NORTHERN DELIGHTS!
Awards show trudged on in the midst of pandemic and a storm of criticism
Schitt’s Creek named best TV musical or comedy, while O’Hara takes acting honour,
NEW YORK—With homebound nominees appearing by remote video and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on different sides of the country, a very socially distanced 78th Golden Globe Awards trudged on in the midst of the pandemic and amid a storm of criticism, with a bounty of awards for streaming services, pleas for inclusivity, and a posthumous award for Chadwick Boseman.
Netflix, which came in with a commanding 42 nominations, won the top TV awards. “The Crown,” as expected, took best drama series, along with acting wins for Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles), Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) and Gillian Anderson (Margaret Thatcher). The streaming service’s “Queen’s Gambit” won best limited series, and best actress in the category for Anya Taylor-Joy. “Schitt’s Creek,” the CBC series that found a wider audience on Netflix, won best comedy series for its final season. Catherine O’Hara also took best actress in a comedy series.
“Nomadland” won for best picture in the drama category. The film, a prime candidate for a best-picture Oscar, follows a woman, played by Frances McDormand, who leaves her small town to join a group of wanderers in the American West.
Chadwick Boseman, as expected, posthumously won best actor in a drama film for his final performance, in the August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — a Netflix release. Boseman’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award.
“He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices,” said Ledward. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring.”
In a major surprise, the Globe for best actress in a drama film went to Andra Day in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
Chloe Zhao, the China-born filmmaker of “Nomadland,” became the first woman of Asian descent to win best director. She’s the first woman to win the award since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl” in 1984.
They were among many of the evening’s awards to go to streaming services, which — facing scant traditional studio competition — dominated the Globes like never before. Apple TV+ scored its first major award when Jason Sudeikis won best actor in a comedy series for “Ted Lasso.”
Fey took the stage at New York’s Rainbow Room while Poehler remained at the Globes’ usual home at the Beverly Hilton. In their opening remarks, they managed their typically well-timed back-andforth despite being almost 3,000 miles from each other.
“I always knew my career would end with me wandering around the Rainbow Room pretending to talk to Amy,” said Fey. “I just thought it would be later.”
They appeared before masked attendees but no stars. Instead, the sparse tables were occupied by “smoking-hot first responders and essential workers,” as Fey said.
In a production nightmare but one that’s become familiar during the pandemic, the night’s first winner accepted his award while muted. Only after presenter Laura Dern apologized for the technical difficulties did Daniel Kaluuya, who won best supporting actor for his performance as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” get his speech in.
Pandemic improvising was only part of the damage control for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the Globes. After the Los Angeles Times revealed that there are no Black members in the 87-person voting body of the HFPA, the press association came under mounting pressure to overhaul itself and better reflect the industry it holds sway in.
This year, none of the most acclaimed Black-led films — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “One Night in Miami,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Da 5 Bloods” — were nominated for the Globes’ best picture award. With the HFPA potentially fighting for its Hollywood life, Sunday’s Globes were part apology tour. Fey and Poehler started in quickly on the issue.
“Look, a lot of flashy garbage got nominated but that happens,” said Poehler. “That’s like their thing. But a number of Black actors and Black-led projects were overlooked.”
Within the first half hour of the NBC telecast, members of the press association also appeared on stage to pledge change.
“We recognize we have our own work to do,” said vice-president Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.”