The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards rolled into the Beverly Hilton on Sunday night and officially kicked off the 2026 awards season with confidence, chaos, and just enough reinvention to keep folks paying attention. The Globes showed up determined to prove they are still part of the cultural conversation and not just a fancy dinner with trophies.
Comedian Nikki Glaser returned to host for her second year, and keeping her on was the smartest decision of the night. She was sharper, more relaxed, and clearly comfortable poking fun at Hollywood without sounding bitter or try hard. While Nikki handled the laughs, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association handled the changes and they made sure everyone noticed.
The biggest update came with the addition of podcasting as an official category. After years of creators building massive audiences, shaping culture, and cashing checks off microphones alone, the Globes finally acknowledged that podcasting is not a side hustle. It is a full fledged industry and long overdue for awards season respect.
Then came the curveball. Two of the most prestigious honorary awards were handed out the night before the main ceremony during a new primetime special called Golden Eve. During that separate event, Helen Mirren received the Cecil B DeMille Award and Sarah Jessica Parker was honored with the Carol Burnett Award. Both women are icons and fully deserving of their flowers, but moving Dame Helen to the night before raised more than a few eyebrows. Still, Mirren delivered her moment with elegance and Parker reminded everyone why her cultural legacy remains untouched.
Despite the early ceremony, the Beverly Hilton was packed for the main event. Nominees like Michael B Jordan for Sinners, Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme, and Jessie Buckley for Hamnet kept the cameras busy all night. The presenters lineup read like a greatest hits list with George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Miley Cyrus, Charli XCX, Orlando Bloom, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Zoe Kravitz all taking the stage.
Zoe Kravitz had a particularly fun moment when she referenced her Golden Globes themed episode of The Studio, which was nominated for Best TV Series. She shared the spotlight with costar Dave Franco and made sure the meta joke landed. The audience ate it up.
Fans of Heated Rivalry also had reason to celebrate. Breakout stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were in attendance and leaned all the way into the hockey jokes. The internet noticed. The fans noticed. Everyone won.
As for the awards themselves, One Battle After Another emerged as the clear movie frontrunner of the season, walking away with four wins and establishing itself as the film to beat going forward. On the television side, Adolescence matched that success with four awards of its own, cementing its place as one of the most talked about shows of the year.
The acting categories were refreshingly spread out. Wagner Moura was honored for The Secret Agent, Jessie Buckley picked up another well deserved win for Hamnet, Stellan Skarsgard was recognized for Sentimental Value, and Timothee Chalamet continued his awards season momentum with a win for Marty Supreme.
Television acting honors went to Rhea Seehorn for Pluribus, Seth Rogen for The Studio, and Noah Wyle for The Pitt, proving once again that TV continues to deliver some of the most compelling performances in the industry.
All things considered, the 2026 Golden Globes felt like a reset. Still glamorous. Still imperfect. Still figuring itself out. But with new categories, new formats, and enough buzz to keep the conversation going, the Globes reminded everyone that awards season is officially here and Hollywood is watching the audience just as closely as the audience is watching them.
And yes, the group chat is already debating the winners.
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