2021 Golden Globe Awards: What's buzzing, what has people talking

By Mark Gray 9:38am PST, Mar 2, 2021

The Golden Globe Awards has entered uncharted waters for its 78th annual installment. You'll recall that the 2020 Globes occurred just before the world came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. That evening was filled with togetherness and the typical Globes debauchery. The 2021 show, however, not only went virtual, but also bicoastal. For the fourth time, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the night, but Tina was stationed in New York City while Amy led from the ceremony's usual spot at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills. How did they pull this off? (Beautifully from the start, as evidenced by the show's sharp, sometimes scathing and always funny monologue.) Also, who took home some hardware this year? (Read on for the most notable highlights.) Did "Borat" have a big night as many suspected? (In a word, yes.) Was everyone in the comedy categories saying "Ah, Schitt" by the end of the night? (Unlike the 2020 Emmys, this time, they shared.) Did everyone's home WiFi feed hold up? (Yes, with one exception.) The unfortunate news, of course, is that once the ratings came in, the news wasn't good: The 2021 show was down 63% from the previous year's TV audience, with 6.9 million total viewers, The Wrap reported. Deadline further reported that in recent years, only the 2008 show — which was a press conference due to the writers strike — did worse (with 6.03 million viewers). The night was still as fun as it could be thanks to a global health crisis, and this Time magazine headline nailed it: "Don't Blame Amy and Tina — the 2021 Golden Globes Were Always Going to Be a Disaster." Keep reading to catch up on all the most talked-about moments…

A posthumous win, a loving thank you from his wife

Leave it to the late Chadwick Boseman to leave everyone in tears. The actor, who passed away last year at 43 following a secret battle with colon cancer, won the award for best actor in a drama for his performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." His wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award on his behalf and gave an incredibly moving speech. Fighting tears, Taylor said her husband would have thanked God, his parents, his ancestors, his team and others. "He would say something beautiful. Something inspiring. Something that amplifies that little voice inside of you that tells you to keep going. I don't have his words," she said. "We have to take all the moments to celebrate the ones we love."

A Globes fashion first!

Jason Sudeikis's Golden Globes fashion stole the show for some. The "Ted Lasso" star wore a hoodie while accepting his award for best actor in a musical or comedy. "This is nuts," he said while fumbling over his words. (To be fair, he was live via video from London, where he's filming season 2 of the excellent Apple TV+ comedy — and where it was well past 2 a.m. when he won.) While the rest of his fellow nominees looked on dressed in suits, casually clad Jason thanked "all the people [he] gets to act with." As he rambled on, Don Cheadle humorously motioned that he needed to wrap it up! He did. Now, the question: Is he the first person to ever accept a Globe in a tie-dye hoodie? Probably, yes… OK, definitely yes. (Presenter Joaquin Phoenix clearly got the memo, as later in the night, he walked out on stage wearing a black zip-up "animal equality" hoodie … over a suit.)

Worst speech ever!

The worst speech of the night goes to… Kenan Thompson and Maya Rudolph. OK, OK, it was planned that way. Prior to the bit, Amy Poehler noted that there was always one speech that is a "sloppy mess," so she invited Kenan and Maya up to the stage under pseudonyms and claimed they won for worst song. The current and former "Saturday Night Live" stars were great and awkward, which was the point. There was a gray area as to whether they were supposed to be lovers or siblings. Maya, who was allegedly wearing three shoes, thanked her parents for conceiving her. "Thank you Miller Lite and the gentle motion of a hay ride," she said. Kenan, speaking in a fake language and translated by Maya, thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the award and said COVID-19 was "a hoax" and that "space lasers control the weather." Amy eventually shooed them off the stage.

Borat's revenge

Sacha Baron Cohen was one of the big winners of the night — and he feels lucky to be alive to enjoy his prize. While accepting the award for best actor in a musical or comedy, he thanked his bodyguard, who Sacha said, "stopped me from getting shot twice." Sacha's movie, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," also won best comedic picture. As the film was highly political, Sacha used his two speeches to take shots at two men who figured prominently in the film: Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump. He joked that the former president "is contesting the result, he's claiming a lot of dead people voted, with is a very rude thing to say to the [Hollywood Foreign Press]." Sacha also teased viewers as he began, "I've gotta say this movie couldn't have been possible without my co-star, a fresh, new talent who came from nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius. I'm talking, of course, about Rudy Giuliani. I mean, who can get more laughs out of one unzipping? Incredible. Our movie was just the beginning for him, Rudy went on to star in a string of comedy films. Hits like 'Four Seasons Landscaping,' 'Hair Dye Another Day' and the courtroom drama 'A Very Public [Flatulence].'"

A red-hot re-wear 10 years later

January Jones recycled one of her old looks for the Golden Globes. In 2011, the actress stunned in a red Versace gown with a plunging neckline. That dress made an appearance again in 2021. "Squeezed into this beauty today," she wrote on her Instagram Story. She also posted it in a slideshow on her feed, captioning it, "10yrs later and it still, (sorta), fits."

"The Crown" sweeps

"The Crown" cleaned up on Golden Globes night, taking home awards in all four categories in which the series or its actors were nominated – and Princess Diana bested the queen! Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana, won the prize for best actress in a TV drama. Josh O'Connor, who played Prince Charles, claimed the best actor in a TV drama trophy. Gillian Anderson, who transformed into Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was named best supporting actress in a TV drama. And the show itself won best television drama. Two stars lost out, but only because they were up against their co-stars: Olivia Colman was up for best actress for her portrayal Queen Elizabeth II in the same category as Emma, and Helena Bonham Carter was nominated for best supporting actress for her work as Princess Margaret in the same category as Gillian.

Huge controversy

While the Golden Globes are typically a boozy affair, many fans had a sobering realization this week: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association — the group behind the Golden Globes — has a diversity problem. In the lead-up to the telecast, the Los Angeles Times reported that of the HFPA's 87 members, none of them are Black. Zero. Adding to critics' frustration, no Black-led movies were nominated for best film, despite several Black actors and directors getting nods for their work in several deserving films. Following the aforementioned LA Times report, the HFPA said changes were coming. "We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible," it said in a statement before the show. The HFPA's leadership also acknowledged the problem during the telecast — and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn't shy away from pointing out the problem with a few biting jokes during their monologue.

RELATED: Black stars who made history

A big honor and a big fashion statement

Jane Fonda didn't have to go far to find her Golden Globes outfit… she went to her own closet. Earlier in the week, the actress and activist — who on Globes night delivered a rousing, passionate speech that lifted up other people as she received a lifetime achievement honor, the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award — said she planned to rewear an old outfit for the award show. "I vowed a couple of years ago I would never buy any new clothes again. We spend too much money, we buy too many things, and then we get rid of them," she told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. "We try to develop our identity by shopping, right? We gotta stop that. Stop all this consumerism." She added, "So I had to go through my closet and find out something that still fit me and I have worn before, and I found something. I'm all set."

A director makes some history

A history-making moment! When "Nomadland" filmmaker Chloe Zhao won the Globe for best director on Feb. 28, it was just the second time ever that the award went to a woman. (Barbra Streisand did it back in 1984 for helming "Yentl.") She also became the first Asian woman to win the award and just the second Asian person to win in the category (Ang Lee was victorious in 2001 and 2006). 2021 was also the fourth consecutive year that the award went to a director not born in the United States. In other words, it's a big, big win. On top of all that, "Nomadland" also took home the night's top prize for a drama film, winning the best motion picture trophy.

More history made

When Andra Day was named best actress in a drama film for her performance in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" at the Golden Globes on Feb. 28, she becoming only the second Black actress to win in the category. Whoopi Goldberg was the first: She won for her work in "The Color Purple" in 1986.

Shade queen

Rosamund Pike might need a light jacket for all that shade! The British star won the award for best actress in a musical or comedy film, besting "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" star Maria Bakalova. As she accepted the prize, Rosamund spoke of the challenges of her role. "In my movie, I had to swim up from a sinking car, and I still would have preferred that to being in a room with Rudy Giuliani, so Maria, I salute you," she said. Twitter had a heyday with the grade-A shade aimed at Donald Trump's former personal attorney, sparking memes galore and a monsoon of applause.

An NFL shoutout explained

Right back at ya, Aaron Rodgers! As Jodie Foster accepted the award for best supporting actress, she randomly gave a shoutout to the Green Bay Packers quarterback. Why? Well, for whatever reason, he thanked her during his NFL MVP speech earlier this month. Many people wondered if Jodie set up Aaron and his new fiancée, Shailene Woodley, who also starred in "The Mauritanian" — hence the shoutout. Nope. "He just knows I'm his biggest fan," Jodie told late night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Four-legged fans

The Golden Globes were fun for the whole family… and that includes four-legged family members. With the majority of celebrities watching the awards at home, several of their pets made cameos. Sarah Paulson's dog made an appearance just before the telecast went to commercial. Regina King's dog, Cornbread, crashed her preshow interview with E! News. Jodie Foster's dog was front and center while she accepted her award for best supporting actress. Can we call this a "ruff" night?

Technical problems out of the gate…

We had a technical issue pretty much out of the gate. Daniel Kaluuya won the first award of the night — best supporting actor for his performance in "Judas and the Black Messiah." As Daniel began his speech, no audio could be heard, which he didn't realize at first. As the broadcast returned to presenter Laura Dern, Daniel's voice finally appeared. "You did me dirty," he quipped. Quickly, everything was fixed and all was good again… and Daniel's speech was beautiful.

The perfect comedy bit from the couch

Catherine O'Hara got her Globe. The actress was the odds-on favorite for best actress in a music or comedy show for her performance on TV's "Schitt's Creek," and everything was perfect. During her speech, the comedy legend drank a martini and thanked Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy for casting her on the sitcom. "They just let me wear 100 wigs and speak like an alien," she said. As she was wrapping her speech, her husband, Bo Welch, cued up some "play off" music from his cell phone and let it rip, essentially telling her to wrap it up. Just like being on stage at the show in person!

Glam by the numbers

Regina King was dressed to impress! The "One Night in Miami" director (seen here on the E! Globes preshow) donned a stunning Louis Vuitton dress for the Globes… a dress that took 350 hours to complete. A rep from Louis Vuitton said the dress was made up of 20,000 silver sequins, 12,000 gold sequins and 8,000 black sequins. There were also 1,200 crystals sewn into the dress for added sparkle. And, by the way, Regina also donned $2 million worth of Forevermark jewelry.

From a hotel room far, far, away…

With the Golden Globes being virtual this year, most of the stars weren't there in person… Heck, a few stars weren't even watching the awards from the United States. "The Great" star Elle Fanning, for instance, checked in from London… where the show STARTED at 1 a.m! "Honestly, I have to admit I'm a super night owl like I can easily stay up until 3 a.m.," she said. "I think I have more energy than ever before today. I'm also completely just running on adrenaline." (See her incredible ice blue Alessandro Michele dress on her Instagram account here.) Who else was watching from across the pond? "The Crown" star Gillian Anderson was tuning in from Prague in the Czech Republic. "The Mauritanian" star Tahar Rahim was in a fancy hotel room in Paris.

Meet 2021's Golden Globe ambassadors

As is usually the case, this year's Golden Globe ambassadors come from a famous Hollywood bloodline. Satchel and Jackson Lee, the daughter and son of director Spike Lee and film and TV producer Tonya Lewis Lee, were tapped for the honor this year. Awkwardly, Spike's critically acclaimed film "Da 5 Bloods" was one of the more egregious snubs at the Globes in 2021. Still, Spike's kids were appreciative. "I am extremely honored to be this year's Golden Globe Ambassador alongside my sister @satchellee & I'm the 1st African American Male to be given this privilege!" Jackson wrote on Instagram.

A fashionable family affair

The best dressed person watching the Globes on Feb. 28 might have been a 5-month-old boy. Amanda Seyfried's infant son with husband Thomas Sadoski was dressed in a tuxedo for the show, the "Mank" actress — who herself wore a stunning coral Oscar de la Renta gown and Forevermark diamonds — shared. "We haven't put the bow tie on him yet," Amanda told E! News during the network's preshow while safely ensconced in a hotel room, where she safely participated in the evening. While the best supporting actress nominee bemoaned the fact that she couldn't attend the Globes in Beverly Hills, Amanda found a silver lining. "I'm holding my son's hand right now," she said during the Zoom interview. "I couldn't have done that if I was there."

Goodbye, Ryan!

Fans of E!'s red carpet preshow might have noticed someone was missing ahead of the 2021 Golden Globes. Giuliana Rancic was there doing her pre-show interviews, but Ryan Seacrest was not. Weeks ahead of the show, Ryan took to Instagram to explain why he was stepping away. "After 14 years of hosting E!'s Live from the Red Carpet I've decided to move on to new adventures. I'll miss the whole crew that works so hard behind the scenes and of course my amazing partner Giuliana. Thanks to everyone for watching all these years," he wrote. Ever the promoter, Ryan was constantly tweeting about "American Idol," which he is still hosting, throughout the Globes telecast.

Heroes in the audience

Some legitimate heroes witnessed the Golden Globes in person. People magazine reported that show organizers invited a limited number of frontline and essential workers to attend the event. Additionally, a select number of food bank workers were also attending the bicoastal telecast. All audience members were tested for the coronavirus and safety protocols were followed. (There were even COVID-19 compliance officers on site to make sure everything was on the up and up.)

Cindy Ord/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / Todd Williamson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images