Ah, awards season. While the majority of the country is focused on the NFL playoffs, the few and far between who do care about Cate Blanchett winning her third Oscar could not be more alive right now. Awards season has always famously kicked off with the Golden Globes, which is held right at the beginning of January. However, in 2021, the governing body of the Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) came under fire for not having a single black member in the organization and just an overall shady history. As a result, the ceremony was taken off the air by NBC in 2022 and after a lot of changes within the organization, the Globes were back this year. But were they better than ever?

WINNER: ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (Created by Quinta Brunson, starring Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Janelle James, Chris Perfetti, and William Stanford Davis)

Abbott Elementary practically swept the TV comedy awards, with both Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams picking up lead actress and actor respectively. The show also won Best TV Show- Musical or Comedy. The series has been a hit with critics and audiences alike, who can’t help but fall in love with the endearing staff and hilarious students of our favorite Philadelphia elementary school. The next day, it got renewed for season 3 on ABC. Not a bad week for Quinta Brunson and her crew! 

LOSER: MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY (Created by Ryan Murphy, starring Evan Peters)

Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer series has generated considerable controversy following its debut on Netflix this summer. Shirley Hughes, the mother of one of Dahmer’s victims, Tony Hughes, slammed the show and globe winner Evan Peters. Hughes said that not enough is being done to stop people from capitalizing on the “true crime” genre while the victims and their families have to relive the trauma, and don’t see a single cent of the profits. While Evan Peters technically won, Dahmer is not the root of the problem, but it’s not helping it, either. 

WINNER: THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (Dir. Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon)

Martin McDonagh’s black comedy picked up three awards for Best Screenplay, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Colin Farrell, and it pulled off an upset over Everything Everywhere All At Once to win Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Banshees proved that it’s going to be a force this season, and rightfully so. McDonagh crafted a moving film that’s ultimately more tragic than it is funny and it’s anchored by an incredible performance from Farrell. Oh, and there’s a superb supporting cast of adorable Irish farm animals.

LOSER: YELLOWSTONE (Created by Taylor Sheridan, starring Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, and Wes Bentley)

Does anyone besides our parents watch this show? I have not seen any social media buzz about Yellowstone, and I have never heard of another college student or person under 40 who watches it. However, Kevin Costner won the Best Actor for a Drama Series award, winning over Bob Odenkirk’s swan song as Saul Goodman. Odenkirk was heavily favored to win, turning in a stellar performance and being overdue to be recognized for his work in the series, but c’est la vie. I’m sure Costner was great, but just another confusing decision by the HFPA. 

WINNER: STEVEN SPIELBERG (Dir. The Fabelmans)

The G.O.A.T. had to come back for a victory lap to show us all how it’s done. The Fabelmans picked up Best Picture-Drama and Best Director for Spielberg in addition to being nominated for Michelle Williams’ performance. The Fabelmans recently picked up a nod for Best Picture and with good reason. Its victory at the Globes shows that it hasn’t lost momentum yet. 

LOSER: BETTER CALL SAUL (Created by Vince Gilligan, starring Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks)

Don’t get me wrong, Better Call Saul is an incredible show, one of the best on TV in years. However, it’s been cursed with never being able to win any awards. At this point, it seems cruel to nominate the cast and crew if they’re going to have to lose again. Hopefully, they have better luck at the Emmys later this year. 

WINNER: HBO (AND JENNIFER COOLIDGE)

HBO walked away with a hefty showing from The White Lotus and a surprise Best Drama Series win for House of the Dragon. It’s worth noting that House of the Dragon accomplished something that Game of Thrones never could: a victory at the Golden Globes. With memorable speeches from both Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus has proved to be an absolute juggernaut for HBO. With Limited Series and Drama wins, the only thing missing for HBO to completely clear the TV categories is a Veep level comedy. Or better yet, just bring back Veep and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ iconic acceptance speeches. 

LOSER: THE DAY OF THE CEREMONY

Seriously. Who picked Tuesday? 

TWO WINNERS: MICHELLE YEOH AND KE HUY QUAN

That’s all. 

In short, the Golden Globes are here to stay. The changes to the HFPA seem substantial and effective which is probably the most shocking thing about the ceremony. Till next year, Globes. 
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