The 78th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in American television of 2020, as well as film in 2020 and early 2021, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The ceremony took place on February 28, 2021, nearly two months later than normal, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema and on television. Produced by Dick Clark Productions and the HFPA, and aired live on NBC in the United States, this was the first bi-coastal Golden Globes ceremony, with Tina Fey co-hosting from the Rainbow Room in New York City, and Amy Poehler co-hosting from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
The nominees were announced on February 3, 2021. Jane Fonda and Norman Lear were announced as the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, respectively.
With 4 wins, The Crown won the most at the ceremony, including Best TV Series – Drama. Schitt's Creek and The Queen's Gambit won 2 each, with the former winning Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy and the latter winning Best Miniseries or TV Film. In film, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Nomadland, and Soul won 2 each, with Nomadland winning Best Motion Picture – Drama and Borat winning Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Production Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were announced as the hosts of the ceremony, for the fourth time, in January 2020, but for the very first time to co-host the Golden Globes bicoastally, both from Manhattan and from Beverly Hills, California. By June 2020, the HFPA decided to postpone the ceremony from its normal date in early January to February 28 due to both the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema and on television production. On February 2, 2021, it was reported that the ceremony would be held from both the Rainbow Room in New York City and the Golden Globes' usual home at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, allowing those on the East Coast to participate without having to make the cross-country trip. The nominees were announced on February 3, 2021.
Timetable The eligibility period for motion pictures was extended to February 28, 2021.
Winners and nominees
Film +Key Indicates a posthumous nomination
Best Motion Picture Drama Musical or Comedy Nomadland The Father Mank Promising Young Woman The Trial of the Chicago 7 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Hamilton Music Palm Springs The Prom Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama Actor Actress Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Levee Green Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal as Ruben Stone Anthony Hopkins – The Father as Anthony Gary Oldman – Mank as Herman J. Mankiewicz Tahar Rahim – The Mauritanian as Mohamedou Ould Salahi Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday as Billie Holiday Viola Davis – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Ma Rainey Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman as Martha Weiss Frances McDormand – Nomadland as Fern Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman as Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Actor Actress Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as Borat Sagdiyev James Corden – The Prom as Barry Glickman Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton as Alexander Hamilton Dev Patel – The Personal History of David Copperfield as David Copperfield Andy Samberg – Palm Springs as Nyles Rosamund Pike – I Care a Lot as Marla Grayson Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as Tutar Sagdiyev Kate Hudson – Music as Kazu "Zu" Gamble Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit as Frances Price Anya Taylor-Joy – Emma as Emma Woodhouse Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture Supporting Actor Supporting Actress Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah as Fred Hampton Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7 as Abbie Hoffman Jared Leto – The Little Things as Albert Sparma Bill Murray – On the Rocks as Felix Keane Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami... as Sam Cooke Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian as Nancy Hollander Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy as Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance Olivia Colman – The Father as Anne Amanda Seyfried – Mank as Marion Davies Helena Zengel – News of the World as Johanna Leonberger Other Best Director Best Screenplay Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman David Fincher – Mank Regina King – One Night in Miami... Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7 Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7 Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman Jack Fincher – Mank Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller – The Father Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Best Original Score Best Original Song Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross – Soul Alexandre Desplat – The Midnight Sky Ludwig Göransson – Tenet James Newton Howard – News of the World Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Mank "Io sì (Seen)" (Niccolò Agliardi, Laura Pausini, and Diane Warren) – The Life Ahead "Fight for You" (D'Mile, H.E.R., and Tiara Thomas) – Judas and the Black Messiah "Hear My Voice" (Celeste and Daniel Pemberton) – The Trial of the Chicago 7 "Speak Now" (Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom Jr.) – One Night in Miami... "Tigress & Tweed" (Andra Day and Raphael Saadiq) – The United States vs. Billie Holiday Best Animated Feature Film Best Foreign Language Film Soul The Croods: A New Age Onward Over the Moon Wolfwalkers Minari (United States) Another Round (Denmark) La Llorona (Guatemala) The Life Ahead (Italy) Two of Us (France)
Films with multiple nominations The following films received multiple nominations:
+ Nominations Films 6 Mank 5 The Trial of the Chicago 7 4 The Father Nomadland Promising Young Woman 3 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm One Night in Miami... 2 Hamilton Judas and the Black Messiah The Life Ahead Ma Rainey's Black Bottom The Mauritanian Music News of the World Palm Springs The Prom Soul The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Films with multiple wins The following films received multiple wins:
+ Wins Films 2 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Nomadland Soul
Television Best Television Series Drama Musical or Comedy The Crown (Netflix) Lovecraft Country (HBO) The Mandalorian (Disney+) Ozark (Netflix) Ratched (Netflix) Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) Emily in Paris (Netflix) The Flight Attendant (HBO Max) The Great (Hulu) Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) Best Miniseries or Television Film The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) Normal People (Hulu) Small Axe (Prime Video) The Undoing (HBO) Unorthodox (Netflix) Best Performance in a Television Series – Drama Actor Actress Josh O'Connor – The Crown (Netflix) as Charles, Prince of Wales Jason Bateman – Ozark (Netflix) as Martin "Marty" Byrde Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC) as Saul Goodman Al Pacino – Hunters (Amazon Prime Video) as Meyer Offerman Matthew Rhys – Perry Mason (HBO) as Perry Mason Emma Corrin – The Crown (Netflix) as Diana, Princess of Wales Olivia Colman – The Crown (Netflix) as Queen Elizabeth II Jodie Comer – Killing Eve (BBC America) as Villanelle Laura Linney – Ozark (Netflix) as Wendy Byrde Sarah Paulson – Ratched (Netflix) as Nurse Ratched Best Performance in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Actor Actress Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) as Ted Lasso Don Cheadle – Black Monday (Showtime) as Maurice Monroe Nicholas Hoult – The Great (Hulu) as Peter III of Russia Eugene Levy – Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) as Johnny Rose Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu) as Ramy Hassan Catherine O'Hara – Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) as Moira Rose Lily Collins – Emily in Paris (Netflix) as Emily Cooper Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max) as Cassie Bowden Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu) as Catherine the Great Jane Levy – Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) as Zoey Clarke Best Performance in a Miniseries or Television Film Actor Actress Mark Ruffalo – I Know This Much Is True (HBO) as Dominick and Thomas Birdsey Bryan Cranston – Your Honor (Showtime) as Michael Desiato Jeff Daniels – The Comey Rule (Showtime) as James Comey Hugh Grant – The Undoing (HBO) as Jonathan Fraser Ethan Hawke – The Good Lord Bird (Showtime) as John Brown Anya Taylor-Joy – The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) as Beth Harmon Cate Blanchett – Mrs. America (FX on Hulu) as Phyllis Schlafly Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People (Hulu) as Marianne Sheridan Shira Haas – Unorthodox (Netflix) as Esther "Esty" Shapiro Nicole Kidman – The Undoing (HBO) as Grace Fraser Best Supporting Performance in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Supporting Actor Supporting Actress John Boyega – Small Axe (Prime Video) as Leroy Logan Brendan Gleeson – The Comey Rule (Showtime) as President Donald Trump Dan Levy – Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) as David Rose Jim Parsons – Hollywood (Netflix) as Henry Willson Donald Sutherland – The Undoing (HBO) as Franklin Reinhardt Gillian Anderson – The Crown (Netflix) as Margaret Thatcher Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown (Netflix) as Princess Margaret Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix) as Ruth Langmore Annie Murphy – Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) as Alexis Rose Cynthia Nixon – Ratched (Netflix) as Gwendolyn Briggs
Series with multiple nominations The following television series received multiple nominations:
Nominations Series 6 The Crown 5 Schitt's Creek 4 Ozark The Undoing 3 The Great Ratched 2 The Comey Rule Emily in Paris The Flight Attendant Normal People The Queen's Gambit Small Axe Ted Lasso Unorthodox
Series with multiple wins The following series received multiple wins:
Wins Series 4 The Crown 2 Schitt's Creek The Queen's Gambit
Cecil B. DeMille Award The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary award bestowed to honorees who have made a significant mark in the film industry. It is named after its first recipient, director Cecil B. DeMille.
Jane Fonda
Carol Burnett Award The Carol Burnett Award is an honorary award given for outstanding and lasting contributions to television on or off the screen. It is named in honor of its first recipient, actress Carol Burnett.
Norman Lear
Ceremony
Golden Globe Ambassadors The Golden Globe Ambassadors are Jackson Lee and Satchel Lee, the son and daughter of Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee.
Presenters The following individuals presented awards at the ceremony:
Laura Dern with Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Angela Bassett with Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Colin Farrell introduced The Father Christian Slater (in New York City) with Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Tiffany Haddish with Best Animated Feature Film Yahya Abdul-Mateen II introduced The Trial of the Chicago 7 Amanda Seyfried introduced Mank Justin Theroux (in New York City) with Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Cynthia Erivo with Best Screenplay Sarah Paulson introduced The Prom Tina Fey and Amy Poehler with the Carol Burnett Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award Salma Hayek introduced Nomadland Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick with Best Actress – Television Series Drama Tracy Morgan (in New York City) with Best Original Song and Best Original Score Kate Hudson introduced Music Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson with Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Ben Stiller (in New York City) with Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Margot Robbie introduced Promising Young Woman Anthony Anderson with Best Actor – Television Series Drama Gal Gadot with Best Foreign Language Film Kenan Thompson with Best Television Series – Drama Ava DuVernay introduced Hamilton Jamie Lee Curtis with Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Christopher Meloni (in New York City) with Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Jeanise Jones introduced Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Rosie Perez (in New York City) with Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film and Best Miniseries or Television Film Renée Zellweger with Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Bryce Dallas Howard (in New York City) with Best Director Sandra Oh introduced Palm Springs