Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, winners of the Best Motion Picture - Drama for "Oppenheimer," pose in the press room during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty Images
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, winners of the Best Motion Picture - Drama for "Oppenheimer," pose in the press room during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty Images
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer dominated the 81st Golden Globes, winning five awards including best drama, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein riff Poor Things pulled off an upset victory over Barbie to triumph in the best comedy or musical category.
If awards season has been building toward a second match-up of Barbenheimer, this round went to Oppenheimer.
The film also won best director for Nolan, best drama actor for Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. and for Ludwig Göransson’s score.
”I don’t think it was a no-brainer by any stretch of the imagination to make a three-hour talky movie — R-rated by the way — about one of the darkest developments in our history,” said producer Emma Thomas accepting the night’s final award and thanking Universal chief Donna Langley.
Along with best comedy or musical, Poor Things also won for Emma Stone’s performance as Bella, a Victorian woman experiencing a surreal life and sexual awakening.
”I see this as a rom-com,” said Stone. “But in the sense that Bella falls in love with life itself, rather than a person. She accepts the good and the bad in equal measure, and that really made me look at life differently.”
Margot Robbie turns to the toybox for inspiration yet again at the 2024 Golden Globes. Photo / Getty Images
Lily Gladstone won best actress in a dramatic film for Martin Scorsese’ Killers of the Flower Moon. Gladstone, who began her speech speaking the language of her native tribe, Blackfeet Nation, is the first Indigenous winner in the category.
“This is a historic win,” said Gladstone. “It doesn’t just belong to me.”
Cillian Murphy, winner of the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for "Oppenheimer," and Robert Downey Jr, winner of the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture award for "Oppenheimer," pose at the Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty Images
The Globes were in their 81st year but facing a new and uncertain chapter. After a tumultuous few years and heaps of scandals, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was dissolved, leaving a new Globes, on a new network (CBS), to try to regain its perch as the third biggest award show of the year, after the Oscars and Grammys.
Even the menu (sushi from Nobu) was flipped.
“Golden Globes journalists, thank you for changing your game, therefore changing your name,” said Downey in his acceptance speech.
Jo Koy at the 81st Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Roll Out and Press Preview held at the Beverly Hilton on January 4. Photo / Getty Images
It got off to a rocky start. Host Jo Koy took the stage at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, California. The Filipino American stand-up hit on some expected topics: Ozempic, Meryl Streep’s knack for winning awards and the long-running Oppenheimer. (“I needed another hour.”)
After one joke flubbed, Koy, who was named host after some bigger names reportedly passed, also noted how fast he was thrust into the job. “Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago. You want a perfect monologue?” said Koy. “I wrote some of these and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”
Downey’s win, his third Globe, denied one to Kenergy. Ryan Gosling had been seen as his stiffest competition, just one of the many head-to-head contests between Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
The filmmakers faced each other in the best director category, where Nolan triumphed. It was two hours before Barbie, the year’s biggest hit with more than US$1.4 billion in ticket sales, won an award. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” took best song, and swiftly after, Barbie took the Globes’ new honour for “cinematic and box office achievement.”
Some thought that award might go to Taylor Swift, whose Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour also set box-office records.
Margot Robbie, star and producer of Barbie, accepted the award in a pink gown modelled after 1977′s Superstar Barbie.
“We’d like to dedicate this to every single person on the planet who dressed up and went to the greatest place on Earth: the movie theatres,” said Robbie.
Elsewhere, the final season of Succession cleaned up on the television side. It won best drama series for the third time, a mark that ties a record set by Mad Men and The X-Files.
Three stars from the HBO series also won: Matt Macfadyen, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin.
“It is bittersweet, but things like this make it rather sweeter,” said Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. Hulu’s The Bear also came away with a trio of awards, including best comedy series.
Jeremy Allen White won for the second time, but this time he had company. Ayo Edebiri won her first Globe for her leading performance in the Hulu show’s second season.
👏 Congratulations to the Best Supporting Male Actor – Motion Picture winner Robert Downey Jr. for his role in Oppenheimer! #GoldenGlobespic.twitter.com/8qVYgcI1R5
Ricky Gervais wins the award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television for his performance in the Netflix special Ricky Gervais: Armageddon. Photo / Netflix
Da’Vine Joy Randolph has taken home the Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in The Holdovers, while Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr. has landed Best Supporting Actor for his turn in Nolan’s film.
And Ali Wong has been awarded Best Performance by an Actress in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television for Netflix drama Beef, while her co-star Steven Yeun won Best Actor in the same category for his appearance in the drama.
Elizabeth Debicki is awarded Best Supporting Actress, Television for her role as Princess Diana in The Crown.
Matthew Macfadyen wins Best Supporting Actor, Television for his role in Succession, while Best Screenplay has gone to Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall.
Barbie and Oppenheimer led the nominations at this year's Golden Globes. Photo / AP
Jeremy Allen White has taken out the award for Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy for his role as Carmen Berzatto in The Bear. The comedy-drama series follows a talented young chef who returns to his roots in Chicago to take over his late brother’s sandwich shop.
One of the two new Golden Globe awards, Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television, was awarded to Ricky Gervais for his performance in the controversial Netflix comedy special Ricky Gervais: Armageddon.
The next award for the Best Picture, Non-English Language has gone to Anatomy of a Fall. This is the second Golden Globe awarded to the film tonight.
Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy has gone to Ayo Edebiri for her performance in The Bear. It is her first nomination for a Golden Globe and now her first win.
Kieran Culkin has just won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama for starring as Roman Roy in the series Succession.
Succession has been a hit at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, landing four awards so far. Sarah Snook (pictured) won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama for her role in the show. Photo / HBO via AP
Meanwhile, The Boy and the Heron took the award for Best Animated Film.
The nominees for the Best Director for a Motion Picture award have been announced. Christopher Nolan won the award for his box office hit Oppenheimer. The film has been nominated for eight Golden Globes overall.
Emma Stone wins Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for her lead role in Poor Things. Cillian Murphy takes Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for his lead role in Oppenheimer.
Ludwig Göransson wins the award for Best Original Score, Motion Picture for his work on Oppenheimer. This is the Swedish composer’s fourth Golden Globe nomination and his first win.
The award for Best Original Song has been handed to Billie Eilish and Finneas for the track What Was I Made For? which featured in Barbie.
Attention now turns to the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award, the second of the two new Golden Globes being presented tonight. Barbie takes the award, with Margot Robbie accepting it while receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
The Golden Globe for Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television has been awarded to Beef, marking the third award for the show so far.
Coming up next is the award for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy. The Bear takes out this award with many of the crew joining on stage to accept the award.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama is awarded to Sarah Snook for her role of Siobhan “Shiv” Roy in Succession. This is the Australian actress’ second Golden Globe nomination and second win.
Succession has won Best Television Series, Drama. The hit series is shaping up to be one of the favourite television shows of the night with four awards won so far.
Paul Giamatti wins the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for his role in The Holdovers.
For Best Picture, Musical or Comedy, Poor Things pulls through to take the award.
And now a big win for Lily Gladstone. Gladstone’s first Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama has successfully led to her first Golden Globe Award for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon.
The final award of the night, Best Motion Picture, Drama, is presented by Oprah Winfrey. Oppenheimer takes the win for this award, bringing the film’s total award count to five.
