By, Becca G. ’21

The 76th Annual Golden Globes Awards was held on January 6, 2019 and celebrated some of the most critically acclaimed movies and television series of 2018. The awards were co-hosted by Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh. Samberg, primarily known for his starring role in NBC’s sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Oh, known for her former part on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, hosted the awards with comedic energy and kept audiences entertained throughout the entire program. Mishael Q. ’21 said that “the hosts were very entertaining and [she] constantly was laughing the whole show.”

In an unexpected turn of events, the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, came home with two awards in the Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama categories. Scoring only a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, it certainly came as a surprise when Bohemian Rhapsody was able to defeat frontrunners such as A Star is Born, BlacKkKlansman, and Black Panther. Elizabeth T. ’21 mentioned that “[she] was excited that Bohemian Rhapsody won big at the Golden Globes” and that “[she] truly [thinks] that lead actor, Rami Malek, deserved to win.” Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly and starred by Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, won the awards for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Mahershala Ali’s performance, and Best Motion Picture Screenplay. Many audiences were upset that Green Book was able to win many awards due to the inaccurate portrayal of the story it is based on, the safe portrayal of racism, and writer Nick Vallelonga’s islamophobic tweets.

In the television categories of the Golden Globe Awards, The Assassination of Gianni Versace took home the award for Best Television Limited Series. Lead actor, Darren Criss, won an award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series. Sadie G. ’20 said “[she] did not know anything about the true story of [this show], but was truly impressed by Darren Criss’ portrayal and watched all nine episodes back to back.” In addition to The Assassination of Gianni Versace taking home many big awards, The Americans won for the Best Drama Television Series, and The Kominsky Method won for The Best Musical or Comedy. Host Sandra Oh won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Television Series for her performance in Killing Eve, becoming the first Asian woman to win multiple Golden Globe awards.

A Star is Born, an audience favorite, was nominated for five different awards, winning only for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. Lady Gaga not only starred in A Star is Born alongside Bradley Cooper, but also co-wrote many of the songs on the movie’s soundtrack. The first single from the movie’s soundtrack, “Shallow,” written and produced by Lady Gaga and performed with Bradley Cooper, captured the attention and hearts of anyone who listened to it. Chloe D. ’21 said that “[‘Shallow’] was one of [her] favorite songs to listen to this year, and [she] loved watching [A Star is Born].” The song won the movie’s only Golden Globe, for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. Another fan favorite, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which received a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, won the award for Best Animated Motion Picture, defeating Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mirai, and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Overall, the 76th Golden Globes Awards brought many surprises and some upsets to audiences watching across the country. Kicking off the 2019 award show season, the Golden Globes paved the way for many unexpected films to continue to win awards as the year continues. With the Oscars and many other upcoming award shows, avid movie and television watchers throughout the country will be eagerly watching to see what else Hollywood has in store.