‘Adolescence’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ triumph at the 2026 Golden Globes

The glamorous, star-studded Golden Globes have officially kicked off the awards season. What happens in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton hotel on this early January Sunday will resonate for months, as it marks the first major stop of the season. But it will also endure for decades, etched in gold among the constellations of film and television stars. This year, the series Adolescence (with four awards), The Pitt (two), and The Studio (two), along with the films One Battle After Another and Hamnet, have earned their place in that Olympus. The Spanish film Sirât, which had two nominations, went home empty-handed.

At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, a total of 28 trophies were handed out, beginning with the film categories. As tradition dictates, the awards for Best Picture were presented last. One Battle After Another won Best Comedy, an award presented by Julia Roberts, prompting the entire audience to rise in a standing ovation. Best Drama went to Hamnet, accepted by the full team led by its producer, Steven Spielberg, who paid tribute to the “exceptional, exceptional, exceptional Chloé Zhao.”

But before the big winners were announced, the acting awards were handed out. Teyana Taylor took the first award of the night — one of the most hotly contested — for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Perfidia Beverly Hills in One Battle After Another. “We belong in every room we walk into, our voices matter, and our dreams deserve space,” said the visibly emotional actress and singer. In the make acting category, the award went, to everyone’s surprise and with a standing ovation, to Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.

In the drama category, Hamnet triumphed. Jessie Buckley, who played Agnes Shakespeare, was the clear favorite. “This is not a normal feeling or situation to be in,” she admitted, shaking, describing how the film set — with a Chinese director, many Irish actors, and Polish crew members — had become like a family. In the press room, director Chloé Zhao told EL PAÍS that she believes the creative energy generated by being like a family on set, the team’s close bonds, and the fact that they had “come from a vulnerable place” allowed their story to resonate with so many people.

In the comedy film category, the award for Best Actress went to Rose Byrne, even though her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You — that of an exhausted, sleep-deprived mother dealing with a complicated personal situation and a sick child — is hardly comedic. For Best Actor, the award went to Timothée Chalamet for his role as a mischievous ping-pong player in Marty Supreme. “For my parents, for my partner,” he told Kylie Jenner, who was present in the room, “thank you so much.”

In a category packed with strong contenders, Sirât, directed by Oliver Laxe, lost the award for Best Foreign Language Film to the Brazilian entry The Secret Agent. “This is a very important moment in time and history to be making films — here in the U.S., in Brazil,” said the film’s director, Kleber Mendonça Filho. Among Golden Globe voters — around 400 this year, including the author of this article — Brazil is one of the strongest countries, with as many as 38 voters, giving it significant influence. In fact, its lead actor, Wagner Moura, also won Best Actor in a Drama. “We have to keep making films about the dictatorship,” he told EFE in the press room.

The Pitt and The Studio triumph

In television, The Pitt (HBO) and The Studio (Apple TV) took home the awards for Best Drama and Best Comedy, respectively. The creators of the medical drama dedicated their win to everyone working in emergency services. “We live in a very divided country and a world right now, but I think cinema — and I call TV cinema too, I’m sorry — brings us all together, not only as an audience but as a community,” said R. Scott Gemmill in one of the night’s most politically charged speeches. “We work together with decency and humanity.”

The creators of The Studio, which is about a film studio, thanked the entire team that makes the show possible and announced that filming for the second season will begin next week.

The lead actors of both shows also won. Noah Wyle, the beleaguered and empathetic head of emergency services in The Pitt, was the favorite in the drama category and took home the award. In comedy, Seth Rogen, lead actor and creator of The Studio, also won — a prize so expected that it was presented by two of the actors who make cameos in the series.

Among actresses, in the comedy category, the award went to veteran Jean Smart for Hacks. After taking the stage hand-in-hand with George Clooney, she accepted her third Golden Globe with her trademark deadpan humor: “What can I say, I’m a greedy bitch.” In the press room, she spoke about the importance of comedy in providing an escape, especially during difficult times. In drama, the award went to Rhea Seehorn, perhaps the least well-known of the nominees, but flawless in her role as the unhinged Carol in Pluribus.

The supporting actor awards for television went to the miniseries Adolescence. Best Supporting Actor was Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old who steals the show in Adolescence. “Wow, standing here with a Golden Globe, it does not feel real whatsoever,” he said. “I’m still learning every day.” Best Supporting Actress went to Erin Doherty, who plays the psychologist in the third episode. She expressed her surprise with a flurry of expletives and apologized to her mother for her language. “Mental health is everything, so thank you to therapists and it was an honor to play one,” she said.

In the limited (or anthology series) category, there were few surprises, as Adolescence swept the awards, taking home four of the possible prizes (it had five nominations, but two actors shared a category, so both couldn’t win). In addition to the supporting actor awards, Adolescence also took Best Actor, which went to Stephen Graham. “This is for all of our cast and crew,” he said. “Especially Christine Tremarco, who played my wife in the series. This is half yours, so I’ll cut it. You can have the top bit.”

For Best Actress in a Limited Series, the award went to Michelle Williams for Dying for Sex, although she was not present to accept the award.

K-pop and comedy wins

The award for Best Animated Feature went to K-Pop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s breakout hit. And, of course, Best Original Song was awarded to the viral smash Golden, one of the most-streamed songs on TikTok and among younger audiences, from the film’s soundtrack. “It’s a dream come true to be part of a song that’s helping other girls and other boys and everyone of all ages to get through their hardships, to accept themselves,” said EJAE, the star of the musical trio, fighting back tears. “It’s never too late to shine.”

In a late and controversial decision, the award for Best Original Score was not announced live, but during a commercial break; it could only be seen in the ballroom and the press room. Kangding Ray was nominated for Sirât, but lost to Sinners.

Both Best Screenplay and Best Director went to Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another. He dedicated the awards to his team, from the producer he has worked with for three decades, Mike De Luca, to his assistant director.

This year, for the first time, an award was presented in the new Podcast category, hosted by Snoop Dogg, and won by actress Amy Poehler. The award for Box Office Achievement was also presented for the third year running, going — somewhat surprisingly — to Sinners. Best Comedy Monologue went to Ricky Gervais, who was not in attendance.

Nikki Glaser, hosting for the second consecutive year, once again drew as many laughs as last year, roasting nearly everyone in the room, especially during her opening monologue. She even had to apologize to Leonardo DiCaprio for a joke about him and the (always young) age of his girlfriends. “Leo, I’m sorry I made that joke. It’s cheap. I tried not to, but like, we don’t know anything else about you, man,” she quipped.

She joked with everyone in attendance, from Julia Roberts to Timothée Chalamet (“the first actor in history to put on muscle for a movie about ping‑pong”), from George Clooney to Guillermo del Toro (“keep making weird monster sex movies,” she urged him), and from Paul Mescal to Jacob Elordi (“keep being the same person to my mom”).

As for the three-hour gala, there were no major surprises or political statements, although the creators generally spoke about the importance of culture in difficult times, without naming names. However, on the red carpet, many artists wore pins that read “Be Good,” a reference to Renée Good, the woman who died this week at the hands of ICE in Minneapolis. In a country where politics is a constant presence, the awards achieved the purpose so many championed that night: to offer an escape through laughter and culture.

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