The 81st annual Golden Globes was held in Beverly Hills, California on Jan. 7. The event, though down in TV viewership since last year, has taken the internet by storm. The host, comedian Jo Koy, has faced backlash after some insensitive jokes, especially ones made toward both Taylor Swift and the Barbie movie. With all the controversy, it was easy to miss the other, more positive things that occurred at the glamorous event. So, what else happened at the 2024 Golden Globes?
As members of the Philadelphia community, it is noteworthy that a Temple graduate won a Golden Globe. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, now 37, went to Temple University for her undergraduate program. She originally studied classical vocal music, with the dream of being an opera singer. After auditioning for an opera role in a Temple musical, she hired an acting coach to help her train. This caused a commotion at the school, ending with Randolph having to leave the program and pursue a degree in musical theater. Randolph graduated from Temple and went on to study at Yale and perform on Broadway before making it to Hollywood. Of late, she has been critically acclaimed for her work, finally securing a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actress in the 2023 film, “The Holdovers.”
The night was full of first-time winners, including Lily Gladstone for Best Actress. Gladstone made history with her win, as she is the first Indigenous person to win an acting Golden Globe. She was born in Montana and had a desire to act from a young age. She performed all throughout her academic career, which culminated in a degree from the University of Montana. After college, Gladstone began to act in movies, with her first debut in 2012. By 2016, she was winning awards for her work, like the Best Supporting Actress award from the Boston Society of Film Critics. In 2023, Gladstone was the female lead in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Her performance in this role won her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
The next two first-time winners came as a surprise to many Golden Globe viewers. After the theatrical event of the year “Barbenheimer,” it was expected that the stars of both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” would walk away with significant recognition. However, many were shocked to hear that Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Murphy has also famously been featured in “Peaky Blinders” and “28 Days Later.”
After the success of “Oppenheimer,” another name circulating in film news was Christopher Nolan, the director of the film. Nolan and Murphy had worked together on six different films over the years, but it seems as though “Oppenheimer” was their first breakthrough at the Golden Globes. Christopher Nolan also took home his first Golden Globe for Best Director Motion Picture, which was a relief for him after four previous nominations for the award that did not result in wins. The other half of the “Barbenheimer” duo, Barbie, did not go home empty-handed either. The film won awards for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Original Song – Motion Picture for Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
“Oppenheimer” was the ultimate winner of the night with five awards, but “The Holdovers” and “Beef” also earned themselves a few awards as well. While the event may have been surrounded by controversy over the host, that did not stop the stars from making history and celebrating their work together. The Golden Globes marks only the beginning of award season, as many are looking towards the Oscars. Currently, “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” are predicted to continue their winning streak, and both Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Lily Gladstone’s names have also been thrown around. The Oscars will be live on March 10, when the celebrities will reunite, though with a different host this time. Will “Oppenheimer” prevail once again, or will another winner emerge? Only time will tell.