Benjamin Lee, Hannah Marriott and Priya Elan 

Golden Globes 2021: Nomadland and The Crown win big – as it happened

A semi-virtual kickoff to the awards season saw wins for Schitt’s Creek, Chadwick Boseman and Borat but there was continued outrage over diversity and alleged corruption
  
  


Zoom doom

Well that sure happened. Going into this year’s Golden Globes, we were all questioning exactly how and why the all-white, allegedly corrupt HFPA still manages to wield so much power and after three, mostly dull, hours, the questioning remains.

It was a messy night, from the lame attempts by the HFPA and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to apologise to the tech issues that had sound cutting out or poor quality videos to the total lack of energy. Many of the winners were deserving – from Daniel Kaluuya to Rosamund Pike to Minari to Nomadland – but some less so – from Jodie Foster to Andra Day to Jason Sudeikis – and the lack of a real audience meant that each win landed with a thud, celebrating alone in a room not really working as planned.

So much of this was out of NBC’s hands but the parts that were up to them – the skits, the script, the decision to split hosts Fey and Poehler up on different coasts – are easier to criticise. It was at least relatively quick but it does make the prospect of more virtual or semi-virtual awards shows seem rather gruelling. We’re also left with little of substance when it comes to what the HFPA is actually going to do about its many internal problems. More needs to come and it needs to come fast.

For now, the ceremony acts as an example of what not to do for the Academy with the Oscars just two months away. Here’s hoping it’s less of a slog.

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Aaaand here’s our wrap of the weird night that was:

Despite his two wins tonight, Sacha Baron Cohen confirmed in the virtual press room that Borat will not be returning.

“The gray suit is locked up and not coming out again,” he said.

So without a red carpet, it was a bit harder to assemble one of these but we did it! Plenty of awkwardly framed at-home video screengrabs here for you:

One of the big winners of the night was Chadwick Boseman, whose work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will go down as another pitch perfect performanace in a career cut tragically short last year. The first black posthumous winner of a Golden Globe is remembered here by those he worked with:

Nothing was as funny tonight as Tracy Morgan calling Soul “Sal”

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While the HFPA offered up a fleeting and frankly pathetic segment on their need to improve diversity, Jane Fonda managed something far more effective. Here’s her speech in case you missed it:

Winners reacting on Instagram roundup:

Undoubtedly the most emotional moment of the night was this powerful speech from Chadwick Boseman’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward. In case you haven’t seen:

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In case you need a reminder of tonight’s big winners then here is a reminder of tonight’s big winners:

WINNER: Nomadland – best drama

Nomadland! Easily the most deserving nominee here and a welcome winner. It’s a beautiful film and given the HFPA’s usual choices, it would have made more sense to see something more conventional like The Trial of the Chicago 7 win big. A nice end to a weird evening.

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WINNER: Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday) – best actress in a drama

Well, Jason Sudeikis wasn’t the only actor in a hoodie tonight. Joaquin Phoenix just stumbled out in one to announce that Andra Day is the surprise winner of an award that many assumed would go to Carey Mulligan or perhaps Frances McDormand. A very emotional Day is also extremely surprised and, in a category that’s still somewhat up for play, it will help secure her an Oscar nomination.

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Cool that she errr tagged him here:

WINNER: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) – best actor in a musical or comedy

Important that James Corden didn’t win and deserved that Sacha Baron Cohen did, bringing back a character we thought we were done with for a surprisingly necessary and smart sequel. A big night for Brits!

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As previously mentioned:

And here’s a recent long interview we did with Sacha Baron Cohen:

WINNER: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – best musical or comedy

The most important news here is that Sia’s awful autism drama Music didn’t win. The second most important news here is that Ryan Murphy’s awful musical The Prom didn’t win. Sacha Baron Cohen thanks the “all-white” HFPA for the award and goes onto take some potshots at Rudy Giuliani because again, why not. He’s probably about to win another award ...

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David Fincher is taking a shot of vodka with every loss, which is inspiring.

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Chloé Zhao’s Globe-winning film is a real marvel and here’s a lovely piece on why it strikes such a chord right now

WINNER: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) - best director

In an incredible year for female directors at the Globes with a record three nominees, the most deserving won out. Chloé Zhao’s incredible film Nomadland is rightly leading the way this season and her work here should pick up every award possible. Only one female director has ever won this award before.

WINNER: Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) – best actor in a drama

An emotional moment now as the late Chadwick Boseman’s wife accepts the award on his behalf. She imagines what his speech would have been and who he would have thanked. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring,” she says, fighting back tears. It’s one of many posthumous awards Boseman has deservedly picked up and that was another poignant reminder of what a great talent we all lost last year.

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A reminder of how good that show about chess was:

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WINNER: The Queen's Gambit – best limited series, anthology series or TV movie

And I did just say. A shame for Steve McQueen and Small Axe but this is far safer Globes fare and is helping to turn it into a dominant night for Netflix

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WINNER: Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) – best actress in a limited series, anthology series or TV movie

One of the most-watched shows over the last year was always going to be a big winner when it came to awards season and I’m guessing this is the first of two big wins for the Netflix chess drama tonight.

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Jason Sudeikis has addressed his hoodie in the virtual press room. Apparently it’s branded merchandise from his sister’s dance and workout studio.

“I believe when people that you care about do cool, interesting things, that you should support them, so this is no different than that,” he said. “I have a multitude of hoodies for a multitude of things that I believe in and support but this one seemed the most appropriate.”

Jodie’s dog is a lot

WINNER: Gillian Anderson (The Crown) – best supporting actress in a TV series

More The Crown! The show did have three nominations in this category and while Gillian Anderson’s take on Margaret Thatcher was divisive, it was definitely a sight to behold. She’s getting played off real quick which is providing a really chaotic energy to her list of names to thank.

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WINNER: Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian) - best supporting actress in a film

A bit of a shock here with Jodie Foster winning for her under-the-radar role in fact-based drama The Mauritanian. She’s as shocked as we are and is scrambling together a speech off the cuff. It was a surprise that she was nominated so a win is something. She also has a dog who is difficult to wrangle so she’s essentially having to strangle him to keep him in place.

Golden Globe winner Minari is worth that premium rental (unlike many many others at that price) and here’s a piece we had recently on why it means so much

In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Fey and Poehler’s patchy opener:

Another special award here - this time for actor and activist Jane Fonda. There are pre-taped tributes from people such as Brie Larson and Kerry Washington before a reminder of her incredible, illustrious career both on screen and off, acting and fighting for what she believes in.

A curious selection of streamed celebrities watching her arrive including a not at all interested Jodie Foster. On stage, Fonda is talking about the importance of storytelling and how films can help open us up and create empathy. She also gives a shoutout to snubbed drama I May Destroy You for helping her understand sexual assault.

Fonda moves onto diversity in the industry and how we all need to expand the tend and allow more stories to be seen and heard. “Doing this simply means acknowledging what is true” she says. It’s a sharp, rousing speech.

WINNER: The Crown – best drama series

Well of course. Another win here for The Crown, its third tonight, and its sixth since it started. It’s become Netflix’s most reliable award-winner so they’ll be desperately searching for a prestige-y replacement when it ends soon.

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Jason Sudeikis giving negative fucks has gone down well in a ceremony that is mostly not going down that well.

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WINNER: Minari – best foreign language film

An increasingly controversial category here as the HFPA’s bizarre rules mean that no film in a foreign language can be nominated for the main best picture category, even though Minari is set in America with some English too. Stupid but predictable given the HFPA. The wonderful Minari was always going to win this one and it should be a key contender when the Oscar nominations are announced soon.

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An errrrmmm telemedicine sketch now? OK. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carey Mulligan, Don Cheadle, Glenn Close, Tina Fey and others asking weird, unfunny questions to doctors. Ironically it arrives just after Fey and Amy Poehler remarked on the viral moments from tonight’s show ...

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WINNER: Josh O'Connor (The Crown) – best actor in a drama series

Another acting win for awards magnet The Crown for a very surprised and pleased Josh O’Connor. It’s the first speech that is getting kind of played off by music which is awkward as he ends it by talking about mental health and arts employees out of work during a pandemic. Nice job guys.

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WINNER: Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot) – best actress in a musical or comedy film

Oh wow, a big shock here. Many had expected Maria Bakalova to win for her incredible breakout performance in Borat 2 but Rosamund Pike slipped in at the end with her wonderfully icy turn in the pitch-black Netflix movie I Care a Lot. She deserves it and is clearly overwhelmed by the win yet provides a smart speech with a nice jab aimed at Rudy Giuliani because why not. This will be a big boost for her best actress Oscar campaign as the category is still in question with voting starting this week.

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Another necessary reminder that yep, we are watching an awards show during a deadly pandemic, with Sean Penn asking for more charitable contributions. The actor has been doing an incredible amount with his non-profit Core, helping to provide more testing and vaccine facilities.

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Same

WINNER: Schitt's Creek – best comedy series

The final season of the slow-burn hit Schitt’s Creek was always going to come out on top this year especially after a big night at the Emmys. Dan Levy uses his time to remind the HFPA to embrace more diversity.

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WINNER: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) – best actor in a comedy series

‘It’s great to be black, sorry back, at the Golden Globes,” jokes presenter Sterling K Brown, who has been vocal in his frustration with the HFPA’s lack of diversity. It’s a strange rambling speech from Jason Sudeikis for his role in the sleeper hit Ted Lasso. He is wearing a hoodie and is half-reading from something and half-making disjointed stuff up. Don Cheadle even appears via his stream to tell him to wrap it up. Weird!

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Woof now Kate Hudson is reminding us that Sia’s horribly offensive autism musical Music is up for best picture (musical or comedy).

Here’s why that’s a problem:

SAL

WINNER: Soul – best original score

Another award here for Pixar’s Soul and for Jon Batiste and Trent Reznor, an unlikely yet excellent duo. Presenter Tracy Morgan announced it as “Sal” which was or wasn’t a joke. Footage on the way.

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WINNER: The Life Ahead – best original song

Awards magnet Diane Warren picking up an ward here for her song from Netflix drama The Life Ahead starring Sophia Loren. Justice for Her’s Judas song though!

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WINNER: Emma Corrin (The Crown) – best actress in a drama series

The HFPA loves The Crown and they have decided to opt against their previous fave Olivia Colman to show some love to Emma Corrin and her excellent performance as Diana in the Netflix show. “You have taught me compassion and empathy beyond any measure,” Corrin says to actual Diana in her speech.

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How did this happen?

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John Boyega celebrating his win on Instagram live is really very charming:

A special award now for Norman Lear, a US sitcom treasure who elevated the art form and embedded important issues within primetime TV. Back in the 70s he was challenging racist views, misogyny and tackled difficult subjects on shows like All in the Family, The Jeffersons and One Day At a Time.

At 98 he is continuing to make television, including revivals of his classic shows. The progressive producer is accepting his award at home (with one of the slickest setups we’ve seen tonight (maybe pre-recorded). “I could not feel more blessed,” he says. Matching up parts of his speech to randomly selected nominees at home is a strange touch though and I guess it means they’ve been told to stay put for the entire ceremony? No accidentally empty sofa yet. Jason Sudeikis is wearing a hoodie, I can confirm.

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Now Sarah Paulson with a horrifying reminder that The Prom is nominated for best musical or comedy. A truly cursed year.

Leaving this here:

Celebrity choice of background Zoom room continues to be fascinating:

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Time for a skit now! Kenan Thompson and Maya Rudolph are giving a pretend speech for an award that doesn’t exist, aiming to show just how rambling acceptance speeches can often be. Kenan does an Adrien Brody homage with an inappropriate kiss while Maya goes straight for an Amy grope. Two of SNL’s most reliable performers (one ex and one current) and they’re as good as ever but it’s a little bit hard to create the right kind of energy without a big audience. Not sure if this will be as viral as they hope. Also Kenan was on SNL last night and now he’s in LA?? That’s commitment! Or something!

WINNER: Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) – best screenplay

Unusual recognition for female screenwriters in this category which is good but ultimately Sorkin wins out for his script for the long-gestating fact-based drama. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing this film a lot more tonight. It’s easy, rousing awardsbait stuff and the HFPA will lap it up. More kids too.

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WINNER: Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True) – best actor in a limited series, anthology series or TV movie

A tough category (Daniels! Grant! Cranston!) and while Ruffalo’s bleak HBO series might not have become the talking point many expected during the pandemic, it’s a performance that deserves recognition. Ruffalo’s speech is a plea for all of us to come together, especially with a focus on climate change and coming together after a divisive four years. Fun to see his kids leap into the background too.

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Also lest we forget:

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I’m expecting more unimpressed tweets like this from a hugely underwhelming HFPA moment just now...

Aaaand here’s our recent interview with winner Catherine O’Hara:

OK so time for something serious and necessary. “We recognise we have our own work to do,” a German HFPA member says before colleagues talk about the lack of black members being an issue. “We have more work to do” is thrown away before it wraps up with speed. It’s clumsy and last-minute and we’re gonna need a far more comprehensive plan on how they are going to change within the next week or the outrage will continue.

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WINNER: Soul – best animated film

In a heinous year for animated movies, it was always going to be Soul’s win. It’s a speech told via a screen within a screen within a screen which is a headache but Soul deserved it by a mile.

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WINNER: Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) – best actress in a TV comedy series

No surprise here – another award for Catherine O’Hara for Schitt’s Creek. Also not a surprise was yet more tech issues with some awful sound interruption as she stared to talk. Oh wait, it’s deliberate. Her husband is on his phone the whole time trying to get audience noises before trying to pretend play her off with music. A nice idea for a skit but man did it tank as we could barely hear what she was saying. No more of that please.

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While accepting his much deserved award for Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya asked people to learn more about the real Fred Hampton. Here’s a fascinating piece we published recently giving a further insight into his life:

A spooky teaser of what’s to come as the nominees for best actress in a TV comedy all awkwardly make small talk with each other via screens. Horror!

WINNER: John Boyega (Small Axe) – best supporting actor on television

A useful reminder from presenter Angela Bassett about the safety precautions that have allowed tonight to happen. Another great win! John Boyega for his role in the Small Axe anthology and a rushed speech as he’s worried about his poor his wifi connection is. But the sound worked!

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WINNER: Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) – best supporting actor in a film

Yikes what a disaster of an opener. A great win but errr there’s no sound initially for Kaluuya to talk via Zoom. Presenter Laura Dern talks him off but oh, then it starts working just as they told us it wasn’t going to happen as planned. What a mess. Kaluuya’s connection isn’t great but it’s a deserved win to start the night – a fantastic performance and Kaluuya ends with a tribute toward his character Fred Hampton and his hope that people will learn more about his incredible life as a result. But urgh Zoom.

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Here we go

And so begins another strange semi-virtual awards ceremony in both a strange year for us all but also a strange year for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), under scrutiny for allegations of corruption as well as a lack of diversity with both their members and the performers they chose to nominate.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler arrive to masked audiences on different coasts, brought together by technology. There are early jokes about tech issues, met with weird laughter from a small handful of people (that’s gonna take some getting used to). It’s then revealed that the in-person crowd is made up of first responders – a nice touch.

“Those bitches are messy,” Fey says of the normal front tables of celebrities, such as Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt.

Ooh and here are some HFPA jokes (“European weirdos”), referring to the lack of diversity as well as the ridiculous nature of their membership (“most of them might be ghosts”).

Amy Poehler screaming the word Mank is fun followed up by Tina Fey calling The Queen’s Gambit “whatever James Corden was up to in The Prom” – hmmmm. Going to celebs sort of laughing at jokes at home is strange, especially when Fey calls “French Exit” what she did after episode one of Emily in Paris and Lily Collins looks uncomfortable.

They are now criticising the Globes for their lack of inclusivity again. It’s well-intentioned but not really working. The HFPA and NBC is donating $2m to Covid-19 relief which is something. But woof, a rough start.

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Here’s a reminder of who is nominated for what and all that (it’s about to begin):

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Tina Fey

Is it a dress? It is a tuxedo? It’s both, and it’s another vote for the heartening micro-trend of tights on the red carpet by co-host Tina Fey. Nicely played.

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One of the most talked about snubs of the evening is Michael Coel’s extraordinary drama I May Destroy You, last year’s most lauded show. Now, anyone who has kept a track of the Globes voting history won’t have been too surprised by this (quality isn’t usually part of the process) but it was still left a sour taste in the mouth.

Emily in Paris writer Deborah Copoaken summed up her, and many of our, thoughts rather well in this piece she wrote for us:

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler looks as happy to be on the red carpet as I am to see her. What I like about this dress is that it looks like a Christmas elf refashioned in black sequins, and there is nothing that isn’t festive about that.

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Cynthia Erivo

This is very “Cynthia Erivo as 80s sweets: a thread” and we love it. Dressed in Valentino couture this is a bold op-art referencing moment and we’re here for it.

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Tina Fey has already said that tonight “doesn’t seem like a venue for political jokes” while she and Amy Poehler want to “make it a fun hang out for people at home – a stress reliever”.

Poehler has referred to the situation as “full-on weird” but is hoping the weirdness will “translate into something fun and interesting”.

As rubbish as the HFPA is in many ways, one good thing is the amount of free rein the hosts are always given to poke fun at anyone and everyone, including the HFPA themselves. This year more than ever they deserve a roast so fingers crossed.

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Dan Levy

After his Thom Browne kilt at the Emmys, Levy makes another wonderful menswear statement in a yellow Valentino suit, complete with disco top and Captain Fantastic platform shoes.

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So the LA Times continued to report on the HFPA, including the fallout from their original pieces earlier this week. Yesterday, they covered internal emails which blamed part of the problem on their own bylaws (sure) as well as former HFPA president Meher Tatna, who said the group hadn’t had a black member for at least 20 years. It’s a mess and one that will take a huge amount of work on the HFPA’s part to start to fix and how they will address it tonight is to be seen but it will for sure be a part of the speeches.

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Amanda Seyfried

And you thought the flower crown was persona non grata didn’t you? Well it turns out, it looks pretty magnificent if you wear if just below your shoulders. Joking asking, Karen from Mean Girls looks utterly wonderful in this Oscar De La Renta number.

Leslie Odom Jr

An exceptionally classy way to make neon polo necks happen. We love the muted pinks of the suit jacket off-set by the bovver boots too.

What started out as a strange season for awards-aiming fare has ultimately turned into a rather normal one with the standard mixture of biopics and issues-led films dominating. As ever the HFPA has some made some car crash decisions with their nominees this year (Sia’s deeply offensive autism musical Music nabbing two nods is among the most egregious mis-steps) making their thought process as messy and hard to predict as usual but here with his idea on who will triumph tonight is Peter Bradshaw:

Jared Leto wears a jumper

As far as we understand it (but this semi-WFH, semi-socially distant red carpet is confusing), this snap reveals Jared Leto’s WFH red carpet outfit. Wow. This is a man that went to the Met Ball holding a replica of his own head (by Gucci) a few years ago. Here he stands by a window and wears a nice rollneck jumper. He’s changed. Also: balayage!

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Tahar Rahim

Absolutely killing it in this midnight Vuitton suit. This is a look that pretty much says: “hi, this is my Bond audition, thank you.”

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Andra Day

Andra Day who is nominated for her visceral performance playing Lady Day in Lee Daniels excellent The United States Vs Billie Holiday is wearing a beautiful Chanel dress tonight.

“I call Chanel ‘Channellliqua’,” she told Drew Barrymore (Day previously wore the fashion label at 2020’s Soul Train awards). “I’m saving Prada for another event.” Maybe one that rhymes with “Foskers”?

The gown is from the SS21 couture collection. Creative director Virginie Viard’s collection had a celebratory theme and some design flourishes that were directly inspired by Coco Chanel’s own craftsmanship. It’s a perfect choice not only because it references the 1930s, when Holliday was gaining popularity, but also because it’s a dress of two halves. The top says classical elegance and the bottom half is more playful. Appropriate for the duality within Holliday herself.

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The understandable outrage over the LA Times expose and the fact that there isn’t a single black member in the HFPA has been rumbling on, prompting input from Time’s Up, who created a graphic that has since been shared by celebrities including Kerry Washington, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Aniston and Sterling K Brown.

Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo also posted an open letter on Instagram. “Let’s show our black colleagues that we care and are willing to do the work to right the wrongs we have created,” she wrote. “Now is not a time to be silent. We have a real action item here let’s get it done.”

Ava DuVernay expressed surprise that people are expressing surprise over the lack of diversity (it’s not exactly been a secret for a long time) while the HFPA will reportedly address the problem during the ceremony tonight. Let’s see how far they take it.

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Josh O’Connor

What’s confusing about this year’s Golden Globes red carpet is it’s only a red carpet for the presenters. For the nominees this is a WFH situation, so here’s Josh O’Conner – the man who made Prince Charles briefly fanciable – standing in front of some curtains. He looks incredibly dapper in a Byronic kind of way in this Loewe suit. He is able to wear cream trousers, too, which is one of the advantages of being home near some Vanish and a washing machine.

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This year, and try not to get too upset about this, gifting suites have been forced out of expensive hotel suites and onto the street outside of expensive hotels instead.

The strange, here’s some soap and a luxury cruise ship vacation, ritual that sees rich stars get given stuff they could otherwise afford, was made even stranger this year. Buuuuut to make the practice slightly less gross this year, 10 first responders have also been given some swag. Included this year is an active $149 bluetooth mask (?) as well as, for some, a trip to Bali.

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Often downgraded as the lesser half of the night, it’s easy to forget that the Globes is also a celebration of the small screen, something that’s become a standard joke at this stage (Fey and Poehler will almost certainly reference it at some point).

But this year more than ever, we’ve watched a ton more shows than we have movies so perhaps that’s about to change? Here’s Adrian Horton bravely guessing who and what might come out on top:

Greetings from the fashion team! Hannah Marriott and Priya Elan here, blowing the dust off our critical faculties, as it has been a while since we had a red carpet to appraise. Let’s start with presenter Margot Robbie, in tiered and belted Chanel – look 3 from the spring/summer 21 catwalk, I believe. She looks great. Personally I am just happy to have an outfit to look at that is not my own sweatpants.

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The past few years have seen divisive discussion around whether an awards show host is even necessary anymore. Recent examples – Ricky Gervais, James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel – haven’t exactly inspired us to want anything more than a robot announcing winners but when trying to recall the last great example, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler stand out far from the rest.

The pair have hosted three times before, managing to be sharp without being too mean, deftly skewering both the industry as well the Globes itself and as eye-rolling as a lot of tonight may be, they should provide us with some worthwhile moments.

Here’s a reminder of their best:

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Talk of the town for the last week or so has been the fallout from the LA Times’s damaging investigation into the makeup and practices of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The group of 87 international journalists has long been ridiculed by the industry for being a small and questionable yet strangely influential cabal, plagued by rumours of bribery and accused of opting for the allure of star power over the recognition of genuine talent. By this stage, anyone switching on the Globes and expecting a fair and balanced review of the last year is high on something but these recent reveals have uncovered more alleged corruption and issues than any of us were aware of.

Here are some of the key findings:

  • Out of the 87 members, not a single one is black
  • The HFPA is a non-profit organisation yet in the last fiscal year, members reportedly collected nearly $2m in payments from the group, something that could lead to trouble with the IRS
  • More than 30 members were flown to Paris to promote the show Emily in Paris and were treated to a luxury stay (the show ended up with two nominations)
  • Many of the members write for obscure outlets and publicists are reportedly forced to work with them out of fear of being punished by the HFPA at large
  • Members include a wealthy socialite and a bodybuilder-turned-actor
  • Members have also been disciplined for selling freebies sent by publicists as well as tickets to the ceremony itself

Going for gold

Arriving almost two months later than usual, this year’s Golden Globes ceremony is about to kick off a strange awards season with controversy, confusion and a refreshing amount of unpredictability.

It tends to be the looser, drunker, sillier awards show of the year with hosts and presenters taking it about as seriously as we should. Tonight shall be an even weirder one than usual: the hosts, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey (praise be), and presenters will be in person on the east and west coasts while all nominees will be at home. It sort of kind of worked for the Emmys last year, even with a less surer emcee, and almost a year into the pandemic, things should technically be slickly handled tonight, everyone a lot more confident with the intricacies of virtual life.

Predicted winners include Carey Mulligan, the late Chadwick Boseman and a least one person from The Crown, but success will come with a shadow. For years many of us have known that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a strange group of 87 tenuously labelled journalists, have been a bit of a joke, doling out awards to undeserving winners, more impressed with celebrity than talent, but a recent Los Angeles Times expose has shown us an even darker side (more on that later).

It’ll be interesting to see how Fey and Poehler handle this tonight, if at all, but the increased scrutiny will add an edge to the evening for sure. Stick with us for what passes as a red carpet in 2021, all of the many winners, the easily chopped off at-home speeches and any further controversy that arises. It’ll be a unique one.

 

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