The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards are underway, with three-time, now four-time hosts Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) broadcasting from New York and California, respectively. For the first time in history, Golden Globe nominations were announced virtually due to the ongoing limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, nominees will be seen virtually from locations across the globe.
Six-time Golden Globe winner Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City) and Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson (Empire) had disclosed this year’s nominees at the beginning of the month. Netflix took the cake for most nominations by a motion picture distributor as well as nominations by a television distributor, at 22 and 20 respectively. Meanwhile, Netflix’s The Crown and Pop TV’s Schitt’s Creek lead in nominations of television series, at six and five respectively. This story will be updated minute-by-minute to provide readers with up-to-date information on winners and notable moments during the 2021 Golden Globes ceremony.
4:15 p.m.: Hosted by Jane Lynch (Glee) and Susan Kelechi Watson (This is Us), the 2021 Golden Globes pre-show featured interviews with nominees from across the world. First-time nominees Elle Fanning (The Great) and Jane Levy (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) bonded via Zoom over the former’s experience while producing her comedy/historical drama The Great. Levy agreed that since Fanning’s Hulu series is now placed in the “comedy category,” she “prefers humor and when you can make people laugh.”
4:26: Presenter Christopher Meloni (Happy!) also joined Watson to discuss his upcoming Law & Order spinoff entitled Law & Order: Organized Crime, which will premiere on April 1. He also shared a memory of the late Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), whom he worked with on 42. He referenced his first interaction with Boseman, stating, “I didn’t know him and I walked up to him and introduced myself. I was so happy for him…It was a great first meeting…I realized he wasn’t just a great actor but he was a great human being.” Boseman passed away in 2020 after his four-year battle with cancer. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
4:51 p.m.: Nominee for Best Director in a Motion Picture for One Night in Miami Regina King (Watchmen) is one of three women being nominated for this category, with only five women having ever been nominated. When asked about this feat, she explained, “It’s one of those moments where it’s 2021 and this is the first time that this is happening…it feels good and I hope this is just the beginning.”
5:03 p.m.: Opening the first bi-coastal Golden Globe Awards, Poehler and Fey revealed that their audiences were filled entirely with healthcare workers. They opened the awards ceremony with a series of jokes and later introduced the first presenter, Laura Dern, who presented the Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, which went to Daniel Kaluuya for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah.
5:14 p.m.: After assuring audiences that the ceremony will be following CDC COVID-19 protocols, Angela Bassett announced the nominees for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: John Boyega for his role in Small Axe, Brendan Gleeson for his role in The Comey Rule, Daniel Levy for his role in Schitt’s Creek, Jim Parsons for his role in Hollywood, and Donald Sutherland for his role in The Undoing. John Boyega, also known for his roles in the Star Wars series, won his first Golden Globe tonight, thanking Amazon and his fellow castmates. Small Axe is based on London’s West Indian community during the latter half of the 20th century.
5:22 p.m.: Next, Christopher Slater (Heathers) announced the nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series: Lily Collins in Emily in Paris, Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant, Elle Fanning in The Great, Jane Levy in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and Catherine O’Hara in Schitt’s Creek. O’Hara won this award, adding yet another accomplishment to PopTV’s Schitt’s Creek, which officially concluded last year. The series dominated the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards, including a win for O’Hara for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Speaking through the rush of her husband’s “ending” music and referring to her co-stars and producers Eugene and Daniel Levy, O’Hara gave many thanks in her speech, stating, “They created an inspiring, funny, beautiful love story and they let me wear 100 wigs and speak like an alien…It’s an experience I will forever hold in my heart.”
5:35 p.m.: The nominees for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology, or Motion Picture were then announced as Bryan Cranston for Your Honor, Jeff Daniels for The Comey Rule, Hugh Grant for The Undoing, Ethan Hawke for The Good Lord Bird, and Mark Ruffalo for I Know This Much is True. The Golden Globe went to Ruffalo, who recently won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for the same series. In his speech, Ruffalo preached ideas of unity and inclusion for our country’s future, “What connects us is greater than what keeps us apart. The more we include each other….the faster we will heal our broken hearts,” he continued, “Let’s turn the page on the cruel past of this nation.”
5:51 p.m.: The recipient of the Carol Burnett Award for Achievements in Television was previously announced as Norman Lear, who worked with revolutionary shows such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, and Good Times. Thanking his colleagues and family, Lear stated, “I could not feel more blessed…Nobody has made me laugh harder, nobody I owe more time to, than Carol Burnett…I’ve never lived alone, I’ve never laughed alone.” The award is rewarded for outstanding contributions to television on or off the screen. Awarded to Carol Burnett in 2019, the award continued in 2020 when it was given to Ellen DeGeneres for her role in stand-up comedy and advocacy on and off the screen.
6:07 p.m.: Nominees for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series were then announced: Olivia Colman for her role in The Crown, Jodie Comer for her role in Killing Eve, Emma Corrin for her role in The Crown, Laura Linney for her role in Ozark, and Sarah Paulson for her role in Ratched. Emma Corrin won her first Golden Globe, yet she is currently nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. With Netflix leading in both television and film Golden Globe nominations, Corrin added a win to the networks’ list.
6:19 p.m.: Announcing the nominees for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy Television Series, This is Us co-stars Sterling K. Brown and Watson revealed Don Cheadle for Black Monday, Nicholas Hoult for The Great, Eugene Levy for Schitt’s Creek, Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso, and Ramy Youssef for Ramy. Sudeikis won. During his speech, he quotes his son by thanking the crew he spent the show’s first season working with, “I reject the premise of being the best actor because the best actor is the person you get to act with.”
6:23 p.m.: Next, Emily in Paris, The Flight Attendant, The Great, Schitt’s Creek, and Ted Lasso were announced as nominees for Best TV series. Schitt’s Creek won yet another award to its name tonight following the multiple Emmys won just a few months ago. Maintaining the theme of inclusion and diversity as emphasized in his series, Daniel Levy thanked his crew in his acceptance speech, stating, “The incredible work you all did these past six seasons has taken us to places we never thought possible…In the spirit of inclusion, I hope that next year this show reflects the breadth in diversity” that is possible in the television industry.
6:40 p.m.: black-ish star Anthony Anderson then presented the nominees for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama TV Series as Jason Bateman for Ozark, Josh O’Connor for The Crown, Bob Odenkirk for Better Call Saul, Al Pacino for Hunters, and Matthew Rhys for Perry Mason. The Crown’s Josh O’Connor won in this category, the show’s second Golden Globe for the night. In a brief speech, Odenkirk thanked his family and the show’s crew, stating, “Thanks so much for those who made The Crown what it is.” He then attempted to raise awareness for larger social issues in the time of COVID, “I’m very lucky to be able to work during this period and there are so many people who are unable to. I hope we can all put mental health at the forefront of our minds.”
6:55 p.m.: Nominees for Best Television Drama Series were announced, Netflix’s The Crown, HBO’s Lovecraft Country, Disney+’s The Mandalorian, Netflix’s Ozark, and Netflix’s Ratched. With Netflix taking up three spots in this category, it’s no surprise that one of its series won a Golden Globe tonight. While leading the total nominations, The Crown won its third Golden Globe.
7:14 p.m.: Christopher Meloni announced the nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role: Gillian Anderson for The Crown, Helena Bonham Carter for The Crown, Julia Garner for Ozark, Annie Murphy for Schitt’s Creek, and Cynthia Nixon for Ratched. Winning their fourth Golden Globe for the night, The Crown’s Gillian Anderson took home the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Out of 39 Emmy nominations last year, the show garnered ten wins. The 2016 drama is currently in its fourth season.
7:22 p.m.: Among nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture, including Cate Blanchett of Mrs. America, Daisy Edgar-Jones of Normal People, Shira Haas of Unorthodox, Nicole Kidman of The Undoing, and Anya Taylor-Joy of The Queens Gambit. The latter actress won her first Golden Globe and expressed her gratitude in a brief speech: “Thank you to everyone who watched it and supported the characters. It means so much.”
7:25 p.m.: Finishing off the Golden Globe Television awards, the nominees for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology, or Motion Picture were announced as Hulu’s Normal People, Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, Amazon’s Small Axe, HBO’s The Undoing, and Netflix’s Unorthodox with The Queen’s Gambit winning their second award of the night directly after their first. Referring to her previous Godlen Globe win and star of The Queen’s Gambit, creator Scott Frank, in his acceptance speech, jokingly asked, “How can someone who is such an absolute joy to work with literally be called ‘Joy?'” He went on to thank his colleagues, family, and cast.