I hadn’t posted for MJ since the Emmy Awards, so it feels right to return with a recap of the Golden Globe Awards. This post covers the evening’s highlights, notable moments on the red carpet, and a complete list of winners from the ceremony—useful if you’re tracking awards season trends ahead of the Oscars.
I haven’t seen every nominee, but I caught many of the major contenders, including Manchester By The Sea, Lion, Hell or High Water, Arrival, La La Land, Florence Foster Jenkins, Deadpool, The Lobster, Zootopia, Moana, and several others. If you have thoughts about the red carpet or favorite looks from the night, feel free to share them in the comments below.
Show Opening and Host Remarks
The show opened with a big, theatrical number led by host Jimmy Fallon—an energetic, star-packed routine that echoed the feel of La La Land. Fallon’s limo-bound bit on the backed-up red carpet featured Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Sarah Paulson, Evan Rachel Wood, Sterling K. Brown, Rami Malek, Kit Harington, the Stranger Things kids (including a nod to Barb), and Ryan Reynolds. Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake joined for a dance in the stars before Fallon finally made it to the stage.
Fallon leaned into topical humor throughout his monologue, riffing on the teleprompter, referencing Chris Rock’s The People v. O.J. Simpson special, and making a number of jokes about the political climate. He combined playful celebrity bits with sharper, timely commentary, setting an energetic tone for the evening.
2017 Golden Globe Awards Winners (Selected Highlights)
The list below is organized in order of presentation and includes the main winners announced during the broadcast.
- Best Supporting Actor (Film): Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals)
- Actor — TV Drama: Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath)
- Actress — TV Comedy: Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
- TV Series — Comedy: Atlanta
- Actress — TV Limited Series or Movie: Sarah Paulson (The People v. O.J. Simpson)
- Limited Series or TV Movie: The People v. O.J. Simpson
- Supporting Actor — TV: Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager)
- Original Score: La La Land
- Original Song: “City of Stars” (La La Land)
- Supporting Actress (Film): Viola Davis (Fences)
- Supporting Actress — TV: Olivia Colman (The Night Manager)
- Best Actor — Comedy or Musical (Film): Ryan Gosling (La La Land)
- Screenplay: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
- Animated Feature: Zootopia
- Foreign Language Film: Elle
- Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager)
- Actress — TV Drama: Claire Foy (The Crown)
- TV Series — Drama: The Crown
- Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
- Actor — TV Comedy: Donald Glover (Atlanta)
- Actress — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Emma Stone (La La Land)
- Musical or Comedy (Film): La La Land
- Actor — Motion Picture Drama: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)
- Actress — Motion Picture Drama: Isabelle Huppert (Elle)
- Best Motion Picture — Drama: Moonlight
Notable Awards and Moments
Best Supporting Actor — Film (presented by Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone): Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s win for Nocturnal Animals surprised many attendees. The category included Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Jeff Bridges, Simon Helberg, and Dev Patel. Taylor-Johnson’s victory was unexpected, and reactions suggested this result shifted the night’s momentum.
TV Drama Actor (presented by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Priyanka Chopra): Billy Bob Thornton won for Goliath. The Globes often recognize breakout or first-season work in television, and Thornton dedicated his award to a production assistant who had passed away.
Actress — TV Comedy (presented by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant): Tracee Ellis Ross won for Black-ish, marking her first Globe nomination and first win. Her acceptance was warm and inclusive as she dedicated the award to women of color.
TV Series — Comedy: Atlanta captured the Globe, with Donald Glover expressing appreciation for his city and the show’s voice.
Limited Series / TV Movie: The People v. O.J. Simpson dominated its categories, with Sarah Paulson winning Best Actress in a Limited Series and the series taking Best Limited Series or TV Movie.
Film Sweep — La La Land: La La Land was the big winner of the night, collecting multiple awards including Original Score, Original Song (“City of Stars”), Best Actor in a Comedy (Ryan Gosling), Best Screenplay (Damien Chazelle), Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Emma Stone), and Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. The film swept all seven categories for which it was nominated, a major moment in awards season and a boost toward Oscar consideration.
Supporting Actress — Film: Viola Davis won for Fences and delivered a powerful acceptance speech reflecting on persistence and finally earning recognition after multiple nominations.
Best Motion Picture — Drama: Moonlight earned the Globe for Best Drama, demonstrating its strength as a critical favorite that evening.
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Meryl Streep received the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Her speech was impassioned and reflective, touching on Hollywood’s history as a place built by immigrants and addressing a recent political moment that had stirred public conversation.
Final Thoughts
The Golden Globes provided both a celebratory night for La La Land and meaningful wins across film and television, from Moonlight’s Best Drama win to strong showings for The Crown and The Night Manager on the television side. The ceremony balanced lighthearted musical numbers with pointed speeches and memorable acceptance moments. It’s a useful preview of the push toward the Oscars and other year-end awards.
Thanks for following this recap—if you predicted winners, how did your picks fare? I’m hoping to return with coverage for the Oscars in February.