Golden Globes 2021: From Brits dominating to lack of diversity, what happened at the 2021 ceremony

The evening began with biting jokes and ended with a triumph for ‘Nomadland’

Chadwick Boseman's wife gives emotional acceptance speech on behalf of late husband

The 2021 Golden Globes took place semi-virtually on Sunday 28 February, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting a modified ceremony owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both hosts performed their duties from separate cities, on opposite coasts. Fey was in New York at the Rainbow Room, a famous venue located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (an address also known as 30 Rock, after which Fey’s sitcom was named). Amy Poehler hosted from Los Angeles.

Fey and Poehler were present in person, as were award presenters including Awkwafina, Joaquin Phoenix, Tiffany Haddish, Angela Bassett, and Margot Robbie. Nominees, however, attended remotely, and winners delivered their acceptance speeches via video link.

The ceremony marked a strong night for British performers. Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and John Boyega (Small Axe) were among the ceremony’s early winners, taking home the trophies for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture for TV, respectively.

Emma Corrin took Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her uncanny portrayal of Diana in The Crown, while Josh O’Connor won in the men’s category for his part as Prince Charles. The Crown had two more wins: one for the show itself, in the Best Television Series – Drama category, and one for American actor Gillian Anderson, voted Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher.

Read more: Golden Globes 2021 winners: The full list

Rosamund Pike earned the award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her chilling work in I Care a Lot, while Sacha Baron Cohen took home Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his daring role in Borat Subsequent MovieFilm. The film also won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance in The Queen’s Gambit earned her the trophy for Best Actress In A Mini-Series or Motion Picture for TV. The Queen’s Gambit itself was picked for Best Television Motion Picture.

Ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, Time’s Up took the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the organisation behind the Golden Globes) to task in a tweet that read, “A cosmetic fix isn’t enough,” next to an image with the words: “Hollywood Foreign Press Association – Not a single Black member out of 87.”

Many high-profile figures spoke out on the issue during the ceremony, from the two hosts to Jane Fonda, Sterling K Brown, Sacha Baron Cohen, and more. The HFPA said it intends to make some changes, echoing a previous statement that read in part: ““We understand that we need to bring in Black members as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible.”

Chadwick Boseman posthumously won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. His wife Taylor Simone Ledward delivered a moving acceptance speech on his behalf, saying: “I don’t have his words but we have to take all the moment to celebrate all we love, so thank you, HFPA, for this opportunity to do exactly that.”

Among the high-profile wins of the evening was Chloé Zhao’s success with Nomadland. She became the second woman ever to win the award for Best Director – Motion Picture. The film itself took Best Motion Picture – Drama.

For a full list of winners, you can click here.

Follow the ceremony as it happened with our live blog:

Golden Globes talking points

• Nomadland wins Best Motion Picture – Drama
• Mark Ruffalo’s thank you speech
• Chadwick Boseman wins posthumous award

[28 February 2021 15:08 · Roisin O'Connor]

An unexpected bit of Golden Globes trivia is that the annual ceremony barely had hosts before 2010. Then Ricky Gervais steamrolled in, bending the temperature of the show’s tone and humour to his will. It’s been shaped in his image ever since, writes Adam White.

That’s not to say he’s been the funniest host in recent years. He was better than the bizarrely charmless pairing of Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, but who wouldn’t be? Likewise innocuous US talk show stars such as Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon. He’s not as good as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, though, who hit the sweet spot between bitter acidity and joyful froth that Gervais has always missed. Blessedly, they’ll be returning to host this year’s virtual Globes on 28 February.

[28 February 2021 15:27 · Roisin O'Connor]

[28 February 2021 15:51 · Roisin O'Connor]

When drained of glamour, what’s left of the Golden Globes?

That’s one of the biggest questions heading into the 78th annual awards on Sunday night. The show, postponed two months from its usual early-January perch, will have little of what makes the Globes one of the frothiest and glitziest events of the year. Due to the pandemic, there will be no parade of stars down the red carpet outside the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Its hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will be on different sides of the country.

More than any award show, the Globes revel in being an intimate banquet of stars. When the show begins at 8 p.m. EST on NBC, with Poehler in Beverly Hills and Fey in New York’s Rainbow Room, the circumstances will test the Globes telecast like never before. Associated Press

[28 February 2021 16:10 · Roisin O'Connor]

We’ve got a fair bit of time to kill before the ceremony kicks off, so why not keep yourself occupied with our list of the 37 most shocking movie twists of all time?

[28 February 2021 16:31 · Roisin O'Connor]

Our big interview this weekend is with Da 5 Bloods star Delroy Lindo, widely regarded as one of the most outrageous snubs of this year’s Golden Globes.

[28 February 2021 16:51 · Roisin O'Connor]

You can also read arts writer Helen Brown’s piece on Sia’s controversial film Music, which DID get nominated for this year’s ceremony...

[28 February 2021 17:10 · Roisin O'Connor]

The Golden Globes exist as an irritation first, a celebration of film and TV artistry second. Every year, a mysterious collective of 93 non-American journalists living in Los Angeles, known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), convene in order to hand out trophies with no apparent rhyme or reason behind the decisions. That deeply moving, contemplative indie drama you fell head over heels for? It’s nowhere to be seen. Some tacky thing stuffed with cheap sentiment and bankable stars? It’s guaranteed to break every Golden Globes record there is.

Film critic Clarisse Loughrey

[28 February 2021 17:31 · Roisin O'Connor]

Quick reminder for all you UK-based film and TV fans:

The Golden Globes are not broadcast in the UK, so even if you are committed to staying up from 1am to 5am to watch the ceremony, there is no legal way for you to tune in.

However, if you keep an eye on The Independent’s liveblog, you’ll be kept up to speed with photos, video clips, news and comment

[28 February 2021 17:51 · Roisin O'Connor]

Why were Emily in Paris’s nominations so controversial, you ask? Our TV critic’s review might give you an idea...

[28 February 2021 18:10 · Roisin O'Connor]

There have been more rumbles of controversy after it emerged that there is not a single black member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) – the group that selects the Golden Globe nominations – which consists of 87 non-American entertainment journalists.

Organisers have now pledged to rectify this “as soon as possible”, with a spokesperson for the HFPA telling The Telegraph that it was “fully committed to ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV, and the artists inspiring and educating them”.

Read more here: