The 2025 awards season kicked off with the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night. Awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the evening saw a starry turnout, with winners, nominees and plus ones ensuring a great start to the season that culminates with the Academy Awards on March 2.

Unpredictable but deserving winners, unbridled emotions on stage and off it and a rip-roaring opening monologue by debutant host Nikki Glaser were the highlights of the evening held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

1. LETTING IT RIP!

Making her debut on the Golden Globe stage, stand-up comic and ‘roast specialist’ Nikki Glaser won many fans, her almost 10-minute opening monologue inviting chuckles from the stars. Glaser hit the ground running, opening her act with: “Some of you may know me as a stand up comedian and from my appearances on roasts but I am not here to roast you tonight. I want you to know that. And how could I really? You are all so famous, so talented, so powerful, you could really do anything. Well, except tell the country who to vote for.”

The 40-year-old then went at almost everyone in the room — and many who were not in it. Like at one point, she turned to Zendaya to exclaim: “Challengers, girl, oh my God, it was so good. I mean, that movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card,” alluding to Sean Diddy Combs’ now well-known sexual offences.

Some of her particularly funny ones were directed at the films and TV shows nominated at this year’s edition. “The Bear, The Penguin, Baby Reindeer. These are not just things found in RFK Jr.’s freezer,” she said, following it up with: “Wicked, Queer, Nightbitch. These are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms.”

She ‘thanked’ Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for Babygirl, for “all of your hard work” “and thank you Keith Urban for playing the guitar around the house so much that she leaves to do all those movies!” Glaser also directed her attention towards Glen Powell, who has had a remarkable year with Hit Man and Twisters. “What a year you have had. Oh my God, Glen, you were in everything. Twisters, Hit Man, my head when I am having sex with my boyfriend!”

Before the awards began, Glaser joked on the red carpet that she had “120 iced coffees” to calm down. And yes, she went through that opening monologue — wait for it — 93 times!

2. WE WANT MOORE!

Demi Moore deservedly took home the golden statuette for Best Actress — Musical or Comedy for her shape-shifting performance in the body-horror film The Substance. In a rousing speech that brought the house down, the 62-year-old stunner narrated how she thought she was almost done until this script fell in her lap. “This is the first thing I have ever won as an actor,” she exclaimed in what has been a 45-year career.

“Thirty years ago I had a producer tell me I was a ‘popcorn actress’ and at that time, I made that mean that I wasn’t allowed to have this, that I could do movies that were successful and made a lot of money but that I wouldn’t be acknowledged. And I bought in and I believed that,” Moore said. “A few years ago, I thought that this was it, maybe I have done what I was supposed to do and then I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance and the universe told me you are not done.” She finished her speech with possibly what were the most inspiring words of the evening: “In those moments when we don’t think we are smart enough or pretty enough, or skinny enough or successful enough or basically just not enough, I had a woman say to me just know you will never be enough, but you can know the measure of your work if you just put down the measuring stick. I treat this as a marker that I do belong,” she said to huge applause. Moore, by the way, walked to the venue!

3. CLEAN SWEEP!

Zoe Saldana with her award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for Emilia Perez, Demi Moore

Emilia Perez and Shogun were the big winners in the film and TV categories, respectively, winning four awards each. The Brutalist came close with three wins, including the big ones of Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director (for Brady Corbet) and Best Actor — Drama (for Adrien Brody). Brody, an Oscar winner for The Pianist more than two decades ago, was near tears after his win, saying: “This story of The Brutalist, this character’s journey is very reminiscent of my mother’s and my ancestors’ journey of fleeing war and coming to this great country. I owe so much to my mother and my grandparents for their sacrifice, and although I do not know fully how to express all of the challenges that you have faced and experienced, and the many people who have struggled immigrating to this country, I hope that this work stands to lift you up a bit and to give you a voice. I am so grateful. I will cherish this moment forever.”

Corbet, winning Best Director for what is only his third feature film, was visibly moved on stage. But all cameras panned to his daughter, Ada, who bawled as her father acknowledged her with: “(Ada) looks so stunning in that dress of hers tonight that I am thinking this fiasco that I have gotten us all into may have very well been worth it. I love you so much, Ada James.” Ada later joined her father on stage as he accepted the award for Best Motion Picture — Drama.

French musical crime-comedy Emilia Perez took it all, including Best Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana. In the Non-English Language category, Emilia Perez raced ahead of All We Imagine As Light, which returned empty handed in all the categories, including Best Director for Payal Kapadia, that it was nominated in.

Shogun continued its dream run on the awards circuit, winning four Golden Globes — Best Television Series — Drama and acting wins for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Tadanobu Asano. Sanada, who followed up his Emmy win with the Golden Globe, urged youngsters in the profession to keep it original and trust oneself. “I would like to say to the young actors and creators in the world: Please be yourself. Believe in yourself and never give up.”

4. SECOND TIME COMING

The Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement had made its debut last year, with Barbie being the first recipient. This year, with presenter Vin Diesel lauding the institution of the award by saying: “It’s about time,” the blockbuster musical Wicked staved off formidable competition from Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, Alien: Romulus, Gladiator 2, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Twisters and The Wild Robot. For the record, Wicked has earned more than $680 million on a $150 million budget.

Kieran Culkin won his second consecutive Golden Globe, this time for Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain. The actor noted that the first awards recognition he ever received was a Globes nomination he got “when I basically was a kid.”

5. BLEEP, BLEEP!

Seth Rogen and Catherine O’ Hara — whose redoubtable Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek had famously declared “awards” as her favourite season of the year — were a hit in the presenting department. The two were a riot together, despite an abrupt bleep-out of a word Rogen muttered during the live telecast. “What about your brave Golden Antler win? Your turn as young Ryan in Gosling, the unauthorised biopic?” Catherine asked with a sly smile. “Thank you, yes it was unauthorised and uh — BLEEP —” Seth said as the moment was interrupted by several seconds of silence, before he continued, “which we felt very important to depict”.

He continued the joke: “But none of these movies compare to your role in ‘An Otter’s Tale’. Which is the story of a woman who saved an otter’s cub and nursed it back to health with her own breastmilk. And ever since I was a kid, I wondered how you shot those scenes with that otter?” Catherine fired back with a deadpan: “Painfully. I think the otter was method. And I lost half a nipple.”