Hollywood’s Party of the Year

By Janet Susan R. Nepales
Photography courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales, Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)

Everybody had missed the “Party of the Year” during Covid, so when it returned this year, people were ready to get down and have a good time!

The 80th Golden Globe Awards was back at The Beverly Hilton Hotel this year, and the A-listers did not want to miss it this time. From Brad Pitt to Margot Robbie, Viola Davis to Eddie Murphy, all the who’s-who in Hollywood made sure they were there. Although rain was predicted, the weather cooperated, and sunshine blessed the day with warmth.

For the first time in its award history, the Golden Globes Awards was held on January 10th, a Tuesday, instead of a Sunday due to a conflict in schedule with a football game that NBC broadcasts. The carpet was gray this year to allow the bright-colored gowns to pop out more.

Cecil B. Demille Award Recipient, Eddie Murphy onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

Moet champagne flowed, and the thumping music of DJ Pee .Wee (aka rapper Anderson . Paak) blasted everywhere at the poolside of the Beverly Hilton, the site of the after-party of the 80th Golden Globe Awards.

Powered by Billboard this year, it was the one party to be seen and dance the night away. Hundreds of guests, winners, and nominees trooped to the covered poolside, where an infectious spirit of celebration pervaded. In the International Ballroom, the guests broke into truly joyful dancing—some twerking, others jumping, or simply gyrating.

Winners like Jennifer Coolidge and Evan Peters proudly brought their Globes to the party, where the engraving station was also located. Coolidge mingled with another Globe winner, her The White Lotus creator, Mike White, and model and television host Heidi Klum.

Everything Everywhere All At Once actor and winner Ke Huy Quan, who gave one of the most emotional speeches that night, made sure his name was spelled correctly on his Globe trophy.

Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary had her hands full with her two Globe trophies. She gamely posed for the photographers and admiring guests. When her assistant took her Globes from her, Quinta ensured they were safely placed in the boxes. Later, 2022 Golden Globe winner Michaela Jae Rodriguez found Brunson and congratulated the latter on her win.

Jennifer Coolidge during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® after party at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA – Photo by John Salangsang for the HFPA

Comedienne, actress, and TV host Nicole Byer, one of the show presenters, sat and bonded with her friends as they chatted away and watched the crowd getting carried away by DJ Pee. Wee’s music.

RRR’s M.M. Keeravani, clutching his Golden Globe, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and S.S. Rajamouli were probably waiting for their winning song, “Naatu Naatu,” to be played at the party; however, they enjoyed the night anyway at their first Globe party.

Songs like Lauryn Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” and Ice Cube, Mack 10, and Ms. Toi’s “You Can Do It” played to a full dancefloor, with guests creating a space in the center for the party revelers to show off their dance moves individually.

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy, Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

Many of the partygoers joyously displayed their dance interpretations of the music playing. For one, Abbott Elementary star and nominee Sheryl Lee Ralph gamely twerked and owned the dancefloor.

A mature woman, a cap over her ponytail, stole the scene, making everybody stop in awe and watch her smooth, graceful terpsichorean skills to the gleeful screams of the crowd.

Top Gun: Maverick actor and presenter Glenn Powell gamely photo-bombed guests with colleague Lewis Pullman as they posed for photos with Todd Boehly. The Maverick actors showed up in full force that night as they partied away with other cast members, including Greg Tarzan Davis, Danny Ramirez, and Monica Barbaro.

Best Director, Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

Atlanta’s Donald Glover looked suave in his black and white ensemble when he posed at the after-party’s gray carpet before joining the dancing and toasting crowd.

Triangle of Sadness’s Best Supporting Actress nominee, Dolly de Leon, arrived on the pre-show carpet in a black AZ Factory leather dress by Norman Rene De Vera. She told her manager Adam Kersh that she should change to a more laid-back outfit for the after-party … and she did.

Adam and Naomi Scott arrived at the party holding hands as they squeezed their way into the packed party.

There was a seafood station brimming with gulf shrimp, king crab legs, and West Coast oysters and a sliders station. Appetizers included pecan-crusted chicken skewers, flatbread, and coconut curry scalloped potato cakes.

Saxophonist Maurice Brown brought the house down when he started playing and, like a pied piper, prompted a line of guests to dance and follow him toward the center of the dancefloor.

Michaela Jae Rodriguez onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy, Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

The Swarovski crystals on Euphoria actor Colman Domingo’s black Dolce & Gabbana tux glittered and swayed as he danced the night away. Domingo was easily one of the best-dressed guys of the night. Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James and Tyler James Williams joined in the fun.

Paul Walter Hauser of Black Bird, who earlier gamely laid down on the floor with his Globe trophy backstage with the press, arrived at the after-party ready to celebrate his win and hang loose.

Billy Porter onstage during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Earl Gibson for the HFPA

The Fabelmans’ Gabriel LaBelle, Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega, and Not Okay’s Reece Feldman jumped into the evening’s celebratory spirit.

Ortega and co-star Percy Hynes White were among the laughing guests who took playful photos at the MirMir photo booth.
Justin Hurwitz, the winning composer of Babylon’s original score, was among the guests who enjoyed the bash’s music – after all, Billboard was behind it with the Golden Globe Awards.

Mike White and Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk found each other and shared a laugh and a toast.

Jessica Chastain and Julia Garner during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Stewart Cook for the HFPA

Jenna Ortega during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA

Ladies who got tired and weary of their stilettos were seen taking them off and leaving them on the floor as they resumed dancing.

The party went on till Cinderella time. But we saw “Dancing Queen” grandma still making her groovy moves with a new partner. It looked like she was not ready to stop. That was the power of the great music that night.

Priscilla Presley, Austin Butler, Lisa Marie Presley and Baz Luhrmann during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA

Domhnall Gleeson, Martin McDonagh and Eddie Redmayne during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA

Brad Pitt and Olivia Hamilton during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Stewart Cook for the HFPA

Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder and Paul W. Downs during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA

Matt Bomer and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA

Jamie Lee Curtis and Ryan Murphy during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards® – Photo by Chelsea Lauren for the HFPA