Hollywood’s award season is in full swing. The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Sunday, Jan. 11, in Los Angeles. They featured star power, mostly expected wins, jokes that didn’t always land and a slew of overly long commercial breaks. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, or HFPA, announced their winners for film, television and a new category: podcasting. Paul Thomas Anderson’s hit film “One Battle After Another” took home the most awards for film and Netflix’s series “Adolescence” dominated the television categories.
Nikki Glaser, a comedian, returned to host for the second year in a row, delivering a monologue and many outfit changes. Most of her material was inoffensive, drawing laughter but not sticking in a particularly sharp or unique manner. Her best joke pointedly called out Leonardo DiCaprio’s well-known pattern of dating much younger women, evoking shocked laughter from the room of A-listers.
The broadcast production also opted for a few unconventional choices. When nominees were announced for each category, pins were edited onto wherever the nominees sat in the room, creating a unique visual gag. The soundtrack to the show was also entertaining. Highlights included an Usher song for 74-year-old Stellan Skarsgård, the phonetically aligned “APT.” for Judd Apatow, and not many songs from the musical films, even when those musical films won something. In another attempt to inject energy, onscreen betting odds appeared during portions of the broadcast. The feature added a questionable layer, emphasizing how predictable many of the outcomes had already become.
Major awards were given to some of the most acclaimed performances and productions of the past year. Top acting awards were spread among many films, including Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent,” Jessie Buckley for “Hamnet,” Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another,” Skarsgård for “Sentimental Value” and Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme.” TV winners included Rhea Seehorn for “Pluribus”, Seth Rogen for “The Studio” and Noah Wyle for “The Pitt.”
Pop culture fans would also identify the appearance of HBO’s “Heated Rivalry” stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as a highlight. Presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, the pair were introduced with UFC fighters and Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” respective references to their sudden rise to fame needing extra security and the queer themes of their popular show. Their brief presence delighted fans and lit up social media reactions.
Similarly, “Stranger Things” star and rising musician Joe Keery presented alongside pop icon Charli xcx. The unlikely duo gave the Best Original Song award to “Golden” from “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” drawing tears from songwriter and singer Ejae. The crossroads of Gen Z pop culture was apparent here, with some of the most talked-about stars and musical faces appearing onstage at the same time for just a brief moment.
Glaser also performed an unfortunately unfunny rendition of the song “Golden,” pairing it with references to the comedy film “Marty Supreme.” While her singing was unintentionally bad, the performance did nothing truly interesting or entertaining. It instead went on for too long, leaving audiences confused.
Best Original Score was also awarded off-air to Ludwig Göransson for “Sinners.” This choice might sit uneasily with some, due to the cultural significance of “Sinners,” its major successes throughout all of 2025 and it only winning one televised award last night for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
Other wins were met with polite applause rather than surprise. The night largely exhibited a pattern of safe, unsurprising outcomes. At the very end, “Hamnet” was awarded Best Motion Picture-Drama, eliciting an expression of utter shock from director Chloé Zhao. While “Hamnet” has been showered with critical acclaim and a few regional awards, especially for lead actress Jessie Buckley, this win was arguably the most surprising for awards season followers. Other nominees, “Sinners” and “The Secret Agent,” were more highly favored to win.
Paul Thomas Anderson won three awards, including Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Motion Picture-Comedy for “One Battle After Another,” solidifying the film’s powerhouse presence throughout the evening. Amy Poehler was awarded the very first Golden Globe for Best Podcast, with Snoop Dogg appearing to present the statue to the popular comedian.
At the end of the night, Glaser paid tribute to the late director Rob Reiner with a “Spinal Tap” hat and references. It was a sweet and earnest reference, standing out for its genuine heart in the midst of shaky jokes and unmemorable choices.
In terms of broadcast logistics, the ceremony was continuously interrupted by long commercial breaks. Those breaks sometimes paused only to briefly show celebrities’ faces at the ceremony before cutting back to commercial. For viewers, it truly detracted from any pleasantries of the watch experience.
The Golden Globes delivered exactly what they promised, but it wasn’t enough to keep audiences fully engaged or satisfied. It did nothing to break outside of the box in a truly unique or entertaining way. However, this also meant that it came free of messes or major controversy, as many awards shows have struggled with live slip-ups, slaps and mishaps in the past. The ceremony unfolded with predictable wins and awkward humor, perhaps just enough to do its intended job without creating a Hollywood disaster.
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Featured Image Photographed by Sapna Drew/BruinLife
