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LOS ANGELES – The 83rd Golden Globe Awards unfolded Sunday night with all the usual glitz and glamour – think popping champagne and roaring applause – but much of the evening’s real drama played out in unspoken tensions beneath the surface.
Dominating the awards landscape was Warner Bros. Discovery, snagging top honors for “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners,” “The Pitt,” and “Hacks.”
This company, however, finds itself at the epicenter of a high-stakes battle for Hollywood’s future. The key players in this boardroom drama were all present in the Beverly Hilton ballroom: Warner Bros.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav, overseeing his company’s sale, and Netflix and Paramount CEOs Ted Sarandos and David Ellison, fiercely vying to acquire it. Yet, conspicuously, not a single one was acknowledged in any acceptance speech or presenter’s remarks.
The unspoken narrative, however, offered plenty to decipher. Multiple winners, including Stellan Skarsgård (“A Sentimental Value”) and Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”), championed the importance of the cinematic experience – a sentiment that could easily be interpreted as a subtle jab at Netflix’s streaming-first model. Host Nikki Glaser also stirred the pot, humorously dubbing Paramount-owned CBS News “CBS News: America’s newest place to see BS news,” a quip that landed big laughs and a clear dig at Ellison’s recent leadership changes.
Hollywood’s elite were out in full force, from the celebrated casts of “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners” to the stars of the hit series “Heated Rivalry.” Glaser kept the room buzzing with her signature affectionate roasts of the A-listers in attendance.
Here’s a closer look at the key moments and takeaways from this year’s show, which officially kicked off the 2026 awards season.
Politics Takes a Backseat (Mostly)
This year saw a notable shift away from overt political statements, even though several major contenders, such as “One Battle After Another” (focusing on left-wing revolutionaries), “It Was Just an Accident” (from exiled Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi), and Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” (depicting struggles under repressive regimes), carried strong political themes.
Nonetheless, subtle political undertones did emerge. Kleber Mendonça Filho, director of “The Secret Agent,” spoke of a “very important moment in time to be making films – here in the U.S. [and] in Brazil.” The film’s star, Wagner Moura, dedicated his best drama film actor award to those “sticking to their values in difficult moments.”
“One Battle After Another” and Chalamet Gain Oscar Momentum
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” appears to be on a clear path to a Best Picture win at the Oscars in March. The Warner Bros. Pictures thriller, which follows political revolutionaries on the run, entered Sunday with a leading nine Globe nominations and walked away with four trophies: Best Musical/Comedy, Best Director (Anderson), Best Screenplay (Anderson), and Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor).
While the Globes don’t always perfectly predict Oscar outcomes, “One Battle After Another” boasts additional accolades, including Best Picture wins at the Critics Choice Awards, the National Society of Film Critics Awards, and the Gotham Awards. Anderson, celebrated by cinephiles worldwide for masterpieces like “Boogie Nights” and “There Will Be Blood,” further solidifies the film’s standing.
In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet secured his first Golden Globe for his fierce portrayal of an ambitious table tennis player in “Marty Supreme.” Chalamet triumphed over formidable competition, including George Clooney (“Jay Kelly”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle”), positioning himself strongly for an Academy Award victory. If he clinches the Oscar, the 30-year-old Chalamet could break the Academy’s recent trend of honoring industry veterans.
“The Pitt” Continues Its TV Drama Domination
In an era of big-budget, high-concept drama series like “Severance” and “The Last of Us,” the success of the modestly budgeted medical procedural “The Pitt” wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Yet, this acclaimed series, which intimately portrays emergency room professionals navigating their daily challenges, has become both a popular hit and a critical darling – and, as Sunday’s results confirm, an awards season favorite.
Globe voters honored “The Pitt” with two major awards: Best Drama Series and Best Drama Series Actor for Noah Wyle. These wins echo “The Pitt” and Wyle’s equivalent honors at the Primetime Emmy Awards in September, placing the HBO hospital procedural in the esteemed company of modern classics such such as “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Succession.”
Show creator R. Scott Gemmill accepted the Best Drama Series award, dedicating it to “the first responders and health care workers, who are the real heroes, who inspire us.”
Nikki Glaser: Sharp-Tongued as Ever
In her second turn as Globes emcee, Nikki Glaser captivated the Beverly Hilton crowd with her characteristic biting one-liners. No topic was safe from her wit, including the Warner Bros. sale, the Jeffrey Epstein files, the upheaval at CBS News, Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life, Sean Penn’s political activism, Kevin Hart’s stature, and, in classic self-deprecating style, herself.
Towards the end of her opening monologue, Glaser adopted a more heartfelt tone. “I’m making jokes up here, but it is an absolute privilege to be in this room with you all.
Yes, I’m your host, but I’m honestly such a massive fan,” she told the audience. “Your work this year was innovative; it felt fearless, inspiring and, in some cases, downright Zootopian.”
Podcasting Gets Its Golden Moment
In a historic first, the Golden Globes recognized achievement in podcasting, awarding the inaugural prize to “Good Hang with Amy Poehler.” The lighthearted interview series, hosted by the beloved “Saturday Night Live” and “Parks and Recreation” alum, earned the honors.
“I don’t know about award shows, but when they get it right, it makes sense,” Poehler quipped. She described her podcast as “an attempt to try to make a very rough and unkind world filled with a little more love and laughter.”
Hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg presented the award, adding his own humorous take: “Before podcasts, I was what you all listened to driving around in your cars.”