81st Golden Globes: Winners and Highlights Across Drama, Comedy, and TV

Overview of the 81st Golden Globe Awards

The 81st Golden Globes ceremony was held on January 8. Oppenheimer emerged as the standout drama, securing five of the eight drama-category awards and solidifying its position as a defining film of the year. The following list highlights the most notable categories and their revealed winners for quick reference.

• Oppenheimer – winner
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Past Lives
• Maestro
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Interest Zone

Best Musical or Comedy went to a mix of popular titles and bold choices. The runners-up in this category included Barbie, The Poor Miserables, American Fiction, Abandoned, May, December, and Air: The Big Leap.

• Barbie
• The Poor Miserables – winner
• American Fiction
• Abandoned
• May, December
• Air: The Big Leap

In the best animated film race, the top contenders were led by The Boy and the Bird, with Elementary, Spider-Man: Web of Universes, Super Mario Brothers in the Movies, Suzume Closes the Doors, and My dearest wish also recognized.

• The Boy and the Bird – winner
• Elementary
• Spider-Man: Web of Universes
• Super Mario Brothers in the Movies
• Suzume Closes the Doors
• My dearest wish

Best Screenplay (Best Scenario) featured strong entries such as Barbie, Poor and unhappy, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, and Anatomy of a Fall as a winner.

• Barbie
• Poor and unhappy
• Oppenheimer
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Past Lives
• Anatomy of a Fall

Best Director nominations included Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Greta Gerwig for Barbie, Yorgos Lanthimos for The Unfortunate Poor, Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Celine Song for Past Lives. Nolan’s direction earned the top spot in this category.

• Bradley Cooper, Maestro
• Greta Gerwig, Barbie
• Yorgos Lanthimos, The Unfortunate Poor
• Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – winner
• Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
• Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Actor in a Drama featured strong performances from Bradley Cooper, Cillian Murphy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Colman Domingo, Andrew Scott, and Barry Keoghan. Cillian Murphy took the statue for his portrayal in Oppenheimer.

• Bradley Cooper, Maestro
• Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – winner
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
• Colman Domingo, Rustin
• Andrew Scott, We Are Strangers to All
• Barry Keoghan, Saltburn

Best Actress in a Drama recognized Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon as the winner, with strong performances from Carey Mulligan, Sandra Hüller, Annette Bening, Greta Lee, and Cailee Spaeny in the mix.

• Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon – winner
• Carey Mulligan, Maestro
• Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
• Annette Bening, Diana Nude
• Greta Lee, Past Lives
• Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla: Elvis and Me

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy included Nicolas Cage, Timothee Chalamet, Matt Damon, Paul Giamatti, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeffrey Wright. Paul Giamatti was noted as the winner in this category.

• Nicolas Cage, The Hero of Our Dreams
• Timothee Chalamet, Wonka
• Matt Damon, Air: The Great Leap
• Paul Giamatti, The Leftovers – winner
• Joaquin Phoenix, Every Fear of Bo
• Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy saw Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Alma Poysti, Margot Robbie, and Emma Stone recognized; Emma Stone’s entry Poor Miserables was noted as the winner.

• Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
• Jennifer Lawrence, no violation
• Natalie Portman, May, December
• Alma Poysti, Fallen Leaves
• Margot Robbie, Barbie
• Emma Stone, Poor Miserables – winner

Best Supporting Actor included Willem Dafoe, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling, Charles Melton, and Mark Ruffalo. Robert Downey Jr. was the winner for Oppenheimer.

• Willem Dafoe, The Wretched Poor
• Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
• Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer – winner
• Ryan Gosling, Barbie
• Charles Melton, May, December
• Mark Ruffalo, The Unfortunate

Best Supporting Actress honored performances from Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, Jodie Foster, Julianne Moore, Rosamund Pike, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Emily Blunt’s work in Oppenheimer was top-rated among critics.

• Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
• Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
• Jodie Foster, Diana Naked
• Julianne Moore, May, December
• Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Leftovers – winner

In the drama series category, nominees included 1923, The Crown, Diplomat, One of Us, The Morning Show, and Offspring. The award ultimately went to Offspring.

• 1923
• The Crown
• Diplomat
• One of Us
• The Morning Show
• Offspring – winner

For TV Series Musical or Comedy, Bear led the pack with Ted Lasso, Abbott Elementary, Be a Juror, Murders in the Same Building, and Barrie earning recognition. Bear was honored with the award.

• Bear – winner
• Ted Lasso
• Abbott Elementary School
• Be a Juror
• Murders in the Same Building
• Barrie

Best Miniseries or TV Movie featured All the Light We Cannot See, Gryznya, Daisy Jones and the Six, Fargo, Fellow Travelers, and Chemistry Lessons, with Gryznya noted as the winner.

• All the Light We Cannot See
• Gryznya – winner
• Daisy Jones and the Six
• Fargo
• Fellow Travelers
• Chemistry Lessons

Additional entries included Addicted to Romance Come to Me, Baby; Dance the Night Barbie; I’m Just Ken Barbie; Peaches Super Mario Bros in Theaters; Road to Freedom Rustin; What Was I Made for Barbie. Each highlighted the broad range of performances celebrated at the Globes.

• Addicted to Romance, Come to Me, Baby
• Dance the Night, Barbie
• I’m Just Ken, Barbie
• Peaches, Super Mario Bros in Theaters
• Road to Freedom, Rustin
• What Was I Made For, Barbie

One light moment of the ceremony came when Kieran Culkin accepted Best Actor in a Drama Series, joking about Pedro Pascal, who was nominated for his recurring role in The Last of Us. The exchange underscored the festive, playful spirit of Hollywood’s awards season.

The broader entertainment industry landscape continues to evolve with larger audiences and streaming platforms shaping which performances reach the public eye. In North America, the Golden Globes often set the tone for later awards shows, with many Canadians and Americans watching closely for trends, performances, and directing styles that resonate across the continent. Citations reflect industry commentary and post-event analyses from notable outlets, providing context for the year’s standout achievements.

Source notes accompany industry summaries to acknowledge where evaluative opinions and official results originate.