The Golden Globes returned to the air Tuesday with a comedian Jerrod Carmichael as a hesitant emcee and top awards for Steven Spielberg's 鈥淭he Fabelmans" and Martin McDonagh's 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin,鈥� as the beleaguered award show sought to rekindle its pre-pandemic and pre-scandal glamour.
Spielberg鈥檚 autobiographical coming-of-age film 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥� won best drama film and the dark friendship tale 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin,鈥� captured best film, comedy or musical. 鈥淎bbott Elementary,鈥� 鈥淲hite Lotus鈥� and 鈥淗ouse of the Dragon鈥� led the TV awards.
The Globes鈥� would-be comeback ended like many Globes ceremonies before it: with a triumphant Spielberg. For the fifth time, one of Spielberg's films won a best picture Globe. Nominated 14 times by the Globes for best director, Spielberg also won the honor for the third time. He began by thanking his three sisters, his late father and his late mother, Leah Adler ( in the film). 鈥淪he is up there kvelling about this right now,鈥� said Spielberg.
Carmichael kicked off the from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, with little of the fanfare that usually opens such ceremonies. He plunged straight into the and led much of the entertainment industry to boycott the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after the group was revealed to have no Black members. Carmichael opened by asking the crowd to 鈥渂e a little quiet here."
鈥淚 am your host, Jerrod Carmichael,鈥� said the 鈥淩othaniel鈥� comedian. 鈥淎nd I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here 'cause I'm Black.
鈥淚 won't say they were a racist organization,鈥� he continued before sitting on the stage. 鈥淏ut they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died. So do with that information what you will.鈥�
McDonagh's 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥� left with three awards, including best screenplay for McDonagh and best actor in a comedy for Colin Farrrell. Fourteen years earlier, Farrell won a Globe for McDonagh's 鈥淚n Bruges,鈥� which . In his remarks, Farrell thanked the playwright, his castmates, his kids and the film鈥檚 donkey, Jenny.
On a soggy night following , the first award went to of 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," for best supporting actor in 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once.鈥� A clearly emotional Quan, who had left acting years before directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert cast him in their multiverse tale, thanked them for his second act.
"More than 30 years later, two guys thought of me," said Quan. 鈥淭hey remembered that kid. And they gave me the opportunity to try again.鈥�
Michelle Yeoh, the star of 鈥淓verything Everywhere At Once,鈥� , for best actress in a comedy or musical. The Malaysian-born Yeoh was just the second female actor of Asian descent to win in the category, after her 鈥淐razy Rich Asian鈥� costar Awkwafina, who won for 鈥淭he Farewell鈥� in 2020. 鈥淔orty years,鈥� the 60-year-old Yeoh said. 鈥淣ot letting go of this.鈥�
Possibly Yeoh's stiffest competition at the Academy Awards, Cate Blanchett of 鈥淭谩r,鈥� won best actress on the drama side. Blanchett, in production, wasn't in attendance to pick up her fourth Globe. (Also absent was Kevin Costner, best-actor winner in a drama series for 鈥淵ellowstone.鈥� Presenter Regina Hall said he was sheltering in place in Santa Barbara due to flooding.)
Angela Bassett, a likely Oscar frontrunner, won best supporting actress for her performance in 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever."
鈥淲eeping may come in the evening, but joy comes in the morning,鈥� Bassett said, referencing the loss of 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� star Chadwick Boseman.
Best actor was an upset. for his performance in Baz Luhrmann's 鈥淓lvis." The favorite in the category has arguably been Ahead of the Globes, Fraser said he would not attend because "my mother didn鈥檛 raise a hypocrite.鈥� In 2018, Fraser said he was groped in 2003 by longtime HFPA member Philip Berk. Berk, who is no longer an HFPA member, denied it.
Mike White's 鈥淭he White Lotus鈥� won for best limited or anthology series. Fresh off her dramatic finale, Jennifer Coolidge gave one of the night鈥檚 lengthiest and warmest speeches while accepting the best supporting actress in a limited series award.
鈥淓ven if this is the end, you sort of changed my life in a million different ways,鈥� Coolidge told White. 鈥淢y neighbors are speaking to me, things like that.鈥�
The public school sitcom 鈥淎bbott Elementary鈥� came in the lead TV nominee and took home three awards, including best comedy series. Quinta Brunson, the show's creator and star, won best actress in a comedy series, and Tyler James Williams won for his supporting role.
鈥淚t has resonated with the world in a way that I couldn't even have imagined it would have," said Brunson as she thanked the studios that backed her vision. 鈥淏ut let's be real. I did imagine it. That's why I sold it to you.鈥�
Best drama series went to 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� prequel 鈥淗ouse of the Dragon.鈥�
鈥淣aatu Naatu鈥� from 鈥� won best song over the likes of Rihanna and Taylor Swift.
The Globes were plunged into chaos shortly before when revealed that the HFPA, then numbering 87 members, had no Black members.
Stars and studios boycotted , which NBC , saying the HFPA needed time to make 鈥渕eaningful reform.鈥�
Tom Cruise, whose 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� was nominated for best picture, drama, famously returned his three Golden Globe awards after the HFPA revelations. Mid-show Tuesday, Carmichael came out with three trophies he said he found backstage, and suggested they be traded for Shelly Miscavige, the wife of the leader of the Church of Scientology.
The , diversified its membership and changed some of the ways it operates. It now has 96 members, including six Black members, along with 103 nonmember voters. Billionaire Todd Boehly purchased the Globes and has begun turning the nonprofit group into a for-profit company.
. But much of the industry turned out Tuesday. Eddie Murphy and Ryan Murphy received tributes. Sean Penn introduced a message from Ukraine鈥檚 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
鈥淭here will be no third World War," Zelenskyy said in a taped message, predicting Russia's defeat. "It is not a trilogy.鈥�
When the Globes were on the brink, NBC reworked its Globes deal into a one-year contract and moved the show from Sunday to Tuesday. That meant the Globes were essentially put on a one-year audition to recapture its awards-season perch.
As it has for most award shows, Globes viewership has cratered. After 18.4 million watched the 2020 awards, the 2021 edition managed just 6.9 million, according to Nielsen. Still, the Globes remain a valuable marketing tool for awards contenders, propping up ads for films in the long stretch between the holidays and the Oscars, which air March 12,
Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Eddie Murphy said he knew the blueprint for longevity in show business: 鈥淧ay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith's wife's name out of your (expletive) mouth!鈥�
___
For more coverage of Hollywood's awards season, visit https://apnews.com/hub/awards-season
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
