There’s something about Jessie Buckley—the British Vogue cover star fills a room with warmth. At the 2026 Golden Globes, after winning the award for best actress in a drama for her devastating performance in Hamnet, she summed up her delight. “This is not a normal situation to be in,” she said, grinning broadly.
But then the Irish actress immediately made the glitzy ceremony feel like her own living room, speaking with her natural, bubbling enthusiasm about her role as Agnes, wife of William Shakespeare, in director Chloé Zhao’s profound reimagining of the creation of Hamlet as a story of grief. “It was such an extraordinary set to be part of because we were telling the story of probably the most famous Brit who ever lived, and we had a Chinese director, a lot of Irish actors, and a mostly Polish crew.”
She went on to thank Tomasz Sternicki, the grip on the film, for making soup on set. “It was delicious.” She concluded: “I love what I do, and I love being part of this industry.” That spirit of gratitude—for the sheer privilege of making films with something to say—filled the room.
No longer the boozy affair of old, the Globes have been streamlined into a polished part of the buildup to the Academy Awards on March 15. Their split into two film categories—musical/comedy and drama—still makes it tricky to predict the rest of awards season, but two frontrunners clearly emerged: Hamnet and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which each won four prizes.
On the surface, the two films couldn’t be more different. Hamnet is a powerful, deeply felt study of grief and its impact on art and life; One Battle After Another is a spectacular semi-comic epic centered on Leonardo DiCaprio’s clueless ex-revolutionary, who finds himself caught in the grip of reactionary forces and hysteria in a timeless America. Yet both are made by visionary directors who believe in film’s power to change how people think. “I love doing what I do, so this is just fun,” said Anderson in one of his many speeches of the night.
Hamnet won two awards, including best picture (drama), somewhat unexpectedly—some pundits had predicted the Globe might go to Ryan Coogler’s radical Sinners, a popular and critical success that blends the blues and vampires in a sensational collision in the American South. Zhao looked genuinely surprised and made sure to praise Coogler’s brilliance in her acceptance speech, which ended with a tribute to how filmmaking allows people to be seen. “Let’s keep our hearts open, let’s keep seeing each other, and allowing ourselves to be seen,” she said.
Meanwhile, One Battle After Another, based on a Thomas Pynchon novel, cemented its position as the Oscar frontrunner, winning Globes for best picture (musical or comedy), best director, best screenplay, and best supporting actress for Teyana Taylor. She makes a brilliant on-screen impact as DiCaprio’s fellow revolutionary and lover. Her speech, one of the most emotional of the night, ended with her dedicating the award to “my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight… We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.”
Anderson’s multiple speeches included a shout-out to Michael De Luca, chairperson of the beleaguered Warner Bros, now caught in a bidding war between Netflix and Paramount. It’s the studio that backed both Sinners—the highest-grossing original film in the past 15 years—and One Battle After Another. “About 25, 30 years ago, he came into my life and wanted to be my champion. He single-handedly has supported me and the movies I wanted to make. He said he had a dream of running a studio one day, and he was going to let directors do what they do.”Anderson, who had never won a Golden Globe before, also honored his longtime assistant director Adam Somner, who passed away in 2024.
Meanwhile, Timothée Chalamet has become the Oscar frontrunner for Best Actor after winning Best Male Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his intense, energetic performance as Marty Mauser in Josh Safdie’s chaotic table tennis epic, Marty Supreme. Despite four previous Globe nominations without a win, Chalamet has openly expressed his desire for an Oscar, and his gracious acceptance speech—one of the night’s best—only helped his chances.
“My dad taught me to always be grateful for what I have,” he said. “That mindset has allowed me to leave past ceremonies empty-handed but still proud, just happy to be here. But I’d be lying if I said those moments didn’t make this one even sweeter.”
Chalamet was also at the center of one of the night’s funniest jokes when Don Cheadle “assisted” George Clooney—who lost to Chalamet despite his subtle performance in Jay Kelly—by reminding him how long it had been since his own win. “Timothée Chalamet was three years old when you last won,” Cheadle quipped.
In the Best Actor (Drama) category, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura triumphed over bigger names like Dwayne Johnson, Oscar Isaac, and Michael B. Jordan (who played twins in Sinners) for his role in the political thriller The Secret Agent. Stellan Skarsgård won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a monstrous father in the Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value, beating out contenders like Paul Mescal (for Hamnet), Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another.
Both Moura and Skarsgård are now almost certain to receive Oscar nominations, even if they don’t win. The same goes for Rose Byrne, who won Best Female Actor in a Musical or Comedy for playing an overwhelmed mother of a sick child in Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You—a film she joked was “made in 25 days for $8.50.” Her victory positions her as the only real competition to Buckley’s likely Oscar sweep.
Other films now seem less likely to succeed. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein entered the Globes with five nominations but left empty-handed, and Wicked: For Good also failed to win any awards. In a mild surprise, The Secret Agent won Best Non-English Language Film, beating both Sentimental Value and It Was Just an Accident, directed by Iranian democracy activist Jafar Panahi.
Sinners won two Globes—for Best Score (Ludwig Göransson) and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement—which felt somewhat like consolation prizes. Its success will likely carry over to the Oscars. But it’s One Battle After Another, a film that resonates deeply with today’s tense global mood, that has emerged as the one to beat.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The 2026 Golden Globes The Oscar Race
General Beginner Questions
Q What are the Golden Globes and why do they matter for the Oscars
A The Golden Globes are awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for film and TV They matter for the Oscars because theyre one of the first major televised ceremonies of the awards season generating buzz and momentum for certain films and performances just as Oscar voting begins
Q When are the 2026 Golden Globes
A The exact date for the 2026 ceremony hasnt been announced yet Historically they are held on the first Sunday in January For the 2026 awards expect a ceremony in early January 2026 honoring films and shows released in 2025
Q What does A Snapshot of the Oscar Race mean
A It means the Golden Globes results give us a quick early picture of which movies actors and directors are the frontrunners and likely to get nominated for the upcoming Academy Awards Its not a perfect predictor but it sets the tone
Q Do Golden Globe winners always go on to win Oscars
A No not always While winning a Globe can boost a campaign the voting bodies are completely different Sometimes they align but often they dont
Q How can I watch the Golden Globes
A The ceremony is broadcast live on CBS and streams on Paramount in the United States International viewing options vary by country
Advanced Strategic Questions
Q Why are the Golden Globes considered a better Oscar predictor for some categories than others
A The Globes split top categories into Drama and Musical or Comedy This can give two frontrunners visibility especially in acting races A surprise win in a less competitive MusicalComedy category can suddenly make a performer a serious Oscar contender whereas the Oscars have combined categories
Q Whats the biggest strategic benefit of a Golden Globe win for an Oscar campaign
A The biggest benefit is