CNN
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Host Jerrod Carmichael reminded stars who flocked to this year’s Golden Globes telecast of the controversy that temporarily drove the show off television, kicking off the 80th annual awards by performing as “the black face of a beleaguered white organization. ”
The Globes returned to NBC this year after the network scrapped the 2022 TV broadcast, following a Los Angeles Times report exposing the lack of diversity within the organization presenting them, the Hollywood Foreign Press. Assn., and the alleged ethical failings of its members.
“I’ll tell you why I’m here: I’m here because I’m black,” Carmichael said, in an opening monologue that drew uncomfortable laughter from the Beverly Hilton Hotel audience.
The HFPA responded to public criticism when the story broke in 2021 by enacting various reforms. Hollywood has cautiously resumed the festivities, partly hoping that Globes recognition will provide an edge in what is seen as a wide-open Oscar race.
Carmichael joked about just taking the money for accommodation, but concluded by saying he took on the job in part to celebrate the entertainment personalities in the venue he looked up to.
Notably, five of the top seven performer awards went to people of color, including Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan for sci-fi comedy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ and Angela Bassett for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. », the sequel to Marvel. Both films were broadly popular, as opposed to more narrowly skewed arthouse fare.
Honored for his return role after a long hiatus from acting, Quan expressed his gratitude to Steven Spielberg, who cast him as a child in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, nominated this year for the direction of his autobiographical film ” The Fabelmans”. Bassett spoke about the late Chadwick Boseman and how the movies were part of his legacy.
Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams also received recognition for the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” the rare broadcast network series to break into the awards arena. Among dramas, Zendaya won another accolade for HBO’s teen drama “Euphoria.”
Made up of international journalists, the HFPA has traditionally favored European talent, a trend generally less evident this year. Colin Farrell won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for “The Banshees of Inisherin” and Cate Blanchett for his role as the imperious bandleader in “Tar.” Austin Butler was honored for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the “Elvis” biography.
Netflix also picked up a win over Disney in the animated film category with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” a stop-motion version of the story.
Carmichael’s presentations included a joke about Tom Cruise returning his Golden Globes amid controversy, eliciting a muted response when he made a veiled reference to the actor’s ties to Scientology.
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in Television, “Glee” and “American Horror Story” producer Ryan Muprhy spoke about his mission to bring LGBTQ characters to the screen, seeking to “take the invisible , the unloved and make them the heroes I always yearned to see but never did in pop culture.
The event also included a recorded message from Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky.
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