Advertisement

Golden Globes 2021: 'Nomadland' wins best drama, 'Borat 2' takes top comedy

Golden Globes 2021: 'Nomadland' wins best drama, 'Borat 2' takes top comedy

Kicking off the strangest awards season of all time, road drama "Nomadland" and mockumentary sequel "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" took home big honors at Sunday night's glitchy Golden Globes.

In a hybrid virtual/in-person ceremony hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, "Nomadland" won best drama and director (Chloe Zhao), while the "Borat" sequel nabbed best comedy and top actor in a comedy or musical (Sacha Baron Cohen). In the other drama categories, Andra Day ("The United States vs. Billie Holiday") was named best actress and the late Chadwick Boseman ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom") received best actor honors, while "I Care A Lot" star Rosamund Pike won best actress in a comedy or musical.

Jodie Foster ("The Mauritanian") pulled an upset win for best supporting actress and Daniel Kaluuya ("Judas and the Black Messiah") conquered a technical snafu to accept his award for best supporting actor.

And in the TV categories, "The Crown" ruled with four Globes (including best drama), "The Queen's Gambit" won for limited series, and Emmy darling "Schitt's Creek" won best comedy.

Here are all the live winners, highlights and news from Globes night:

Hosts with the most: Watch Tina Fey, Amy Poehler take on HFPA controversy in no-holds-barred Globes opening

Golden Globes winners: See the full list with 'Nomadland,' Chadwick Boseman, 'Borat,' 'The Crown'

'Nomadland' snags the biggest prize of the night: best drama

"I'm speechless," director Chloe Zhao says when accepting the Globe for "Nomadland," which now is the front-runner for Oscars' best picture. For her, the movie at its core "is a pilgrimage through grief and healing. So for anyone who's gone through this journey, this is for you. We don't say goodbye, we say, 'See you down the road.' "

Andra Day is a surprise winner for best drama actress

"Can y'all just give me the paper, please?" a teary-eyed Andra Day says accepting for "The United States vs. Billie Holiday." "I can't believe I'm in the presence of giants," she adds, thanking the iconic Holiday for transforming Day "with her presence and spirit."

Also very nice! Sacha Baron Cohen wins best comedy actor for 'Borat 2'

"Hold on, Donald Trump's contesting the results," Sacha Baron Cohen jokes when accepting his Globe for best actor in comedy or musical – the same category he won in 2007 for the first "Borat." "He's claiming a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the HFPA."

Very nice! 'Borat' sequel is victorious for best comedy

"Thank you to the all-white Hollywood Foreign Press," Sacha Baron Cohen quips during his acceptance speech. He honors his "incredible" co-star Maria Bakalova but first paid tribute to the real comedy find of his movie, Rudy Giuliani. "Who could get more laughs out of one unzipping?"

Chloe Zhao takes best director for 'Nomadland'

"Thank you for making beautiful, beautiful movies," says Chloe Zhao, toasting her fellow nominees as she becomes the first Asian woman to win the category and the first woman to win it since Barbra Streisand did for "Yentl" in 1984. For the first time in Globes history, three women (Zhao, Emerald Fennell for "Promising Young Woman" and Regina King for "One Night in Miami") were nominated in the category. And like earlier, "Mank" filmmaker David Fincher took another shot out of his glass.

Golden Globes' best and worst moments: From Tina and Amy's jokes to Chadwick Boseman's emotional win

The night's biggest losers: Glenn Close, Frances McDormand and the Globes voters

Chadwick Boseman receives a posthumous Globe for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'

Chadwick Boseman's widow Taylor Simone Ledward gives a tearful salute to her late husband, the recipient of best actor in a drama. "He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and sacrifices," she says. "He would say something beautiful, something inspiring. ... I don't have his words but we have to take all the moments to celebrate those we love."

Checkmate! 'The Queen's Gambit' wins best limited series, top actress

Not only did it make chess cool again, but the Netflix show takes two big honors. "It's obviously wonderful that everybody's seen it but I would do this show again and again again," says star Anya Taylor-Joy, victor for best actress in limited series.

Gillian Anderson makes it four wins for 'The Crown'

Somewhere Margaret Thatcher is proud, as Gillian Anderson takes the TV supporting actress Globe for the Netflix show.

Jodie Foster accepts Globe in pajamas: 'I think you made a mistake'

Whoa! "I'm a little speechless," Jodie Foster admits, speaking for us all right now with a massive upset win. "I think you made a mistake. I just never expected to be here again." It's a big surprise, with "The Mauritanian" star getting the nod over Amanda Seyfried ("Mank") and Glenn Close ("Hillbilly Elegy").

Globes fashion: Jason Sudeikis' hoodie, Jodie Foster's pajamas and more ready-for-bed looks

Jane Fonda honors diversity when accepting Cecil B. DeMille Award

"I'm so moved to receive this honor," Jane Fonda says in a speech that honors and calls for more diversity in Hollywood. "Stories have a way of changing our hearts and our minds," she says, noting that she has been inspired by films like "Nomadland," which showed "the wanderers among us," and the immigrant tale of "Minari." She concludes by saying more people need to be offered a seat at the table and in the room where decisions are made: "Let's all of us make an effort to expand that tent."

'The Crown' wins No. 3 and it's a big one: best drama series

That sound you hear is Baby Yoda crying: Instead of "The Mandalorian," Netflix's "The Crown" takes best drama. Which means you REALLY should binge it now.

Shut out of best drama competition, 'Minari' wins foreign language film

One of the Golden Globes' most head-scratching moves this year was putting the acclaimed "Minari" – a very American film about a Korean family – in the foreign-language category, but it won there anyway. "I hope we all learn how to speak this language of love to each other, especially this year," says the film's very happy director, Lee Isaac Chung.

Josh O'Connor grabs another honor for 'The Crown'

"Crown" gets its second award of the night, and "that's quite a surprise," says Josh O'Connor, who wins best TV actor in a drama for playing Prince Charles. Now's the time to binge on the royal family if you haven't already. (Maybe after "Bridgerton.")

'I Care A Lot' star Rosamund Pike receives comedy actress honor

"Ladies, I salute you," Rosamund Pike says accepting her Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical. "Wow. I bet it looks like I care a lot. I do!" She also adds that having to swim up from a sunken car was still "better than being in a room with Rudy Giuliani," a cheeky nod to fellow nominee Maria Bakalova's "Borat" sequel scene.

Jason Sudeikis wins best TV comedy actor for 'Ted Lasso,' 'Schitt's Creek' gets best comedy

"Do I talk now?" Jason Sudeikis says when he comes on to accept his honor. "That's nuts, that's crazy." He gives a shout-out to his "Ted Lasso" cast: "I know for a fact that they make me better." But "Schitt's Creek" upends "Lasso" for the best comedy honor. Star Dan Levy also calls for an infusion of inclusion before next year's ceremony: "There is so much more to be celebrated."

Diane Warren nabs original song Globe, 'Soul' takes best score

Netflix's "The Life Ahead" gets its first Globe, for Diane Warren's tune "Io Si (Seen)," while Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross accept best original score for Pixar's "Soul."

Emma Corrin takes best TV drama actress for 'The Crown'

"What?!" Emma Corrin says happily for getting her Globe for "The Crown." She also honors her character, Princess Diana: "You have taught me compassion and empathy beyond what I could ever imagine."

Norman Lear receives the Carol Burnett Award for his TV legacy

Norman Lear made plenty of folks chuckle over the years with sitcoms like "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," but paid special tribute to the woman whose name is on his newest award. "Laughter adds to one’s life," he says, "and no one’s made me laugh more than Carol Burnett."

Aaron Sorkin snags screenplay honors for 'The Trial of the Chicago 7,' David Fincher takes a shot

"This is very nice but it can't top the honor of being nominated beside these four screenplays," Aaron Sorkin says accepting his screenplay Globe for "Chicago 7." He also mentions that his fellow nominees, Emerald Fennell ("Promising Young Woman") and Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland"), inspire Sorkin's daughter to be a filmmaker, "and I'm never going to forgive you for that."

A funny thing that happened on the filmmaker Zoom: When Sorkin was named the winner, a smiling David Fincher (whose late father Jack was nominated for "Mank") took a shot.

Mark Ruffalo gets Globe for 'I Know This Much Is True'

The award for best actor in a limited series goes to Mark Ruffalo for his dual roles in HBO's "I Know This Much Is True." "These are my peers, these are the people I look up to, so I'm honored to be here with you guys," he says, also thanking his family members who "let me go off and bring these crazy (characters) home."

HFPA promises to do better with member representation

After getting pummeled in the press and by their own Globes hosts, Hollywood Foreign Press Association members took the stage to announce that Black journalists need to be a part of their group. "We must also ensure that everyone from all underrepresented communities gets a seat at our table and we are going to make that happen," says former HFPA president Meher Tatna.

Best animated film goes to Pixar's 'Soul'

We have already reached Zoom awards inception: While director Pete Docter accepts the animated film Globe for "Soul," he holds up his phone so writer Kemp Powers can weigh in as well.

'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara wins best actress in a comedy

"This is great, thank you so much," Catherine O'Hara says when taking best actress in a TV comedy while her husband Bo Welch has strange applause noises coming out of his phone that are more distracting than helpful.

John Boyega takes supporting honor for 'Small Axe'

"Do I just talk automatically?" John Boyega says when coming on to accepting his award for supporting actor in a TV movie for his role in "Red White and Blue," part of Steve McQueen's "Small Axe" anthology.

Daniel Kaluuya wins best supporting actor for 'Judas and the Black Messiah'

Daniel Kaluuya won the first Globe of the night, best supporting actor for "Judas and the Black Messiah," and – maybe a sign of the times – either his mute was on during his virtual acceptance speech or there was a glitch. "You're doing me dirty!" he says once the snafu is fixed. He then thanks his "leader and general," director Shaka King, "for your inspiration."

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler take on COVID, HFPA in their opening monologue

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler open the show taking on COVID-era life, the lack of Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ("You guys have to change that," Fey warns), and the fact that "smoking hot" first responders are in the live bicoastal audience instead of the usual A-listers like Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt. "Thank you for being here so the celebrities can stay safe at home," Fey says. The twosome also run down a bunch of the nominated movies in play, like Pixar's animated "Soul," where a Black character's soul gets put into a cat. "The HFPA really responded to the movie because they do have five cat members," says Fey (who actually stars in "Soul").

Golden Globes fashion is still fierce, even virtually

Even though it's not a traditional carpet at the virtual Globes, those "attending" like Sarah Hyland, Angela Bassett and Amanda Seyfried still manage to look stunning.

Pre-show with Jane Lynch, Susan Kelechi Watson honors Chadwick Boseman

With no red carpet this year, Jane Lynch and Susan Kelechi Watson ("This Is Us") are anchoring NBC's pre-show and interviewing celebrities virtually, including Globe nominees Carey Mulligan and Leslie Odom Jr. as well as "Law & Order" star Christopher Meloni. Meloni shared a memory of meeting the late Chadwick Boseman, a Globe nominee for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," when getting "baseball lessons" on the set of "42."

"He was doing batting practice and I was hitting grounders to some stunt guys and I didn't know him. I walked up to him and I introduced myself. I was so happy for him, a young man, chance of a lifetime playing Jackie Robinson," Meloni said. "Not only was he a great actor but he was an even better human being. His passing affected me deeply."

Spike Lee's children are this year's Golden Globes ambassadors

While Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods" may have been snubbed by the Globes, at least his family wasn't: Last month, Lee's kids were named ambassadors for Sunday's ceremony. Satchel, 26, and Jackson, 23, are the children of the director and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, who married in 1993. They are the first siblings of color to be named Globes ambassadors, and Jackson is the first Black male ambassador.

Could Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Borat' sequel have the last Globes laugh?

The original "Borat" won star Sacha Baron Cohen a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical in 2007. Could its sequel have a "very nice" night Sunday? It's possible. Cohen is nominated again in the same category for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," his scene-stealing co-star Maria Bakalova (best known for that cringe-y episode with Rudy Giuliani) is up for best comedy actress, and the movie's a strong contender for best comedy or musical.

Jane Fonda thanks fellow Globes honoree Norman Lear for help

On Sunday night, two Hollywood legends will receive special achievement honors at the Globes: Norman Lear is getting the Carol Burnett Award while Jane Fonda is the latest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award. In a virtual discussion last week, Fonda thanked Lear for lending her a hand during the fallout from her 1972 trip to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

"At the height of my being 'controversial' and I wasn't getting hired very much, you invited me to be to be on stage with John Wayne" for the launch of the advocacy group People for the American Way, said Fonda. "That meant the world to me, because that was not happening to me very often then. You went out of your way to send me a signal that I was still acceptable in the Hollywood crowd."

We miss the red carpet at the Globes, too

Unfortunately, fashionistas don't have a lot to look forward to with no traditional red carpet at this year's Globes – and probably for most of the awards shows this season. For a high fashion fix, check out our gallery of the best Globes gowns ever.

Glenn Close is favored yet again for Netflix's 'Hillbilly Elegy'

So what if the Netflix drama didn't get great reviews? You can never count out Glenn Close, an awards-season fave. Transformed into a tough-love grandma, Close is a strong contender to win her fourth career Globe. The supporting-actress category also includes Olivia Colman (“The Father”), Jodie Foster ("The Mauritanian”), Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”) and Helena Zengel (“News of the World”).

What's the Globes controversy over voting?

On its biggest night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – the group behind the Golden Globes – will also have to weather the fallout from the revelation via the Los Angeles Times this past week that the organization doesn't have any Black members. (The last time a Black person was counted among its ranks: 1987.) It's a problem that looks even worse when one considers snubs of "Da 5 Bloods" and other Black-led movies in the Globes' best picture categories.

On Friday, the advocacy organization Time's Up launched the #TIMESUPGlobes alongside a graphic that reads, "Hollywood Foreign Press Association: Not a Single Black Member Out of 87." And many Hollywood personalities shared the protest on social media, including Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, Judd Apatow and Sterling K. Brown. "Having a multitude of Black presenters does not absolve you of your lack of diversity,” Brown said Saturday on Instagram. “This is your moment to do the right thing. It is my hope that you will.”

It's hard to imagine Tina Fey and Amy Poehler won't take aim at the issue in their opening monologue. Meanwhile, the HFPA has said it will address the controversy during Sunday's awards broadcast.

Is Chadwick Boseman bound for posthumous Oscar glory?

Usually, at least one actor runs the table at the Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Oscars, and 2021 could be it for Chadwick Boseman, who died last year at age 43 of colon cancer. His nominated role for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a highlight in a career cut short early and he's favorite at Sunday's Globes. Only two other actors have posthumous Academy Awards – Peter Finch in 1977 for "Network" and Heath Ledger in 2009 for "The Dark Knight" – and both also took home Globes that same year.

Globes hosts and presenters will be live, winners are at home

Due to COVID, this year's show will look very different than usual. The hosts will be bicoastal – Tina Fey at the Rainbow Room in New York City, Amy Poehler at the Los Angeles' Beverly Hilton – as will the bevy of presenters. That group includes Awkwafina, Kevin Bacon, Michael Douglas, Tiffany Haddish, Kate Hudson, Joaquin Phoenix, Margot Robbie, Kristen Wiig, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The nominees, however, will be all over the world and making their victory speeches virtually, be it in their tux or pajamas.

What time are the Golden Globes?

If you're old school, the three-hour Globes ceremony airs live on NBC at 8 ET/PT. If you'd rather stream the show, it's also available on the Roku Channel, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV, Sling TV and Fubo TV. (If they're new to you, check out and see which have free trials.) And if you're just too busy on Sunday, the Globes will stream Monday on NBC/Universal's Peacock service.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden Globes 2021: 'Nomadland,' 'Borat 2,' Andra Day win big prizes