Chadwick Boseman’s widow accepts his award for Best Actor, Jane Fonda gives a shout out to Ramy Youssef, Daniel Kaluuya gets left on mute, and the full winners list for the 78th Golden Globe ceremony

The Golden Globes always have a very devil-may-care vibe to them. It’s part of their charm. Everything feels a bit looser, a bit off-the-cuff, a bit Kanye-shrug-dot-gif.

That feel continued very strongly into the Zoom era of awards shows, but not always to the Globes benefit. While the Emmys felt like a tightly produced affair, these Globes felt very much like one of the many Zoom conferences we’ve all had to attend over the last 12 months (agh, it’s been 12 months of that, huh?), only some people were wearing designer gowns and everyone was extremely famous.

As is often the case for these big awards shows, and similar to a show such as, say, WWE Monday Night Raw, it’s a viewing experience best left to social media clips afterwards.

Here’s five of our favourite moments, for those that didn’t wake up early enough in the Middle East to watch the full broadcast.

5. Daniel Kaluuya forgot to unmute his mic when accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor

It’s hard to say if this was Kaluuya’s fault, but the alternative—that the Globes effectively silenced only the fifth Black man to win the Best Supporting Actor award a week after large-scale controversy about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity because of technical incompetence—is much worse, so let’s go with the more relatable option, shall we?

Added to our upcoming recurring nightmares having our heartfelt awards acceptance speech interrupted to find out that we’ve been on mute the entire time. Kaluuya handled it with grace, but as great as the moment was as a piece of television, it overshadows how earth-shattering Kaluuya’s performance in Judas and the Black Messiah actually is. 

4. Jane Fonda shouted out Ramy Youssef in her powerful speech after winning the Cecil B. DeMille Award

Diversity was one of the most important themes of the night, with Chloe Zhao becoming the second woman to ever win the Best Director award, and the first-ever Asian woman and Andra Day becoming the second Black woman to win the Best Actress award. Fonda used her time to point out how powerful these pieces of art that these multi-cultural creators have made, including a shout out to Ramy Youssef’s show Ramy:
“Ramy” helped me feel what it means to be Muslim American,” said Fonda.

3. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler almost totally kept up their comedic chemistry from 3000 miles away

At times this speech, delivered in spit-screen from the two tenured comedic writers and actors, fell into the awkward, but the two are good enough to make it work, and lean in to the weirdness. Both have a classic comedic sensibility and some of the gags—including Fey pretending to stroke Poehler’s hair from across the country using the arm of an off-camera unknown—had the feel of the award show hosts of yore, such as Johnny Carson or Billy Crystal.

2. Isla Fisher got more excited for her husband Sasha Baron Cohen winning Best Actor than he did

Isla Fisher and Sasha Baron Cohen seem to have the most low-key of celebrity relationships, full of mutual support but doing little in the spotlight or for show, so seeing their genuine love for one another was a highlight, especially as Cohen seems to move into the next phase in his career, proving there’s still life in a 20 year old joke by centering another comedic voice over his own—this time, his co-star in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Maria Bakalova.

1. In the much-felt absence of the late Chadwick Boseman, his widow Taylor Simone Ledward delivered the words she thought he would have

Man, do I miss Chadwick Boseman. In his early 40s, the Black Panther star seemed to have so much left to give in a career that had yet to reach its potential, but what the work he left us still encompasses a career miles above many of his contemporaries. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the film he won for, showed how much he could still surprise us with his range and depth of feeling, a much deserved award from a truly great actor.
Leward shared what she felt her husband might have said, the things he ared about most, but made us all keenly aware what this night could have been had his light entered it.
“He would thank God, he would thank his parents, he would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices. He would thank his team,” said Ledward.
“He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can, that tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history.”

A career-capping moment. I hope there will be more.

And in case you missed it, here’s the full list of winners of the 78th Golden Globes:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Jared Leto, The Little Things
WINNER: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Bill Murray, On the Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

WINNER: John Boyega, Small Axe
Donald Sutherland, The Undoing
Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule

Jim Parsons, Hollywood

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning, The Great
Jane Levy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Lily Collins, Emily in Paris

Best Motion Picture — Animated

Over the Moon
WINNER: Soul
Wolfwalkers
Onward
The Croods: A New Age

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
WINNER: Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule
Bryan Cranston, Your Honor

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
WINNER: Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Jack Fincher, Mank
Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama

WINNER: Emma Corrin, The Crown
Laura Linney, Ozark
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Sarah Paulson, Ratched

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

“Fight For You,” Judas and the Black Messiah
“Speak Now,” One Night in Miami
“Hear My Voice,” The Trial of the Chicago 7
WINNER: “lo si (Seen),” The Life Ahead
“Tigress & Tweed,” The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Best Original Score — Motion Picture

WINNER: Soul
Mank
Tenet
The Midnight Sky
News of the World

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Don Cheadle, Black Monday

Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Emily in Paris

The Flight Attendant
The Great
WINNER: Schitt’s Creek
Ted Lasso

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot
Kate Hudson, Music
Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma
Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsquent Moviefilm

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama

Jason Bateman, Ozark
WINNER: Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Al Pacino, Hunters
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language

Another Round
WINNER: Minari
Two of Us
The Life Ahead
La Llorona

Best Television Series — Drama

WINNER: The Crown
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Ratched

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
WINNER: Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Helena Zengel, News of the World
Olivia Colman, The Father

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

WINNER: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Cynthia Nixon, Ratched
Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
Julia Garner, Ozark

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

WINNER: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

The Undoing
WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit
Normal People
Unorthodox
Small Axe

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

WINNER: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Gary Oldman, Mank
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian

Best Director — Motion Picture

WINNER: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Regina King, One Night in Miami
David Fincher, Mank
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Music

WINNER: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
Palm Springs
The Prom

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
James Corden, The Prom
WINNER: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Andy Samberg, Palm Springs

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
WINNER: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Best Motion Picture — Drama

The Trial of the Chicago 7
WINNER: Nomadland
Mank
Promising Young Woman
The Father

Subscribe on YouTube

Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.

Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit ‘Like’ on our Esquire Facebook page and ‘Follow’ on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.

QUICK LINKS

Muscle MassBeef BaconDiseases Caused by SugarBest Restaurants in DubaiNeil Armstrong DaughterJeff Bezos YachtBest Barbershop In DubaiHassan JameelRain in DubaiNayel NassarBill Gates YachtJames Cameron

RELATED CONTENT