror movies, particularly “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”
“I’ve always loved horror movies from the time I was a little kid,” he told reporters after the awards show. “When you're little like that, a horror movie goes really deep.”
No drama at the Globes
Viewers have come to expect controversial or political comments from some of the attendees at the Golden Globes, long known as the booziest and most festive awards show.
That didn't happen this year. The show remained uneventful when it came to unpredictable drama.
Celebrities in the past have also used the show to take stances on political issues ... but that also didn't happen this year.