France's 'Emilia Pérez' and the American epic 'The Brutalist' dominate in the Film categories, while favorites Shōgun and Baby Reindeer win big in the TV awards. Here's the complete lowdown on this year's Golden Globes and what it all means for the awards season ahead. The Golden Globes was the first major awards ceremony of the year and officially kicked off awards season. It has been a hard-to-predict awards season, with the likes of Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist, Anora and Conclave aiming to emerge as a favorite, even if there has been no clear frontrunner – especially compared to last year's critical darling and box office juggernaut Oppenheimer. However, with four wins, including Best Film (Comedy or Musical), Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language), Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña) and Best Song, there doesn't seem to be any stopping French director Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez. His Mexico-set gangster trans musical featuring gender transitioning, cartels, gorgeous choreographies and songs about vaginoplasty is as unexpected as it is unmissable. "In these troubled times, I hope that Emilia Perez will be a beacon of light for those of us not lucky enough to count among their friends a woman as powerful and passionate as Karla Sofía Gascón," said Audiard, accepting the Golden Globe. He dedicated the prize to those worried about the future and what 2025 is going to look like, urging them to keep fighting for their rights. Lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón echoed this sentiment: "You can put us in jail, beat us up, but you can't take our soul. Raise your voice and say: 'I am who I am.'" Going into the ceremony, Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez had 10 nominations, representing quite the win for streamer Netflix – where you can (and should) watch this stunning film. Brady Corbet's The Brutalist won in three major categories - Best Film (Drama), Best Director and Best Actor (Adrian Brody). Corbet beat favourites Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker and Coralie Fargeat in the Best Director category for his epic, textured and mannered historical drama that wowed in Venice last year and stands as a favorite for the upcoming Oscars. Other notable wins include Demi Moore's win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) for her barnstorming turn in Coralie Fargeat's The Substance - her first win ("This is the first time I've ever won anything as an actress!"); and Fernanda Torres becoming the first Brazilian performer to win in the Best Actress Drama category, for her performance in Walter Salles' deeply impactful I'm Still Here. Elsewhere, Sebastian Stan won for A Different Man, which also nabbed him the Golden Bear for Best Actor at last year's Berlinale. "Our ignorance and discomfort around disability has to end now," said Stan, as the film concerns physical disfigurement. "These are tough subject matters, but these films are real and their subjects matter." On the TV side, it was a pretty predictable evening, as the stunning Japan-set historical drama Shōgun swept the board with a total of four wins, including Best TV Series (Drama) and a great many acting awards. There were plenty of positives, as after trying to resuscitate their reputation following racism scandals and controversies regarding voting integrity, the show returned with an expanded voting body for its 82nd edition. This led to a more diverse set of nominees, with 76 countries represented, and an evening of firsts – from the off, as comedian Nikki Glaser became the first solo female host ever at the Globes. Glaser, who is known for her celebrity roasts and out-there humour, did a decent job – a significantly better one that last year's MC Jo Koy. Which wasn't hard to beat, granted. Her opening monologue was somewhat underwhelming and it lacked some of the risqué beats fans are used to from Glaser. Still, it was self-aware and sturdy enough to satisfy. Other firsts included the aforementioned historic win for Fernanda Torres (a sign that voters are looking outside of the instantly familiar), as well as the historic nomination for Karla Sofía Gascón – who became the first out trans performer to get a film acting nod. Her loss in the Best Actress category to Demi Moore is a shame, but you can be sure both performers will be the acting frontrunners at the Oscars in March. There's also the introduction of a new category this year. Indeed, in addition to the previous categories for the best in film and television, the revamped Globes introduced the "Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement" category this year. Its utterly nonsensical title aside (cinematic and box office are two VERY different things), the new award went to Wicked, the big screen (and overlong) adaptation of the beloved Broadway show of the same name. It's heartening to see an awards show like the Golden Globes shake things up with new gongs - even if a new Stunt category could have been more judicious. The Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement prize is a worthy new award that feels like a way of namechecking the mainstream blockbuster titles that are often shunned in the Best Motion Picture line-ups. Maybe a title change though? Elsewhere, the Shōgun team's energy was infectious; Ali Wong deservedly won in the Best Stand Up Comedy category; Colin Farrell thanking the craft services during his acceptance speech was delightful; Sofia Vergara jokingly heckling Jodie Foster during her 5th Globes win ("You already won!") was fun – even if it's a shame she missed out on becoming the first Columbian actress to win Best Actress in a Limited Series for her role in Griselda; Jeremy Strong was wearing a green velvet bucket hat, so that's something; and Glen Powell was looking dreamy as ever, so congratulations to him and his frustratingly perfect genetic makeup that makes all other men feel like hobbits. On the flip side, however, there's no denying that this year's Globe winners were fairly predictable, especially in the TV categories, with the likes of Baby Reindeer, Shōgun and The Bear dominating the categories. That being said, as unsurprising as the TV awards were, it was refreshing to see Hacks win Best TV Series (Comedy) and shake things up, as The Bear – as good as it is – has already swept the boards in previous years. This edition also felt a bit clumsy in its execution – especially having the category presenters doing cringe-worthy bits, often with their backs to the audience. These segments that were made more awkward and stiff this year because they were shot in close-up – something which was actually called out by Seth Rogan during his bit, when he called the camera angle "inelegant and strange". Preach, sir, as it was an odd choice. Even great talent like Kathy Bates, Demi Moore and Harrison Ford couldn't make their back-and-forths work in this format. In fact, it seemed as if their prompters were malfunctioning. Other wobbles included pronouncing The Substance director Coralie Fargeat's name "Farjiiie"; a general sense that the ceremony plodded along without much build-up; and the fact that these award shows seem to be getting longer with every year that passes. Last year was dominated by Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which took home five Globes before going on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. This year's race has no such frontrunner and remains unpredictable. Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist do seem to emerge as favorites, and both Conclave and Anora seem to be losing some steam, especially the latter after its Palme d'Or win last year. It's a shame, as Sean Baker's biting, kinetic and surprisingly moving drama about a sex worker and how the system is rigged against those not born in privilege deserves more plaudits. It was one of our favorite films of 2024 and it could still make its mark in the coming months. — Euronews
