The Golden Globes mark the official kickoff of the awards season in cinema, a journey that ultimately leads to the Oscars. The ceremony, presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), is held at a luxury hotel and has become a marquee event in the film calendar. In recent years, the Globes have continued to shape conversations around standout performances and influential debuts, with the current edition slated for a January gathering at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
In this 80th edition of the Golden Globes, Inisher’s Banshees, directed by the British-Irish filmmaker Martin McDonagh, emerges as a strong contender with multiple nominations. It leads the field with eight nominations, followed closely by Everything All at Once, which earned six nominations from the collaborative team Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The Fabelmans, directed by Steven Spielberg, and Babylon, directed by Damien Chazelle, each attract five nominations, underscoring a diverse slate of acclaimed titles across the year.
Recent discussions around the Golden Globes have focused on questions of governance, ethics, and representation within the industry. In the wake of protests over funding practices and workplace diversity, the Globes have taken steps to restore credibility and maintain their relevance in a media landscape that prefers transparent, accountable awards processes.
1944, the year of the first premiere
A history dating back to 1944 shows HFPA members, a group of foreign journalists covering Hollywood, deciding to formalize an annual ceremony to celebrate outstanding achievements of the prior year. The inaugural Golden Globe ceremony took place on January 5, 1944, at the 20th Century-Fox studios in Los Angeles. Over the years, the venue has shifted among several iconic locations, including the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, before settling at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1961, where the Globes continue to be hosted.
In that first edition, the ceremony featured just five categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Winners received diplomas as a mark of recognition, setting a different tone from contemporary trophy ceremonies while establishing the Globes as a prominent barometer of early seasonal momentum in film awards.
The schedule of the 2023 Golden Globes premiere and where to watch it live
Two years after the initial idea to broaden the scope of the award each year, the association’s president at that time, Marina Cisternas, introduced a symbolic golden globe placed on a pedestal to represent the world of cinema. The emblem, crafted from a 24-carat gold sphere standing on a marble base, remains a defining image of the Globes and continues to be a centerpiece for recognition each year.
The actual sculpture weighs about 3.5 kilograms and stands roughly 29 centimeters tall, with a base width of about 9.5 centimeters. The globe itself is plated with 24-carat gold and produced from a combination of metals including zinc, brass, and bronze for durability. Estimated production costs for a single figurine run around eight hundred dollars, reflecting its status as an iconic, aspirational award in the film industry.