Posthumous Golden Globe
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 18: Chadwick Boseman poses for a portrait at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, DC on Monday March 18, 2013 in Washington, DC. Boseman portrays Jackie Robinson in the movie, “42”. (Photo by Matt McClain for The Washington Post)

While the lead up to the 78th Golden Globes has been marred in controversy, the night itself has delivered a touching moment with Chadwick Boseman winning a posthumous Golden Globe. The 43-year-old actor passed away last year after a mostly secret battle with colon cancer.

Despite a strong field of fellow nominees, Boseman was the hot favourite to take out Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama category for his work in the film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The award was accepted by Boseman’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward.

“He would thank God,” Ledward said. “He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices.”

“I don’t have his words, but we have to take all the moments to celebrate those we love,” continued Ledward. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the final film Boseman appeared in, having won a legion of fans thanks to his work in Black Panther.

The posthumous Golden Globe and moving words from Boseman’s wife led to an outpouring of emotion online. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Globes are a largely virtual affair this year, and Twitter lit up with tributes to the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

Aside from Boseman’s posthumous Golden Globe, the night offered up several talking points in light of a rocky road into this year’s ceremony. The Globes have been the subject of heated debate, with accusations of bribery and racism leading to the hashtag #TimesUpGlobes trending on Twitter.

When news broke that the studio responsible for dubious nominee Emily In Paris had flown 30 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to France for a junket, eyebrows were raised.

Combine that with recent revelations by the Los Angeles Times that the HFPA does not have a single black voting member, and it’s been a less-than-ideal preparation for one of Hollywood’s major awards nights. Perhaps as a result of the ensuing backlash, the Globes appeared to avoid further controversy.

Emily In Paris was overlooked in both categories it was nominated in. Lily Collins missed out on the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Instead, the honour went to Catherine O’Hara for her work in Schitt’s Creek.

Meanwhile, Chloe Zao won Best Director for her film, Nomadland. Zhao is the first woman to win this category since 1984 — that was Barbra Streisand, who won for the drama Yentl.

Streaming giant Netflix had the lions share of success at the Globes, thanks mostly to The Queen’s Gambit and The Crown. Anya Taylor Joy took home the Globes for Best Actress in a Miniseries, while Josh O’Connor won Best Actor in a TV series — drama for his portrayal of a young Prince Charles in The Crown. The Crown also nabbed Best Drama series, while Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson won for their work playing Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher, respectively.

In what may have been the most fitting acceptance speech of the night, British actor Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for playing the radical leader Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” However, when it came time to accept the award, Kaluuya’s Zoom connection suffered a hiccup, leaving the first time award winner without audio.

While most nominees opted to still dress up despite bringing stuck at home, the same can’t be said for Jason Sudeikis.

The comedian was a surprise winner in Globes’ category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, for his role on Ted Lasso.

When presenters cut to Sudeikis for his acceptance speech, he was rocking a tie-dye hoodie: cue the internet melting down.