On January 5, 2025 the 82nd annual Golden Globes was hosted. The record breaking night averaged 10.1 million viewers and live-streaming was up 9% since last year. The Golden Globes is a night to award and celebrate artists, professionals, and their work. Since 1944 the night has been full of celebrities, excellence, and fashion. To read more about the red carpet trends read Joslyn Delsignore’s story: Golden Globes Fashion: Hits and Misses From The Big Night.
Nikki Glasser made history becoming The Globe’s first female solo host. The comedian and actress has been on a roll after her viral performance at the Netflix roast of Tom Brady in May. She was also a nominee this year for her HBO stand-up comedy special Someday You’ll Die. Glaser is known for her brutally honest and raunchy comedy style. She told CBS Mornings, “It was really cool to get the nomination on top of preparing for this” and “to me, hosting is number one.”
The film Emilia Perez led the night in wins. It was nominated for ten awards and won four: Best Motion Picture in Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña, Best Picture in the Non-English Language category, and Best Original Song for “El Mal”. The story follows a Mexican cartel leader who hires a lawyer to help her disappear and achieve a lifelong dream of transitioning into a woman. Karla Sofia Gasco is a transgender woman and stars in the film. She delivered a powerful speech about the oppression of transgender individuals, “The light always wins over darkness…You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up, but you never can take away our soul, our existence, our identity.”
The Brutalist takes place in postwar Europe when an architect moves to America to rebuild his life, career, and marriage. He settles in Pennsylvania when an industrialist sees his value and talent. The historical film was nominated for seven awards and won two: Best Motion Picture in the Drama category and Adrein Brody receiving Best Actor in Drama.
Demi Moore won the only award, Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama, for her performance in The Substance, which was nominated for five awards. Her emotional speech touched on topics like aging, happiness, and self-worth. Moore has been acting for forty years and this was her first major award. Being called a “popcorn actress” in the past Moore said, “When we don’t think we’re smart enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough, or basically just enough, you know. You will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.” The speech touched many people online, especially women due to the strong beauty standards set in recent years.
On the series side, Shogun won every category it was nominated for: Best TV Series in the Drama category, Anna Sawai won Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series (Drama), Hiroyuki Sanada took home Best Performance by an actor in a TV Series (Drama), and Tadanobu Asano snagged Best Performance by an actor in a Supporting Role on TV. The series is set in historical Japan. John Blackthorne is an English navigator who becomes shipwrecked and is thrown into a world full of political and cultural clashes. The series touches on topics of knowledge, power, and strength.
In the Best Musical/Comedy Series category, Hacks took the award home. The comedy series follows Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian, and Ava Daniels, a young comedy writer, as mentorship forms between the pair. Jean Smart won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Musical/Comedy TV Series for her role as Deborah.
This year the Golden Globes was a symbol of achievement and power. From Nikki Glaser breaking barriers and Karla Sofia Gasco’s moving speech, the event was one to remember. As Hollywood continues to progress and change, award shows continue to showcase voices that need to be heard.
