‘Hollywood is back!’ Perhaps these were the only words spoken by ill-fated Golden Globes host Joe Coy that his audience truly appreciated. Because if this year’s awards ceremony was anything to go by, Tinsel Town (Hollywood) was once again in full swing.
After a rocky start, the Golden Globes managed to become an exciting, feel-good event thanks to the charismatic stars in attendance.
Awards winners including Karen Culkin, Ali Wong, Emma Stone, Eve Edberry, Billie Eilish and Céline Murphy gave impassioned speeches after a muted response to Jo Coy’s awkward hosting until the last minute.
Some smart matchmaking also made the most of the pairings on offer, including Dua Lipa and Elizabeth Banks, Keri Russell and Ray Romano, Andra Day and Jon Bates, and Kevin Costner with Barbie star America Ferrera. Includes rare acting.
In several awards speeches, heavyweights such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Oprah, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford cited the ‘terrible’ star power there. .
Mega producer Sean Levy was spotted tapping away on his phone while going to the toilet. While accepting the award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, “Poor Things” director Gergos Lanthimos was surprised by Bruce Springsteen’s presence in the front line.
American actor Mark Ruffalo holds the award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for ‘Poor Things’ in the press room during the Golden Globes Awards on January 7, 2024 (Robin Beck/AFP)
Just two years ago the ceremony was boycotted and televised due to an ethics scandal involving the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes’ parent organization.
Coy, who won the honor of hosting the event just two weeks before it took place, looked overwhelmed by the famous faces staring back at him as he took to the stage.
They made a weak start, stuttering on the biggest names and avoiding any hint of controversy.
He certainly wasn’t the same as the Globes’ most infamous host, comedian Ricky Gervais, who last hosted the event for the fifth time in 2020.
A nervous-looking Coy didn’t even write off the hilarious bit that Imelda Stanton, as Queen Elizabeth II, was a little too convinced that Prince Harry asked her for money. He got attention from pop artist Taylor Swift when he made a lighthearted joke about her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
Robert Downey Jr. presented Oppenheimer with the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. He paid tribute to the ‘masterpiece’ of a film about the ‘Father of the Atomic Bomb’, praised co-stars including Céline Murphy and Emily Blunt, and also made a funny reference to the revival of the Golden Globe voting academy.
Oppenheimer’s Christopher Nolan won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Accepting the award on stage, he said the last time he was there was for the late Heath Ledger, who won best actor for his performance in Batman’s The Dark Knight.
‘There’s a lot of people to thank,’ said Nolen, name-checking his cast and crew. I can only accept it from people. As directors we bring people together and we try to bring out our best in front of them.’
Next up was Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who accepted the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. Murphy acknowledged the success of his fellow Irish actors, poking fun at the lipstick on his nose after kissing his wife, Irish artist Yvonne McGuinness.
On January 7, 2024, Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki was presented with the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role on Television in the press room at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California, USA (Robin Beck/AFP)
Three of the six nominees in the Best Actor category were Irish, including Saltburn star Barry Keoghan and All of Us Are Stranger actor Andrew Scott Murphy.
Murphy said, ‘If you’re Irish or not, you’re all legends, amazing job, I salute you.’
There was some sympathy for The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, whose award for best actor in a musical or comedy series was won by his advertisement for Calvin Klein underwear.
In the press room, reporters squabbled over who would ask White the probing questions.
Culkin, sensing an opportunity to stir up more chaos, later became the center of press attention by asking fellow actor Matthew MacFadden, the tallest cast member, about his successor.
One thing was clear, despite the fierce competition, there were no losers. Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie looked delighted when Emma Stone won Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Ruby also cheered when Stone’s Poor Things was the surprise winner of Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, beating out her own blockbuster hit Barbie: The Movie. Stone was told that her friend Taylor Swift had also congratulated her on receiving the award.
Musicians Billie Eilish and Phineas O’Connell in the press room after receiving the award for Best Original Song for the film Barbie (Robin Beck/AFP)
Meanwhile, when Leila Gladstone won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance in Scorsese’s ‘Colors of the Flower Moon’, the audience rose from their seats to give her a standing ovation.
He called it a ‘historic win’. Gladstone began his speech in Blackfoot language and then moved on to English.
With her proud co-star DiCaprio in attendance, the 37-year-old actress said, ‘This is for every little urban kid, every little local kid who has a dream, who’s seeing representation and our stories are great. In our own words with allies and great confidence we told ourselves.’
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Along with his cast and producer/wife Emma Thomas, Nolan won one of the night’s biggest prizes, the Golden Globe for Best Picture, Drama.
“Making this film was an incredible experience,” Thomas said in his speech. I love sitting here and listening to everyone talk about their work and what’s clear is that what we do here is collaboration.
‘I’m very happy that Chris has been recognized because what he does is different from what anyone else does.’
He praised ‘all this talent and these amazing actors as well as all our HODs.’
He added: Chris makes others the best by being the best.’
In fact, the 2024 Golden Globes seemed to excel at (almost) everything, ending with a bang and kicking off awards season with a bang.