Golden Globe Awards 2023: Top 6 moments and biggest snubs in TV and movie categories
Will Smith jokes, Michelle Yeoh refusing to be cut off and Jennifer Coolidge making 'The White Lotus' creator cry are among the top clips of the night
The Golden Globes made a big comeback in 2023 with Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin, Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary and HBO's House of the Dragon receiving some of the biggest awards of the night.
This is a big step in Hollywood with the event's broadcast cancelled last year due to extensive controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It raised questions around how the event will be received a year later.
If you missed the award show here are the top six moments, and the biggest snubs of the night:
Watch Jerrod Carmichael's full #GoldenGlobes opening monologue, in which he roasts the HFPA pic.twitter.com/GCmQQM1a2z
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 11, 2023
HFPA controversy kicks off the night
It's fitting to start at the beginning of the ceremony, hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who wasted no time mentioning the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFPA) controversy that led to the event's broadcast being cancelled last year.
"I'll tell you why I'm here, I'm here because I'm Black," Carmichael said, before running through a summary of the HFPA's extensive controversy and inequality, including not having any Black members in 2021 and for years earlier.
“I won’t say they were a racist organization, but they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died. So do with that information what you will.”
The host went on to say that he didn't take this job because he thought the organization had changed, but called it an evening to celebrate the great talent in the room, and the industry "deserves" to have these evenings of celebration.
Later in the night, another notable joke came when Carmichael returned to the stage holding three award statues.
"Backstage I found these three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned," he said, referencing the awards Cruise gave back in 2021 as part of the HFPA boycott.
"I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige," Carmichael said.
Shelly is the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige who has been "missing" for years. Cruise remains one of the most high-profile members of Scientology.
Jerrod Carmichael joked that Will Smith was given a #GoldenGlobes award for "best portrayal of masculinity on television" pic.twitter.com/FmGxgzJjWZ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 11, 2023
Will Smith slap drama continues
If you thought the Will Smith saga was over, nope, apparently we're still not over it. Carmichael made a joke at the actor's expense, who wasn't in attendance for the ceremony.
"While we were on commercial we actually presented Will Smith with the Rock Hudson award for best portrayal of masculinity on television," the host joked.
Eddie Murphy shares three pieces of advice for up-and-comers in the industry:
1) Pay your taxes.
2) Mind your business.
3) Keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f---ing mouth.https://t.co/YDe7QBg9R9 pic.twitter.com/1iH3iHGBiz— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
Eddie Murphy, who received the Cecil B. DeMille award, also mentioned Smith in his acceptance speech, giving a "blueprint" to follow to achieve, "success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind."
"Just do these three things. Pay your taxes. Mind your business and keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f—king mouth," Murphy said.
'Surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman'
The incomparable Angela Bassett has become the first actor to earn a major award for a Marvel movie, going home with a best actress award for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
This is the second Golden Globe nomination, and second win, for Bassett after winning for the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do With It.
Bassett started her acceptance speech by quoting the late novelist Toni Morrison, "your life is already a miracle of chance just waiting for you to order its destiny."
"But in order for that destiny to manifest, I think that it requires courage to have faith," Bassett said. "It requires patience...and it requires a true sense of yourself."
"It’s not easy because the past is circuitous and it has many unexpected detours, but by the grace of god I stand here. I stand here grateful."
Angela Bassett pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman as she accepts her #GoldenGlobe. https://t.co/IpBnF0ZqEp pic.twitter.com/KyCNjl0j7t
— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
Bassett went on to thank her Wakanda Forever collaborators, and honoured the late Chadwick Boseman.
“We embarked on this journey together with love," Bassett said. "We mourned, we loved, we healed and we were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman."
"We have joy in knowing that with this historic Black Panther series, it is a part of his legacy that he helped to lead us to. We showed the world what Black unity, leadership and love looks like beyond, behind and in front of the camera. To the Marvel fans, thank you for embracing these characters and showing us so much love. We just made history with this nomination and with this award. It belongs to all of you, all of us."
"I'm just gonna stand here and take this all in. 40 years. Not letting go of this."
Michelle Yeoh accepts her #GoldenGlobe. https://t.co/IpBnF0ZqEp pic.twitter.com/EbQZk624xD— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
'Shut up, please'
Long overdue, Michelle Yeoh has finally received her first Golden Globe award for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“Forty years, not letting go of this," Yeoh said to start her acceptance speech. "It’s been an amazing journey and incredible fight to be here today, but I think it’s worth it."
"I remember when I first came to Hollywood, it was a dream come true until I got here, because, look at this face. I came here and was told you're a minority... And then someone said to me, 'you speak English,'...and then I said, yeah the flight here was about 13 hours long so I learned on the way."
The actor went on to say that as she gets older, "it seems like opportunities start to get smaller as well," stating that women will understand that phenomenon.
"Then along came the best gift, Everything Everywhere All at Once."
At that point, when there was an attempt to play her off, Yeoh quipped, "Shut up, please. I can beat you up OK, and that's serious."
She then continued, thanking Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, "who had the courage to write about a very ordinary, immigrant, aging woman, mother, daughter."
"I was given this gift of playing this woman who resonated so deeply with me and with so many people because at the end of the day, in whatever universe she was at, she was just fighting. Fighting for love, for her family."
'My mission was the take the invisible, the unloved and make them heroes'
Billy Porter presented Ryan Murphy with the Carol Burnett Award for achievement in TV, with Murphy giving one of the most moving speeches in Globes history. He used much of his time to honour and celebrate his collaborators.
.@MjRodriguez7, who became the first trans actress to win a #GoldenGlobe at last year's untelevised awards, gets a stand ovation during Ryan Murphy's speech this year 👏 pic.twitter.com/Kor1xUF2bK
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) January 11, 2023
Last year, while the ceremony wasn't televised, MJ Rodriguez won for Murphy's Pose, the first trans actor to win a Golden Globe award. Murphy celebrated the actor and asked the room to give her the standing ovation she deserved, but missed in 2022.
The famed TV writer, director and producer went on to celebrate actors Billy Porter, Niecy Nash, Matt Bomer and Jeremy Pope.
"When I was a young person at home in the '70s, watching The Carol Burnett Show, I never, ever saw a person like me getting an award or even being a character on a TV show," Murphy said. "It's hard being an LGBTQ kid in America, in fact all over the world, then and now. And I have one word for you: Florida."
"You are often told you will never become anything, you have to hide your life to survive. But for the kids watching tonight, I offer up MJ and Billy, and Niecy and Matt and Jeremy, as examples of possibility. There is a way forward, use them as your north stars. For 25 years that's all I ever tried to do here in Hollywood. My mission was the take the invisible, the unloved and make them the heroes I longed to see but never did in pop culture."
Jennifer Coolidge brings 'The White Lotus' creator to tears
Fan favourite Jennifer Coolidge took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a limited series for HBO's The While Lotus, and gave a speech that made the show's creator Mike White cry.
Coolidge started her speech by thanking Ryan Murphy for being one of five people who "kept her going" for 20 years with "little jobs," in addition to the famous American Pie franchise.
"Five different sequels of American Pie, I'd milk that to the bone," Coolidge said. "I'm still going for six or seven, whatever they want."
"I just want you all to know that I had such big dreams and expectations as a younger person but what happened was, they get sort of fizzled by life or whatever... And then you get older and you're like f—ck that sh-t's not going to happen anymore."
Jennifer Coolidge delivers an epic #GoldenGlobes acceptance speech that makes #TheWhiteLotus creator Mike White cry. https://t.co/m069JEKekW pic.twitter.com/WBWx9H6BCj
— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
The actor went on to celebrate The White Lotus' White, their collaboration and their friendship.
"Mike White, you have given me hope because you've given me a new beginning, even though this is the end because you did kill me off, but it doesn't matter," Coolidge said. "Even if this is the end, you've sort of changed my life in a million different ways. My neighbours are speaking to me, things like that. I was never invited to one party on my hill and now everyone's inviting me."
"[Mike White] is worried about the world, he's worried about people, he's worried about friends of his who aren't doing well.. He really is one of the greatest people I've ever met."
Biggest snubs of the night
It can't all be fun at award shows, particularly not an unknown phenomenon for the HFPA. As the show progressed, movie and TV fans took to social media to call out the ceremony's biggest snubs of the night.
Notably, actor Brendan Fraser lost a best actor award for his work in The Whale to Elvis star Austin Butler. Fraser had stated before the event that he would not participate after the allegation that Philip Berk, former president and member of the HFPA, groped and assaulted him in 2003.
“I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser told GQ in a story published last year. “No, I will not participate.”
The Golden Globes snubbed Brendan Fraser... are we surprised
I'm glad he boycotted going. pic.twitter.com/xQyFeOkFnN— itza322⁷🍊🌞ᴾʳᵒᵒᶠ (@itza322) January 11, 2023
I love Austin Butler as Elvis but we all know why Brendan Fraser didn’t win. Hollywood Foreign Press Association wasn’t about to do that. #GoldenGlobes
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) January 11, 2023
Not to take away from Austin Butler winning but Brendan Fraser was the favourite and refused to attend the Globes because he was sexually assaulted and blackballed by the Hollywood Foreign Press so… 🤷🏻♀️ #GoldenGlobes
— Kristin Raworth (@KristinRaworth) January 11, 2023
Another notable snub of the night was Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk, who lost the best actor in a TV series (drama) award to Kevin Costner for Yellowstone.
.@mrbobodenkirk and @BetterCallSaul getting snubbed of #GoldenGlobes tonight is an absolute travesty to television and cinema.#BetterCallSaul is a testament to what cinematography and writing is all about.
— Brian Steinmetz (@BrianSteinTV) January 11, 2023
When Bob Odenkirk gets snubbed for the one millionth time @mrbobodenkirk #GoldenGlobes #BetterCallSaul @BetterCallSaul pic.twitter.com/MeIQMtpA3B
— Mehdi0cre (@BrendanMortimer) January 11, 2023
Bob snubbed again #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/sF3WAENDPx
— Chuck McGill #EmmyForKimmy (@CrazyChuck1215) January 11, 2023
Severance on AppleTV+ is a series fans thought was snubbed in the awards ceremony, losing the best drama series award to HBO's House of the Dragon.
Severance snubbed #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/xKabeneXEy
— Gray to Super-Villian (@greymirrors) January 11, 2023
Severance is the best show of 2022 and I will not accept it getting snubbed. #GoldenGlobes
— Kortney Bratton (@KortneyBratton) January 11, 2023
As great as HOTD was, Severance was miles clear of anything I watched on TV over the past year. #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/wCXcUe4rYH
— Kyle Mack (@kmackeh) January 11, 2023
Oh hell naw House of The Dragons won over Better Call Saul and Severance on Golden Globes. Bob Odenkirk lost, too pic.twitter.com/N0ShOlWpeo
— Samuel (@samnap11) January 11, 2023
Kind of wack. If it wasn’t attached to the Game of Thrones franchise I don’t know if it even gets nominated. #Severance far better. https://t.co/eCE5PtCxoY
— Johnny Manhattan (@NY_JACK_) January 11, 2023