The 77th Golden Globes were meant to be a coronation for Netflix. Instead, a pair of big-screen epics took top honors Sunday, as Sam Mendes' technically dazzling World War I tale 1917 won best picture, drama, and Quentin Tarantino's radiant Los Angeles fable Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood won best film, comedy or musical.

The wins for 1917 were a surprise, besting such favorites as Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story (the leading nominee with six nods) and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. Both are acclaimed Netflix releases but they collectively took home just one award, for Laura Dern's supporting performance as a divorce attorney in Marriage Story. The Irishman was entirely shut out.

1917 also won best director for Mendes. The film was made in sinuous long takes, giving the impression that the movie unfolds in one lengthy shot.

This image released by NBC shows filmmaker Sam Mendes accepting the award for best motion picture drama for '1917' at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California., on Sunday, January 5, 2020. AP

Though set around the 1969 Manson murders Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood was classified a comedy and thus had an easier path to victory than the more competitive drama category. Brad Pitt won for best supporting actor, his first acting Globe since winning in 1996 for 12 Monkeys, padding his front-runner status for the Oscars.

'I wanted to bring my mom, but I couldn't because any woman I stand next to they say I am dating so it'd just be awkward,' Pitt said.

This image released by NBC shows Brad Pitt accepting the award for best supporting actor in a film for his role in 'Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood' at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, January 5, 2020. AP

Throughout the night, those who took the stage used the moment to speak about current events including the wildfires raging in Australia, rising tensions with Iran, women's rights, the importance of LGBT trailblazers, even the importance of being on time.

Patricia Arquette, a winner for her performance in Hulu's The Act, referenced the United States' targeted killing on Friday of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week, saying history wouldn't remember the day for the Globes but will see 'a country on the brink of war.' She urged all to vote in November's presidential election.

Gervais, hosting the NBC-telecast ceremony for the fifth time, argued early in the evening that Netflix had taken over Hollywood the streaming service's commanding 34 nominations, in film and TV, coming into the Globes. 'This show should just be me coming out going: 'Well done, Netflix. You win everything tonight,' said Gervais.

As it turns out, he was wrong. Netflix won only two awards: Dern's win plus one for Olivia Colman's performance in The Crown. It was a definite hiccup for the streaming service, which is aiming for its first best-picture win at the Academy Awards next month.

This image released by NBC shows host Ricky Gervais speaking at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, January 5, 2020 AP

Instead, the awards were widely spread out among traditional Hollywood studios, indie labels like A24, cable heavyweights like HBO and relative newcomers like Hulu.

As always at the Globes, there were surprises. Taron Egerton, a regular presence on the awards circuit this year, won best actor in a comedy or musical for his Elton John in Rocketman — an honour many pegged for Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name).

But no upset was bigger than the one by 1917. The timing was fortuitous for Mendes' film. It expands nationwide Friday. Mendes appeared especially surprised winning best director.

'There is not one director in this room — not one director in the world — that is not in the shadow of Martin Scorsese,' the British filmmaker said.

Awkwafina, the star of the hit indie family drama The Farewell, became the first woman of Asian descent to win best actress in a comedy or musical. 'If anything, if I fall upon hard times, I can sell this,' said Awkwafina, holding the award.

Awkwafina poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy for 'The Farewell' at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. AP

No other category has been more competitive this year than best actor. Joaquin Phoenix won for his loose-limbed performance in the divisive but hugely popular Joker in a category that included Adam Driver (Marriage Story) and Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory). Phoenix gave a rambling speech that began with crediting the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with the vegan meal served at the ceremony.

Dern's best supporting actress award for her performance as a divorce attorney in Marriage Story, was her fifth Globe. (Dern even served as Miss Golden Globe at age 15.) Her win denied Jennifer Lopez, the Hustlers star, her first major acting award.

The first award of the night went to a streaming service series. Ramy Youssef won best actor in a TV series comedy or musical for his Hulu show Ramy. Best actor in a limited series went to Russell Crowe for the Showtime series The Loudest Voice. He wasn't in attendance because of raging wildfires in his native Australia.

This image released by NBC shows Ramy Youssef accepting the award for best actor in a TV series, comedy or musical for 'Ramy' at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, January 5, 2020 AP

'Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-changed based,' Crowe said in a statement read by presenters Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge followed up her Emmy haul by winning best comedy series and best actress in a comedy series. She thanked former President Barack Obama for putting 'Fleabag' on his best-of-2019 list. With a grin, she added: 'As some of you may know, he's always been on mine.'

Waller-Bridge's co-star Andrew Scott (of hot priest fame) missed out on the category's supporting actor award, which Stellan Skarsgård took for HBO's Chernobyl.

HBO was also triumphant in best TV drama, where the second season of Succession bested Netflix's The Crown and Apple TV Plus' first Globe nominee, The Morning Show. Brian Cox, the Rupert Murdoch-like patriarch of Succession, also won best actor in a drama series. The Crown took some hardware home, too, with Olivia Colman winning best actress in a drama series, a year after winning for her performance in The Favourite.

This image released by NBC shows Olivia Colman accepting the award for best actress in a drama series for 'The Crown' at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, January 5, 2020 AP

Best foreign language film went to Bong Joon Ho's Parasite, the Cannes Palme d'Or winning sensation from South Korea. Despite being an organisation of foreign journalists, the HFPA doesn't include foreign films in its top categories, thus ruling out Parasite, a likely best picture nominee at next month's Oscars.

'Once you overcome the inch-tall-barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,' said Bong through a translator.

Tom Hanks, also a nominee for his supporting turn as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, received the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award. The Carol Burnett Award, a similar honorary award given for television accomplishment, was given to Ellen DeGeneres. She was movingly introduced by Kate McKinnon who said DeGeneres' example guided her in her own coming out.

'The only thing that made it less scary was seeing Ellen on TV,' said McKinnon.

Ellen DeGeneres, winner of the Carol Burnett award, poses in the press room at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California AP

Hanks' speech had its own emotional moment. Just as he was beginning comments that would touch on the importance of actors being on time, Hanks caught sight of his wife and four children at a table near the stage and choked up.

'A man is blessed with the family's sitting down front like that,' he said.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin won the evening's most heavyweight battle, besting Beyonce and Taylor Swift. Their I'm Gonna Love Me Again won best song. 'It's the first time I've ever won an award with him,' said Elton of his song-writing partner. 'Ever.'

Elton John, right, and Bernie Taupin pose in the press room with the award for best original score in a motion picture for 'I'm Gonna Love Me Again' from 'Rocketman' at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California AP

The Golden Globes, Hollywood's most freewheeling televised award show, could be unusually influential this year. The roughly 90 voting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have traditionally had little in common with the nearly 9,000 industry professionals that make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The HFPA is known for calculatingly packing its show with as much star power as possible, occasionally rewarding even the likes of The Tourist and Burlesque.

Sunday's show may have added to that history with an unexpected award for Missing Link for best animated feature film over films like Toy Story 4 and Lion King. No one was more surprised than its director, Chris Butler. 'I'm flabbergasted,' he said.

But the condensed time frame of this year's award season (the Oscars are February 9) brings the Globes and the Academy Awards closer. Balloting for Oscar nominations began Thursday. Voters were sure to be watching.

The dearth of nominations for female filmmakers stoked more backlash than anything else at this year's Globes. Only men were nominated for best director (just five women have ever been nominated in the category), and none of the 10 films up for best picture was directed by a woman, either. Time's Up, the activist group that debuted at the black-clad 2018 Globes, was highly critical of the HFPA for the omission, calling it 'unacceptable.'