The 2026 Golden Globes took place Jan. 11, hosted by Nikki Glaser. Glaser being the first woman ever to host the Golden Globes solo. When videos covering the awards started to circulate, I realized that I don’t actually know what the Golden Globes are. All I knew was that it was obviously some kind of award ceremony regarding film.
To sum up for those who are also not familiar with what the Golden Globes are, they are an annual awards event held every year honoring excellence in both film and television. Though it seems similar to the Oscars, the difference is it has a smaller international journalist as their voting body. The other difference being the overall feel of the event is more festive and relaxed. It starts off award season with a party-like atmosphere is what sets it apart from the more high-stake tension the Oscars have.
Something I saw that stood out to me in the highlights of the Golden Globes was the creation/addition of a new category, Best Podcast, which was one by Amy Poehler for her podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. It features laid-back conversations between Poehler and celebrities. Another interesting thing I made note of was the animated film Kpop Demon Hunters winning Best Original Song with the song Golden. I found this something notably as many animated movies get overlooked during award season and was pleasantly surprised to see it actually be acknowledged. Of course not too surprised due to how popular it was upon release with it originally being released on Netflix but taken to theaters by popular demand.
A movie that had gotten the most recognition was One battle After Another which got the most nominations for a movie being 9. These are some of the categories that they were nominated for:
- Best Comedy
- Best Directo
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Screenplay
I personally have yet to see the movie but I am familiar with his other movies, Punch-Drunk Love and Boogie Nights. I think they are movies deserving of all the praise so I don’t doubt this one being any less than that. I rated both movies a 4 ½ on Letterboxd (Which is almost a perfect movie).
Another series that won many awards was the highly rated Adolescence. Which upon its release became a “must-watch”. It won Best Limited Series, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Actor in a Limited Series.
With today’s political climate and the happenings with I.C.E, Jean Smart, who won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Hacks, wore a pin that read “BE GOOD”. This was done in honor of Renee Good who was killed by an I.C.E agent a week prior in Minneapolis.
A speech that I was heavily highlighted and appeared many times on my very own feed was Teyanna Taylor’s. Her speech was very emotional and was given as she accepted her award for Best Supporting Female Actress in a motion picture for her role in One Battle After Another. In this speech she addresses younger people of color who may be watching,”We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.”
I think this event started off award season on a relatively positive note. In the past I’ve never looked into the Golden Globes as I have currently and I have come to appreciate what it does for not just movies but TV-series and shows as well.
Source: “The most memorable moments from the 2026 Golden Globes”
