Best of the 80th Golden Globes. Plus: Complete Winners List
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 7:57PM
by Nathaniel R
Colman Domingo presenting "Best DIrector" to Steven Spielberg
An awards shows on a Tuesday night? Chaos. But we kinda liked it. As the 80th Golden Globes evening began on the red carpet we learned (among other things) that red was the color of the moment, Jenna Ortega choreographed her own (viral) dance for Wednesday, Letitia Wright's favourite movie is I Tonya (of all things!) and Margot Robbie can cry on cue as precisely as Nelly does in Babylon. The night that followed was hit and miss. The hits were familiar: the palpable joy that so many stars expressed at being back in rooms together, the sight of very enthusiastic and possibly drunk tables (Abbott Elementary, Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans and Everything Everywhere All At Once showcased most prominently), and as ever moving speeches, and even a few stellar presenter “bits”.
There were misses, too, including at least four absent winners (Zendaya, Costner, Seyfried, Blanchett) which always brings the mood down...
I'm gonna say something very controversial. I'll actually get in trouble for this. 'Rihanna, you take all the time you want on that album, girl. Don't let these fools on the internet pressure you into nothing.'
A little messy surprise emotion and the struggle to get to the stage due to back pats, hugs, and outstretched hands like we're at a rock concert, are an electric part of awards shows. So we wouldn't trade them for "edited" packages in a second... but why make the path to the stage such a bizarrely labyrinthine effort and whose idea was that tight sharp turn staircase to the side?
Finally, though we’re fans of Jerrod Carmichael (watch his brilliant special “Rothaniel” if you haven’t. Immediately!) his conversational confessional style was a weird fit with the demands of the Globes hosting. Nice frequent costume changes,though! His brief interjections were the best part of his hosting, including one very risky Scientology-skewering joke directed Tom Cruise's way while holding Tom's three returned Globes.
Since we’re talking about the first glitzy awards show of the season, let’s give out our own awards as to the night’s best:
I think she was serious, she said 'Then Jennifer why don't you just wear a pair of crocs?'
BEST PRESENTER - Jennifer Coolidge, squeezed into a sparkly black gown and big Monica Vitti hair, greeted the crowd with her breathy hilarious trademark “hi, hello” and launched into a bit about her anxiety about presenting that was the funniest moment of the night.
Runner up: Natasha Lyonne towards the end of the show for the perfect deadpan vibe while quipping about making it quick while pontificating at length about "time". Second runner up: Silliness from Nicole Byer and Ana Gasteyer.
my hot dog lover, Jamie Lee Curtis
BEST SPEECH: Michelle Yeoh for ferocity and truth-telling about her career in Hollywood, the personalized non list-reading thank you to her co-stars, and "I can beat you up" to the track playing to rush her speech.
Runner up: Jennifer Coolidge again, bringing the hilarity back after her presenting bit.
In order for that destiny to manifest, I think that it requires courage, to have faith, it requires patience (as we just heard), and it requires a true sense of yourself. It's not easy because the path is circuitous and it has many unexpected detours.
BEST (RARE) CASE MADE FOR READING A SPEECH: Angela Basset, is the queen of enunciation, so you know she'll give a SPEECH. Normally we cringe the second any winner reaches for a piece of paper, or nowadays, their phone. But Angela Basset who had a lot of important ground to cover in her acceptance for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, managed to say it all.
BEST GENUINELY-MOVED GUSHING [TIE] We got a perfect bookend! Ke Huy Quan memorably thanked Steven Spielberg at the kick-off of his teary speech, for his big break in Hollywood (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) before discussing his miraculous comeback nearly 40 years later and what that meant to him. Then, late in the evening Spielberg, who is an old pro at winning awards, was genuinely moved to be honored at 76 for telling his own story, which he'd put off for years via The Fabelmans.
BEST SINGULAR GUSHED SENTIMENT: Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) blurting "I love acting" randomly inbetween a frenzied list of names as they attempted to play him off the stage.
BEST USE OF THE GLOBES AS A "GIVE ME AN OSCAR" PLATFORM: Michelle Yeoh
Brad I love you"
-Austin Butler on stage
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: Brad Pitt, right up front for Babylon, who was shouted out by several fawning or flirting presenters.
MOST SURPRISING WIN: Argentina 1985 took Best Non-English Language Film despite a Globe win for RRR in Original Song and all the Oscar buzz for Germany's All Quiet on the Western Front.
THE LIST OF WINNERS
FILM
The Banshees of Inisherin and Abbott Elementary won the most awards for movies & tv, respectively(3)
Picture – Drama The Fabelmans
Actress – Drama Cate Blanchett, Tár
Actor – Drama Austin Butler, Elvis
Picture – Musical or Comedy The Banshees of Inisherin
Actress – Musical or Comedy Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Actor - Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Director — Motion Picture Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Picture – Non-English Language Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
Picture – Animated Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Screenplay – Motion Picture Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Original Score – Motion Picture Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
Original Song – Motion Picture “Naatu Naatu,” Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj (RRR)
TELEVISION
Television Series – Musical or Comedy Abbott Elementary
Actress in a Series - Comedy Quinta Brunson - Abbott Elementary
Actor in a Series - Comedy Jeremy Allen White - The Bear
Television Series – Drama House of the Dragon
Actress in a Series - Drama Zendaya - Euphoria
Actor in a Series – Drama Kevin Costner, Yellowstone
Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series - Drama or Comedy Julia Garner, Ozark
Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series - Drama or Comedy Tyler James Williams - Abbott Elementary
Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The White Lotus: Sicily
Actress in a Limited Series / Movie Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout
Actor in a Limited Series / Movie Evan Peters, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series / Movie Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series / Movie Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird
Reader Comments (12)
I hope Michelle Yeoh wins the Oscar! I feel Ke Huy Quan already has it pretty sewn up (I'm happy with that).
I genuinely thought Jamie Lee Curtis would win the Globe, though.
Nathaniel, what are your thoughts on Angela Bassett winning? Obviously, she's awesome, but I'm talking performance... And how does this shift the race?
This post explains this amazing thing well enough for someone to understand it, and I'm sure everyone will like it quordle
What a fun night. Loved the chaotic energy. A big f-you to all the journalists who tried to bury them while enjoying the perks of covering the race.
Silly me. I should have realized the Bassett ticked more boxes than Curtis in the supporting race. She's going to sweep.
Nat, I always admire your positivity but I thought the Globe telecast was terrible. It made me sad. Filmmaking is as wonderful and exciting as it’s ever been, but Hollywood awards have hopelessly lost their magic and glamour. The rooms feel smaller and less well attended, the organizations feel defensive and insecure, the choices they make feel more cynical and calculated. It’s all such a shadow of what the industry projected ten years ago. The red carpet photos look like they were taken in a hallway. Just bleak, and the Globes aren’t alone.
One small thing: The cursing during acceptance speeches/presentations drove me nuts last night. Not because I’m a prude, but because network TV is required to cut to silence whenever the censors hear a “fuck” or “shit.” It’s just one concrete way the lowering of standards has made the viewing experience irritating—this obviously wasn’t a frequent thing five years ago. Wasn’t unheard of, but didn't happen over and over and over again. It really leaves the viewing audience out of the fun when the whole room is laughing and you don't know why (Eddie Murphy aside—bravo!).
Very happy for Yeoh, Coolidge and some others you singled out here. Best Actress is going to give us a magic movie star moment this year, but it’s not enough to rescue this terrible decline.
I have to be honest: I absolutely forgot the Golden Globes were scheduled for a Tuesday. Who the hell decided that? I didn't know it was going on until I saw a tweet maybe 2 hours after it had begun. And then, an hour later, people were still talking about what was happening... I didn't watch any of it but, award shows really need to stop these 3 to 4 hour telecasts. No one cares for THAT long, especially when Hollywood only seems to applaud itself. Regular people, the kind that actually make or break a movie with their money through theaters or streaming, they're not staying for more than 2 hours to watch a bunch of rich people give each other prizes. Awards shows HAVE TO improve and focus on the actual art and magic of cinema.
Having said that, were there any real surprises? I checked on Wikipedia and I couldn't see a single actual surprise. We know Fraser is no longer a frontrunner. We know its between Cate and Michelle, for a while now. We know the industry loves itself so Fabelmans will do great on the Oscars.
No surprises means another weak telecast. Not even if Top Gun 2, Black Panther 2 and Avatar 2 did amazing all over, would it improve the numbers. And if that happened, many would call them out on it saying they're selling out to blockbusters. It's tough out there for these shows.
Such a great recap of a really fun night. Loved the passionate speeches (Quan has the Oscar sewn up now).
Sadly, I was kinda underwhelmed by Michelle’s speech compared to all the amazing speeches by the other film acting winners, especially her costar’s. I wish Angela was holding her award instead of her phone, but otherwise absolutely perfect. I was hoping to never have to watch another Marvel movie, but I don’t care. I’m totally behind this win!
Coolidge best speech of the evening for me, not even close. What a woman!
Overall thought the show was totally fine and not the disaster others claimed. Most of the speeches were great and everyone still seems to have more fun at this event!
Predictable winners except the Argentina, 1985 shocker
That piano won the night.
Loved also Farrell speech
Though I love Lyonne and Coolidge, my favorite presenter of the night was Tarantino. Mercifully brief AND fun. Plus, it was cool to see one director legend give an award to another director legend.
Jerrod had some great moments, but the cringe parts were *very* cringe (hated that Whitney Houston…joke?). Still, it all felt very deliberate/intentional so I have to admire his gutsy approach.
My favorite presenter was Regina Hall, who won the night by calling out Kevin Costner and every other absent winner who gave a lame excuse for not being there lol
Hated the show. F rom the opening BLACK m0n0logue ( whoever wanted him to emcee ) to the foolish acceptance speeches. Black Lives matter and they proved they were
worthy of the awards. But the sexual atmosphere was too much for me.
I also wish producers would stop reinventing the look of these shows. If you watch a Globe clip from the 90s or 00s it would be hard to poinpoint the year based on the lighting, decorations, camera work, staging. It was bright and brassy and looked like the Globes every year. The red carpet was...red. If you have contempt for all that don't bother producing the show.
Everyone wants to be so clever—silver and mauve! Desktop screensavers behind the podium! It's not the VMAs.