The cast and crew of “Wicked” backstage with the press. The movie received the Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award at the Golden Globes.

A Golden Night to Remember

BY JANET SUSAN R. NEPALES / PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERRY VILLAROMAN

It was a memorable night at the Golden Globes as Hollywood’s A-listers gathered at The Beverly Hilton for the 82nd annual ceremony, often touted as Hollywood’s “Party of the Year.”

Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Viola Davis, Zendaya, Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johnson and sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning were just a few of the stars who strutted on the red carpet, sipped mini Moët champagne bottles and blew kisses to their fans.

Glen Powell and Timothée Chalamet were particularly excited to meet their look-alike winners—fans who attended the Globes after winning contests because of their uncanny resemblance to these celebrities. The look-alikes proudly held signs that read, “I won a look-alike contest and now I am at the Golden Globes.”

The “Wicked” ladies — Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh — stunned in their outfits for the night. Grande wore a vintage haute couture nude off-shoulder gown by Givenchy. Erivo dazzled in a custom black Louis Vuitton halter gown adorned with silver sequin floral embellishments and a voluminous waist. Yeoh, meanwhile, was elegant in a black high-neck gown by Balenciaga.

One of the evening’s most emotional moments came from Zoe Saldana, who won her first Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for “Emilia Pérez.” Saldana delivered a heartfelt tribute to her collaborators, celebrating the power of diverse storytelling. Through tears, she said, “My heart is full of gratitude. Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for celebrating our film and honoring the women of ‘Emilia Pérez.’ I’m so blessed to share this moment with Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, director Jacques Audiard, and all of my fellow nominees.”

“Emilia Pérez” also won awards for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language), and Best Original Song for “El Mal,” which Saldana performed in the film.

Gascón, who delivered a powerful speech to close the night, made history as the first transgender woman nominated for Best Actress in a film at the Golden Globes.

Dressed in a yellow and orange Saint Laurent gown, Gascón said, “I chose these colors—the Buddhist colors—tonight because I have a message for you: The light always wins over darkness. You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up, but you can never take away our soul, our existence, our identity. And I want to say to you, raise your voice and say, ‘I am who I am, not who you want.’”

At the viewing party, where the winners had their trophies engraved, the victors walked in ecstatically with their Golden Globe awards. Ali Wong, wearing a red dress, won Best Performance in a Stand-up Comedy on Television for “Ali Wong: Single Lady.”

Colin Farrell, in a white suit, excitedly shook hands with guests who congratulated him on winning Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series for “The Penguin.”

It was also a big night for “Shogun,” as its entire nominated cast took home trophies: Hiroyuki Sanada (Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series, Drama), Anna Sawai (Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series, Drama), and Tadanobu Asano (Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television). The show also won Best Television Series, Drama.

While Sawai and Asano showed excitement backstage and in the media room by raising their trophies, Sanada remained calm and collected—just like his character in the show. All three actors were first-time Golden Globe winners.

Another first-time winner was Fernanda Torres, the first Brazilian to win Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for “I’m Still Here.” Torres exclaimed that Brazil was celebrating with her that night and dedicated her award to her actress mother, Fernanda Montenegro, the last Brazilian nominee in that category 25 years ago.

Sebastian Stan, who won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for “A Different Man,” used his speech to advocate for empathy and inclusion. He also highlighted his other important film, “The Apprentice.”

“Our ignorance and discomfort around disability and disfigurement has to end now,” Stan said. “We have to normalize it and continue to expose ourselves and our children to it, encouraging acceptance. One way we can do that is by championing inclusive stories.”

Richard Gadd, the “Baby Reindeer” actor-writer-producer, accepted the Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his show. He stated, “We need stories that speak to the complicated and difficult nature of our times. Any story, when done right, is universal. All the weird, idiosyncratic struggles we go through daily are just as worthy of being committed to the screen.”

Jean Smart, 73, won her second Golden Globe for her role in “Hacks,” teasing, “I never thought I’d be so happy to be called a hack!” The show also won Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy.

Jodie Foster, 62, claimed her fifth Golden Globe, winning Best Actor in a Limited Series for “True Detective: Night Country.” After being teased by actress Sofía Vergara, who was also nominated in the same category for “Griselda,” Foster replied, “I know. I know.”

Foster began her speech by saying, “The greatest thing about being this age and being in this time is having a community of all these people, especially you, Sofía.” She also thanked “the Indigenous people who share their stories with us. They have changed my life. Hopefully, they will change yours.”

Adrien Brody, another first-time Golden Globe winner, won Best Actor, Drama for “The Brutalist,” which also claimed Best Motion Picture, Drama. His director, Brady Corbet, won the Best Director award, marking his first Golden Globe win.

Brody, 51, became emotional during his speech, thanking his partner, Georgina Chapman, the former wife of Harvey Weinstein. “For your generosity of spirit, your own resilience, your immense creativity as a daily reminder of how to be,” he said.

Finally, one of the evening’s highlights was Demi Moore’s powerful and moving speech. The 62-year-old actress, elegantly dressed in a champagne gold Giorgio Armani Privé gown, revealed, “I’ve been doing this a long time—over 45 years—and this is the first time I have ever won anything as an actor. I am just so humbled and so grateful.

“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a ‘popcorn actress.’ At that time, I made that mean I wasn’t someone who could be acknowledged. I bought in, and I believed that.”

This Golden Globe night proved that producer wrong, Demi.