Golden Globes: Demi Moore’s first win, Denzel Washington makes history
Demi Moore arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The Golden Globe Awards delivered yet another unforgettable night of historic wins, red carpet moments, and noteworthy acceptance speeches. From Demi Moore finally taking home her first Golden Globe after decades in Hollywood to Zendaya sparking engagement rumors, the evening was packed with headline grabbers. Scroll down to get the skinny on some of the most memorable moments of the 82nd Golden Globes—from heartfelt speeches to red carpet surprises.
From popcorn actress to Golden Globe awardee
One of the night’s biggest surprises was Demi Moore’s win for best actress in a comedy or musical. Her comeback performance in “The Substance,” about a Hollywood star who resorts to an experimental process to regain her youth, landed the 62-year-old Moore her first Globe—a victory that came over the heavily favored Mikey Madison of “Anora.”
“I’m just in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever won as an actor,” said Moore, who was last nominated by the Globes in 1991 for “Ghost.”
“I’m just so humbled and so grateful. Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a ‘popcorn actress’ and, at that time, I made that mean that this [award] wasn’t something that I was allowed to have. That I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged, and I bought in and I believed that. And that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought, a few years ago, that maybe this was it. Maybe I was complete. Maybe I would—I’d done what I was supposed to do. And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called ‘The Substance.’ And the universe told me that you’re not done,” she said in her speech.
Family drama, dramatic men
The best actress in a drama film was a surprise, too. The Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres won for her performance in “I’m Still Here,” a based-on-a-true-story drama about a family living through the disappearance of political dissident Rubens Paiva in 1970s Rio de Janeiro. Torres dedicated her award to her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was the first (and only) Brazilian actress previously nominated for Golden Globe, in 1998, for the movie “Central Station.”
Article continues after this advertisementBest supporting actor in a musical or comedy went to Sebastian Stan for another movie about physical transformation, “A Different Man,” in which Stan plays a man with a deformed face who’s healed. Stan, who was also nominated for playing Donald Trump in “The Apprentice,” noted that both films were hard to make.
Article continues after this advertisement“These are tough subject matters, but these films are real, and they’re necessary,” said Stan. “But we can’t be afraid and look away.”
‘Wicked’ win
The Globes’ award for cinematic and box-office achievement went to Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” which has nearly collected $700 million in theaters. In a heavily arthouse Oscar field, “Wicked” is easily the biggest hit seen as having a chance to win best picture. Accepting the award, Chu argued for “a radical act of optimism” in art.
Though few film awards have been predictable this season, Kieran Culkin is emerging as the clear favorite for best supporting actor. Culkin won Sunday for his performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” his second Globe in the past year following a win for the HBO series “Succession.” He called the Globes “basically the best date night that my wife and I ever have,” and then thanked her for “putting up what you call my mania.”
The papal thriller “Conclave” took best screenplay for Peter Straughan’s script. “Flow,” the wordless Latvian animated parable about a cat in a flooded world, took best animated film, winning over studio blockbusters like “Inside Out 2” and “The Wild Robot.” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won best score for their thumping music for “Challengers.”
TV prizes
Most of the TV winners were oft-awarded series, including the Emmy champ “Shōgun.” It won four awards, including best drama series and acting wins for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, and Tadanobu Asano.
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Other repeat winners were “Hacks” (best comedy series, actress for Jean Smart), “The Bear” (Jeremy Allen White for best actor), and “Baby Reindeer” (best limited series).
Ali Wong won for best stand-up performance, Jodie Foster for “True Detective,” and Colin Farrell for his physical transformation in “The Penguin.”
“I guess it’s prosthetics from here on out,” said Farrell.
Denzel Washington’s historic nomination
While he did not win an award for his movie, “Gladiator II,” Washington received his 11th Golden Globe nomination, marking a historic moment for Black performers in the industry. The 70-year-old actor surpassed the previous record held by the late Sidney Poitier.
Washington was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in “Gladiator II,” starring Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, and Pedro Pascal. The movie was also nominated for Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement—Motion Picture, but lost to “Wicked.”
Glen Powell, Timothée Chalamet’s lookalikes
A string of celebrity look-alike events have taken Hollywood by storm lately, and the recent winners of the Powell and Chalamet’s lookalikes scored a surprise appearance on the Golden Globes red carpet this year.
Miles Mitchell, Chalamet’s doppelgänger, and Max Braunstein, who won the Powell Prize, dressed similarly as the Hollywood stars on the red carpet.
Powell previously announced that his lookalike winner is set to receive a cameo on his next film, while Chalamet previously gatecrashed his own lookalike contest.
‘The Substance’ co-stars presenting an award
Moore and costar Margaret Qualley made the ceremony extra fun as they played off their characters in the body horror film “The Substance,” for which they both scored a nomination (eventually a win for Moore) for their respective noteworthy portrayals in a playfully monologue at this year’s Golden Globes.
In the film, the two bodies are expected to switch consciousness every seven days.
“What do you mean what am I doing here, Demi?” Qualify asked her co-star.
“This is my week,” Moore confronted Qualley.
“Yeah but it’s the Golden Globes, so,” Qualley replied as she awkwardly looked away from Moore.
“Yeah, I know but you have to respect the balance, remember?” Moore emphasized.
The bit garnered laughs from the audience, considering how relatable it was, as well as the film that highlights the struggles of women in regards to aging and beauty standards.
Nikki Glaser’s Hosting Debut
The female comedian made history as the first solo female host of the Golden Globes. Her sharp and entertaining monologue received praise from the audience as well as netizens online from start to finish of the ceremony.
Trans right
The cast of “Emilia Perez,’ including trans woman Karla Sofìa Gascón, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez
The night’s final moment appeared to have saved the best for last in terms of impact and resonance, as Karla Sofìa Gascón, the trans star of “Emilia Perez,” voiced a plea of acceptance.
“Light always wins over darkness,” she said in her impassioned speech. “I have a lot of things to say to you because you can maybe put us in jail, you can beat us up, but you never can take away our soul, our resistance, or our identity. And I want to say to you, raise your voice and say, ‘I am who I am, not who you want.’”
“Emilia Perez,” is a story about a Mexican lawyer who is offered a job to help a notorious cartel boss retire and transition into living as a woman, fulfilling a long-held desire. The genre-shifting trans musical won best film, comedy, or musical, handing Jacques Audiard’s movie a major prize and elevating the chances of Netflix’s top Oscar contender. It also won best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, best song (“El Mal”) and best non-English language film.
The French director Audiard said through an interpreter that he hoped the film is “a beacon of light” in dark times.
