The 82nd Golden Globe Awards, an evening that commends excellence in international films and television series, was held at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 5. Nikki Glaser, a well-known American comedian, hosted the event as the first solo female host in Globes history. Notable film winners include historical drama “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Peréz,” a French musical.
The first-ever Golden Globes were granted by the Hollywood Correspondents Association, similar to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (an organization of journalists and reporters who cover American entertainment.) The aim of these shows was and still is to celebrate exceptional achievements in cinema and film. Soon after, a statuette, a shiny globe positioned on top of a pedestal, was born: the Golden Globe. In 1951, award categories were divided into Drama and Musical or Comedy; this change allowed for more range in the recipients that received the awards. When animated films became popular, a new category named “Best Animated Feature Film” was introduced. Now, the Golden Globes presents awards in 27 categories for motion pictures and television series.
This year, the celebration was hosted by Glaser, who starred in TV comedy series “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” and her MAX stand-up special “Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die.” Glaser first rose to fame with her celebrity roasts and appearances on talk shows, but she returned home and took a break from touring comedy shows when the pandemic hit.
“I think they want authenticity. A lot of comedians are very successful, but they’re performative,” Glaser told Inlander.
A characteristic that makes Glaser as funny as she is her authenticity, which is shown by her boldness in talking about sensitive or controversial topics such as sex and sexism. Glaser’s edgy sense of humor took to the Golden Globes’ stage, where she called the award show “Ozempic’s biggest night.”
Following the starting monologue, Glaser continued to poke fun at different celebrities. Her fearless attitude earned her the title of “New Queen of Comedy” by The Hollywood Reporter. Despite the acclaim, online communities have criticized Glaser’s humor, calling it “unnecessary and forced” as well as “overdone.”
This year, a handful of international films won awards. For example, the French musical comedy Emilia Peréz won four awards, which triggered controversy around one of the main characters. Many watchers considered the film as not having good transgender representation, considering moments in the film as exaggerated or completely unauthentic. This year’s Golden Globes also had some first-time winners, including veteran actress Demi Moore for her performance in “The Substance,” a horror film that serves as a metaphor and criticism of society’s beauty standards of women. Moore was first nominated in 1997 for her role in Ghost but did not win the Globe. In her speech, she talked about her challenges in a career as an actress, countering the notion that “popcorn actresses,” a stereotypical term for women who star in thrilling action and blockbuster movies, could not earn critical success in the film award industry.
The widely popular musical “Wicked” won the award for cinematic and box office achievement, celebrating its commercial success as it managed to amass over $722 million at worldwide box offices. Considering that the movie is a musical, its success is even more profound. Its impact can be seen in growing online communities and groups along with the public’s appetite musical films, which have often been wrongly perceived as silly and frivolous.
This year’s Golden Globes consisted of a variety of great actors, actresses, films, and television series. Glaser’s hosting of the show was phenomenal, as shown through praise among numerous news outlets and social media platforms.
