It began with the hosts on two coasts. The 78th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live on 28 February 2021, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosting the event from different venues, and nominees and presenters participating via live feeds from locations around the world.

The ceremony, produced by Dick Clark Productions and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), aired live on Sunday on NBC after being postponed for nearly two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The veteran hosts worked the live and virtual rooms with fast-paced banter mixed with insightful anecdotes reflecting all of our shared experiences of the past year, staying at home and binge watching our favorite shows and enjoying newly released movies, not knowing the difference which ones were made for television versus movie theatres.

Daniel Kaluuya kicked off the awards with his win for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’, playing Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton.

In the Golden Globe virtual press room, Kaluuya said, “To tell this story is a privilege, it’s an honor and I feel humbled…and I feel grateful for this award.”

It was an evening with many heart-felt emotional speeches reflecting our mutual trials and tribulations of a turbulent year yet with hope for the future.

When accepting the award for Best Motion Picture – Animated for ‘Soul’, co-director and co-writer Peter Docter stated, “Little did we know that making a film about jazz would teach us so much about life, like we can’t always control what happens in the world but like a good jazz musician, we can try to turn that into something beautiful.”

Docter received the award along with producer Dana Murray and co-director Kemp Powers, who became the first Black debut filmmaker to win a Golden Globe.

Mark Ruffalo won Best Actor – Limited Series/Anthology/Series/Motion Picture made for Television for his role in ‘I Know This Much Is True’, which is about the lives of identical twins which drew parallels to what’s happening today in America when he stated, “What connects us is greater than what keeps us apart and the more we include each other and see each other and hear each other, the faster we will heal our broken hearts and minds.”

The HFPA addressed their controversial diversity issue, namely the fact that the organisation currently has no Black members, during Sunday night’s broadcast.

During the show, HFPA President Ali Sar, Vice President Helen Hoehne, and former President Meher Tatna addressed the issue.

“On behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate the work of artists from around the globe, we recognise we have our own work to do,” Hoehne began. “Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital. We must have Black journalists in our organisation.”

Tatna continued, “We must also ensure everyone from all underrepresented communities gets a seat at our table, and we are going to make that happen.”

“That means creating an environment where a diverse membership is the norm, not the exception,” Sar concluded. “Thank you and we look forward to a more inclusive future.”

Writer/Producer Norman Lear, who began pushing boundaries with his acceptance and inclusion of diverse characters in television for over 50 years, won the Carol Burnett Award for outstanding contributions to television on and off the screen.

Iconic actress and personality, Jane Fonda, also won the Cecil B. DeMille award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.

In what was undoubtedly the most emotional speech of the evening, Chadwick Boseman’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, paid tribute to her late husband upon receiving the Best Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama, posthumously for his outstanding performance in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’.

“He would thank God,” Ledward said. “He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices. He would thank his incredible team. He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you, ‘You can,’ that tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history.”

“I don’t have his words, but we have to take all the moments to celebrate those we love.”

In addition to hosting and organising the Golden Globes, the HFPA also has an extensive history of philanthropy. The HFPA’s Charitable Trust was established to provide financial support for educational and cultural non-profit organisations. During this year’s ceremony the HFPA teamed-up in promoting two worthy causes: Feeding America and Core.

Feeding America is a United States based non-profit organisation that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

Furthermore, the HFPA announced a $500,000 grant to Core. This non-profit organisation with extensive public health and emergency response experience has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response with free testing and now vaccination sites in numerous American cities as well as remote and underserved areas. The HFPA was proud to support this essential work as we all strive to end this crisis.

It was a big night for Netflix and Boratand Nomanland with a best drama win. In spite of the controversy, it was a good night for diversity with wins for Black, Asian, and LGBTQ talent. Here’s a wrap-up of the winners:

TELEVISION

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series -- Musical or Comedy
Jason Sudekis - “Ted Lasso” 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- Musical or Comedy
Catherine O’Hara - “Schitt’s Creek”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series -- Drama
Josh O’Connor - “The Crown”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- Drama
Emma Corrin - “The Crown”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Anya Taylor-Joy - “The Queen’s Gambit”

Best Television Series Drama
“The Crown” 

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“The Queen’s Gambit” 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Gillian Anderson - “The Crown” 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
John Boyega - “Small Axe” 

Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy
“Schitt’s Creek” 

FILM

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
“Nomadland” 

Best Motion Picture -- Foreign Language
“Minari,” USA 

Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Aaron Sorkin - “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
“IO SI (Seen)” - “The Life Ahead”

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Daniel Kaluuya - “Judas and the Black Messiah” 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Jodie Foster - “The Mauritanian” 

Best Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen - “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”

Best Motion Picture -- Animated
“Soul” 

Best Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Chadwick Boseman, - “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” 

Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Andra Day - “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Rosamund Pike - “I Care A Lot” 

Best Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen - “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” 

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Chloe Zhao - “Nomadland” 

Best Original Score
“Soul”

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