On Sunday, January 11, the Golden Globes kicked off Hollywood’s annual awards season, which will stretch through the BAFTA and SAG awards, eventually culminating in the Oscars. The film One Battle After Another garnered both the most nominations and the most wins overall, while Adolescence led the television awards.
Awards season offers a brief window in which fans of the arts can experience the same excitement and investment in live competition that sports fans enjoy year-round.
It does not come as much of a surprise that Adolescence was the most successful television series at the Globes, winning four of its five nominations. A few months ago, at the 2025 Emmys, the series won an impressive eight awards. Although The Studio and The Pitt performed even better at the Emmys, neither managed to replicate that success at the Globes. With its exploration of youth struggles in the digital age, Adolescence possesses a timeliness that the Hollywood satire of The Studio, and the procedural drama of The Pitt, however exceptional they may be, could not quite match.
Though Adolescence was the big winner, The Studio and The Pitt both took home awards for Best Television Series in their respective categories of comedy and drama (with Adolescence winning for Best Limited Series). Their leading men, Seth Rogen and Noah Wylie, also won Best Actor in their genres. Beyond these honors, however, neither series secured additional awards. Notably, The White Lotus failed to win a single award despite leading the television field in nominations.
In the film categories, aside from the clear frontrunner, One Battle After Another, four additional films earned two awards each. One of these was KPop Demon Hunters, which won Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song – Motion Picture for “Golden.” The success was well deserved. The song topped charts in multiple countries, including the United States and South Korea, while the film became Netflix’s most-watched title in history. Its win also continues a recent trend of Disney no longer dominating the animated feature awards space. The studio has not won a Golden Globe or an Oscar in this category in several years, with Encanto (2021) marking its most recent victory.
After earning acclaim at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, the Brazilian film The Secret Agent also won two Golden Globes: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for leading actor, Wagner Moura. The film’s success signals that projects recognized in more artistic, international circles can still break through at mainstream awards shows.
Moura’s win came at the expense of Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, a film that many critics and audiences felt was repeatedly overlooked throughout awards season. After being widely considered snubbed at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Sinners fared little better at the Globes. Despite its strong box-office performance and critical praise, the film only won two awards: Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement – Motion Picture and Best Score. Much to the dismay of dedicated viewers, Best Score was not presented during the telecast, replaced instead by a newly introduced Podcast award, which went to Amy Poehler. Renowned film score composer, Hans Zimmer, publicly criticized the decision. The treatment of Sinners has sparked debate, with some viewers accusing both the Critic’s Choice and Golden Globes of failing to properly recognize a high-quality film centered on Black culture.
The film that ultimately defeated Sinners for Best Motion Picture – Drama was Hamnet, a film about William Shakespeare and his wife grieving the loss of their young son. This film also earned Jessie Buckley the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. While the film’s success highlights continued recognition for female-led and female-directed stories dealing with profound themes such as grief, the outcome remains controversial given Sinners’ stronger performance both critically and commercially.
Despite these debates, there was little question about the overall winner of the night in the motion picture categories. One Battle After Another led the nominations and ultimately secured four major awards: Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Teyana Taylor; Best Director and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for Paul Thomas Anderson; and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film’s exploration of a younger generation inheriting their parents’ political battles resonated strongly with audiences.
Even so, Marty Supreme claimed one of the night’s most coveted acting awards. Timotheé Chalamet won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. After winning both a Critic’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe for the role, Chalamet has begun awards season on a strong note, positioning himself as a serious contender heading for the Oscars.
While the Golden Globes mark only the beginning of awards season, they provide early insight into which films and performances will ultimately prevail at the Academy Awards— the industry’s grand finale.
