2021 Golden Globes: Chloe Zhao makes history, Chadwick Boseman wins posthumously

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association did it again earlier this year when the organizations revealed its list of nominees for the 2021 Golden Globes. Once again, just like in other years, people and productions of colour in the TV and film industry got snubbed badly. And in this past week, during the run-up to the actual awards show, a scathing expose perhaps revealed why: the out-of-touch HFPA did not boast a single black member in its number.

Whether the subsequent public pressure influenced how the HFPA eventually voted for the winners in the remotely-streamed ceremony that wrapped up this morning is unclear. But at least they got some things right this time (well, not excluding the things they got wrong to get us here).

Easily the most bittersweet award of the night saw the late Chadwick Boseman posthumously win the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama award for his blistering performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It was Boseman’s final role before the Black Panther actors’ unexpected death to cancer last year. His wife received his award with a highly emotional speech. There had been a strong case for Boseman to also be nominated as Best Supporting Actor in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, but the HFPA chose to completely shut out that film despite it being a big Oscars favourite in several categories.

And speaking of Oscars favourites, Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland continued its path to the Big Gold Statue as it took home Best Picture – Drama with Zhao also earning Best Director. The Chinese-born filmmaker thus makes history as Zhao became the first woman of colour and only second woman overall to ever win Best Director at the Globes. The only other woman winner was Barbara Streisand for 1983’s Yentl. There have only ever been eight woman nominated in the entire existence of the Globes. Also, joining Zhao in adding to history was Andra Day who the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her role in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The singer/actor is only the second black woman to ever win the award.

Outside of those historic wins, Netflix dominated the night with 10 awards, helped along nicely by The Crown earning four awards. These included the big one of Best Television Series – Drama, as well as acting awards for Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin, and Gillian Anderson, who played Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Margaret Thatcher respectively in the semi-biographical drama. That wasn’t the only royal winner for Netflix though as The Queen’s Gambit took home the prize for Best Limited Series, with star Anya Taylor-Joy grabbing Best Actress in a Limited Series.

Other notable wins saw Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm bag the Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical prize while the British actor nabbed the Best Actor trophy for his work as the controversial character. Schitt’s Creek also won big in its final season as the beloved series won Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy with Catherine O’Hara also winning the Best Actress award for her turn as the inimitable Moira Rose. And as expected, Minari took home the prize for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language, but it was mixed emotions for the victory as many felt it should have been in the running for Best Picture overall had it not been for the HFPA’s archaic rules.

Here’s the full list for the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards with winners in bold.

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Film

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
Music
Palm Springs
The Prom

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman -The Father
Jodie Foster -The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Helena Zengel – News of the World

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Another Round
La Llorona
The Life Ahead
Minari
Two of Us

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Jack Fincher – Mank
Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton – The Father
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

Best Director – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
David Fincher – Mank
Regina King – One Night in Miami
Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit
Anya Taylor-Joy – Emma
Kate Hudson – Music
Rosamund Pike – I Care a Lot

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Gary Oldman – Mank
Tahar Rahim – The Mauritanian

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Fight for You by H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas – Judas and the Black Messiah
Hear My Voice by Daniel Pemberton, Celeste – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Io Sì (Seen) by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi – The Life Ahead
Speak Now by Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth- One Night in Miami
Tigress & Tweed by Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq – The United States vs Billie Holiday

Best Motion Picture – Animated
The Croods: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
James Corden – The Prom
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton
Dev Patel – The Personal History of David Copperfield
Andy Samberg – Palm Springs

Best actress in a Motion Picture – drama
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand – Nomadland
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Father
Mank
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
Jared Leto – The Little Things
Bill Murray – On the Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami

Best Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat – The Midnight Sky
Ludwig Göransson – Tenet
James Newton Howard – News of the World
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Mank
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste – Soul

Cecil B DeMille award
Jane Fonda

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Television

Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy
The Flight Attendant
The Great
Schitt’s Creek
Emily in Paris
Ted Lasso

Best Actor in a TV series – Drama
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Josh O’Connor – The Crown
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Al Pacino – Hunters
Matthew Rhys – Perry Mason

Best TV Series – Drama
The Crown
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Ratched

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Cate Blanchett – Mrs. America
Shira Haas – Unorthodox
Nicole Kidman – The Undoing
Anya Taylor-Joy – The Queen’s Gambit
Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama
Olivia Colman – The Crown
Jodie Comer – Killing Eve
Emma Corrin – The Crown
Laura Linney – Ozark
Sarah Paulson – Ratched

Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Bryan Cranston – Your Honor
Jeff Daniels – The Comey Rule
Hugh Grant – The Undoing
Ethan Hawke – The Good Lord Bird
Mark Ruffalo – I Know This Much Is True

Best Actress in a TV series – Musical or Comedy
Lily Collins – Emily in Paris
Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning – The Great
Jane Levy – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek

Best Actor in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy
Don Cheadle – Black Monday
Nicholas Hoult – The Great
Eugene Levy – Schitt’s Creek
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso
Ramy Youssef – Ramy

Best Limited Series or TV Movie
Normal People
The Queen’s Gambit
Small Axe
The Undoing
Unorthodox

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Limited Series or TV Movie
John Boyega – Small Axe
Brendan Gleeson – The Comey Rule
Daniel Levy – Schitt’s Creek
Jim Parsons – Hollywood
Donald Sutherland – The Undoing

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series – Limited Series or TV Movie
Gillian Anderson – The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown
Julia Garner – Ozark
Annie Murphy – Schitt’s Creek
Cynthia Nixon – Ratched

Carol Burnett award
Norman Lear

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Last Updated: March 1, 2021