The 2026 Golden Globes kicked off award show season on January 11th, as Hollywood’s biggest celebrities gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California to see surprise wins, humor, and plenty of headline-worthy moments. Comedian Nikki Glaser hosted this year’s Golden Globes, mixing emotional speeches with funny roasts, knowing how to keep the crowd on their toes.
The top film winner of the night was One Battle After Another, winning Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as Supporting Actress and more. Hamnet, a Shakespeare inspired story, surprised everyone by taking home the “Best Motion Picture” of the Drama category. Awards also had clear outliers; The Pitt won Best Drama Series and Adolescence dominated the limited series categories, taking home multiple acting awards.
Besides the awards themselves, a big focus of the night was on Nikki Glaser’s commentary. Known for her witty and even backhanded roasts, Glaser did not hold back at this year’s Golden Globes. While many viewers praised her as one of the funniest Golden Globes hosts recently, some jokes, especially ones involving celebrities’ personal lives, sparked online controversy and awkward reactions. Her so-called “offensive” commentary was a hot topic on platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram and X (Twitter). One of her riskiest comments was towards actor Leonardo DiCaprio, making a joke about how young his girlfriend is compared to him.
Another interest of viewers from the Golden Globes were red carpet outfits. Selena Gomez wore a classic black Chanel gown with a modern twist of white feathers along the top. Jennifer Lawrence’s custom Givenchy sheer floral gown sparked a lot of interest. It was elegant and chic while still different and eye-catching. Another head-turning outfit from this year’s Golden Globes was Kylie Jenner’s custom Ashi Studio champagne-colored gown. Many argued that it was even “one of her best looks yet”. Kylie was at the event as the plus-one of actor Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet won Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy for his role in Marty Supreme. The couple got a lot of social media attention after Kylie posted on Instagram holding Chalamet’s physical Golden Globe award statue.
Despite the regular slight controversy from an award show, the 2026 Golden Globes accomplished what they do best, which is getting post-worthy conversation going. Between some unexpected wins, witty roasts, emotional speeches, and visible tension in the room, the annual ceremony reminded audiences that awards shows are about more than trophies and titles; it’s about culture. They reflect the values, personalities, and hard work shaping the entertainment industry at that moment in time.