Paul Thomas Anderson's ragtag revolutionary saga “One Battle After Another” took top honours at Sunday's 83rd Golden Globes in the comedy category, while Chloe Zhao's Shakespeare drama “Hamnet” pulled off an upset over “Sinners” to win best film, drama.
“One Battle After Another” won best film, comedy, supporting female actor for Teyana Taylor and best director and best screenplay for Anderson. He became just the second filmmaker to sweep director, screenplay and film, as a producer, at the Globes. Only Oliver Stone, for “Born on the Fourth of July”, managed the same feat.
In an awards ceremony that went almost entirely as expected, the night's final award was the most surprising. While “One Battle After Another” has been the clear front-runner this awards season, most have pegged Ryan Coogler's Jim Crow-era vampire thriller as its closest competition.
But “Hamnet”, a speculative drama about William and Agnes Shakespeare based on Maggie O'Farrell's bestseller, won in the dramatic category shortly after its star, Jessie Buckley, won best female actor in a drama.
It was a banner night for Warner Bros, the studio behind “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners”. Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to be sold to Netflix in an USD 83 billion deal. Paramount Skydance has appealed to shareholders with its own rival offer.
In his speech after winning best director, Anderson praised Warner co-chief Michael DeLuca.
“He said he wanted to run a studio one day and let filmmakers make whatever they want,” said Anderson. “That's how you get 'Sinners'. That's how you get a 'Weapons'. That's how you get 'One Battle After Another'.”
The final awards brought to, or near, the stage a handful of the most talented filmmakers together in Anderson, Zhao and Coogler — plus Steven Spielberg, a producer of “Hamnet”.
Regardless of who won what, it was a heartening moment of solidarity between them, with a shared sense of purpose. Zhao fondly recalled being at Sundance Labs with Coogler when they were each starting out.
“As students, let's keep our hearts open and let's keep seeing each other and allowing each other to be seen,” said Zhao, while Coogler smiled from the front row.
“Sinners” won for best score and cinematic and box-office achievement. The win for box office and cinematic achievement, over franchise films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash”, was notable for Coogler's film, a movie that some reports labelled a qualified success on its release.
Yet “Sinners” ultimately grossed USD 278 million domestically and USD 368 million worldwide, making it highest grossing original film in 15 years.
“I just want to thank the audience for showing up,” said Coogler. “It's means the world.”
Coming off years of scandal and subsequent rehabilitation, the Globes and host Nikki Glaser put on a star-studded ceremony that saw wins for the streaming sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” (best animated film, song), a meta triumph for Seth Rogen's “The Studio” and an inaugural award for podcasting that went to Amy Poehler's “Good Hang”.
Many of the Oscar favourites won. Timothee Chalamet won his first Golden Globe, for “Marty Supreme”, after four previous nominations. The 30-year-old is poised to win his first Oscar. Fellow nominees like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney stood to applaud his win.
“My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up: Always be grateful for what you have,” said Chalamet. “It's allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. I'd be lying if I didn't say those moments didn't make this moment that much sweeter.”
The Globes, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, got underway with a pointedly political opening from host Nikki Glaser and an early award for the night's favourite, “One Battle After Another”.
Emceeing the show for the second straight year, Glaser kicked off the show with self-aware satire.
“Yes, the Golden Globes, without a doubt the most important thing happening in the world right now,” she said.
In a winning, rapid-fire opening monologue that landed some punch lines on the usual subjects — the age of Leonardo DiCaprio's dates, Kevin Hart's height — Glaser also dove right into some of her most topical material.
For the on-the-block Warner Bros, Glaser started the bidding at USD 5. Referencing the Epstein files, she suggested best editing should go to the Justice Dept.
The “most editing”, however, she suggested deserved to go to Bari Weiss' new CBS News — a dig at the Paramount Skydance-owned network airing the Globes.
Political tension and industrywide uncertainty were the prevailing moods heading into Sunday's awards. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros.
Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, several attendees wore pins reading “Be Good".
The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards.
After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.
But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can boost an Oscar campaign.
Winners Sunday included Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I'd Kick You”) for best female actor in a comedy or musical, and Wagner Moura, the Brazilian star of “The Secret Agent”, for best male actor in a drama.
Kleber Mendonca Filho's period political thriller also won best international film.
“I think if trauma can be passed along generations, values can do,” Moura said. “So this to the ones who are sticking with their values in difficult moments.”
Other winners Sunday included the supporting actor front-runner, Stellan Skarsgard who won for the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value.” It was the first major Hollywood movie award for the 74-year-old, a respected veteran actor who drew a standing ovation.
“I was not prepared for this because I, of course, thought I was too old,” said Skarsgard.
In the television awards, “The Pitt” took best drama series, while Noah Wyle won, too, brushing past his former “ER”-star Clooney on the way to the stage.
Netflix's “Adolescence” won four awards: best limited series, and acting awards for Erin Doherty, Stephen Graham and 16-year-old Owen Cooper.
Other winners included Rhea Seehorn for “Pluribus” and Jean Smart for “Hacks”.
But the most comically poignant award of the night went to “The Studio”, the best comedy series winner. Seth Rogen's Hollywood satire memorably included an episode devoted to drama around a night at the Globes.
(Sample line: “I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something.”)
Rogen also won best male actor in a comedy.
“This is so weird,” Rogen said, chuckling. “We just pretended to do this. And now it's happening.”
