The 2021 Golden Globe awards was like never before in its new hybrid format. Hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler who were on opposite sides of the country, the ceremony had plenty of technical difficulties. From a muted acceptance speech to numerous glitches, it reflected the new normal that COVID has brought for award shows. The majority of nominees and presenters stayed in their own homes and interactions were all made through Zoom. In their place, frontline workers and first responders were invited to watch the ceremony in person.
The ceremony was also subject to controversy after the organization, HFPA, that votes on the awards completely lacked a black member in its 87 members. This issue was addressed at the beginning of the show but only resulted in a promise to do better from its members. It raised a larger issue in lack of inclusivity and fairness that many organizations fail to fully address.
Chloé Zhao became the second woman and first woman of Asian descent to win the best director award for her work on the movie “Nomadland.” The film also won the title of best drama film.
The late Chadwick Boseman, who died last summer of cancer, won best actor in a drama film and his award was emotionally accepted by his wife. The award was for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Some other notable awards went to “The Crown” for best drama TV series and “Schitt’s Creek” for best musical or comedy TV series. “The Queen’s Gambit” won best limited series. The award for best motion picture went to “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and the award for best animated motion picture went to “Soul.”
Awards for best actors and actresses in a motion picture went to Andra Day for her role in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” Rosamund Pike for her role in “I Care a Lot,” and Sacha Baron Cohen for his role in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” The awards for best actors and actresses in TV shows went to Catherine O’Hara for her role in “Schitt’s Creek,” Anya Taylor-Joy for her role in “The Queen’s Gambit,” Josh O’Connor for his role in “The Crown,” and Jason Sudeikis for his role in “Ted Lasso.”
Although making history in ways that are both good and bad, it lacked many of the aspects that tend to make award shows entertaining. The typical appeal of watching an award show to see things like the red carpet and your favorite celebrities felt like it wasn’t there this year. It raises the question of how necessary award shows are anymore, especially if it has to be done over Zoom.