'One Battle After Another' and 'Hamnet' bag top awards at Hollywood's Golden Globes

Dark comedy 'One Battle After Another' and 'Hamnet', a film centred on William Shakespeare’s personal loss, emerged as the biggest winners at the Golden Globes.

One Battle After Another took home the award for best motion picture, musical or comedy, one of four trophies it won during the evening. Meanwhile, Hamnet secured the top prize for best motion picture drama.

One of the night’s most closely watched moments came when Timothée Chalamet won best male actor in a movie musical or comedy for his performance as a professional table tennis player in Marty Supreme. The category featured a strong lineup, including Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another and George Clooney for Jay Kelly.

“This category is stacked. I look up to all of you,” Chalamet said as he addressed his fellow nominees from the stage. Reflecting on earlier years, he added that he had attended previous Globes without winning. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say those moments made this moment that much sweeter,” he said.

The Golden Globes are decided by more than 300 entertainment journalists and are among the first awards handed out ahead of the Academy Awards, which take place in March. While Globe voters do not vote for the Oscars, a win can boost a film’s visibility as awards season gathers pace.

One Battle After Another, released by Warner Bros Discovery, tells the story of a group of former revolutionaries and is widely seen as a strong contender for the Oscars’ best picture race. On Sunday night, director Paul Thomas Anderson won both best director and best screenplay for the film, while Teyana Taylor earned the award for best supporting female actor.

Hamnet explores how Shakespeare and his wife coped with the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, an event many historians believe influenced the playwright’s later work, including Hamlet. Irish actor Jessie Buckley won best female actor in a movie drama for her portrayal of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes Hathaway.

“This was such an extraordinary set to be part of, telling the story of probably the most famous Brit who ever lived,” Buckley said, pointing out that the production brought together a Chinese director, Irish cast members and a largely Polish crew.

The Brazilian film The Secret Agent won best non-English language film, and in an unexpected result, its lead actor Wagner Moura was named best male actor in a movie drama.

Veteran actor Stellan Skarsgård picked up a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value. Accepting the award, the 74-year-old joked, “I was not prepared for this because, of course, I thought I was too old.”

A newly introduced podcast category went to Good Hang with Amy Poehler, where the comedian chats with celebrity guests. Poehler said the show was “an attempt to try to make a very rough and unkind world filled with a little bit more love and laughter,” adding, “We just have such a good time making it.”

The award for best original song went to “Golden,” from Netflix hit K-Pop Demon Hunters. “It’s never too late to shine like you were born to,” Korean-American singer Ejae said while accepting the prize.

On the television side, hospital drama The Pitt was named best TV drama, while The Studio won best comedy series.

Warner Bros Discovery topped all media companies with nine wins overall. Host Nikki Glaser joked that she might auction off the studio during the ceremony, opening the show by saying, “So let’s get down to business, shall we? We’ll start the bidding for Warner Brothers at $5.”

Political commentary was largely absent from the night. However, some attendees wore “Be Good” pins to honour Renee Good, a woman who was fatally shot by an immigration officer in Minneapolis last week.

Glaser kept the tone light throughout the evening, joking that the Golden Globes were “without a doubt the most important thing that’s happening in the world right now.” She also teased several stars in the audience, including DiCaprio, before apologising for a joke about his dating history. “We don’t know anything else about you, man,” she said.