To celebrate the productions that have been a comforting part of everyone’s quarantine agenda for the past year, the 78th Golden Globes was hosted on NBC by comedians Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on Feb. 28, 2021. 

Although the esteemed gala was not traditional, it still had its special moments, with healthcare and frontline workers honored as the regarded guests of the night. During the ceremony, many up-and-coming stars were recognized for their compelling roles in television and movies.

The big winners were Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland for Best Director of a Motion Picture and Sacha Baron Chen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which won for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in Musical or Comedy. 

The British historical drama The Crown swept the awards with six nominations and four wins. Stars Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor were both awarded their first Golden Globes for their portrayal of Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

Limited series The Queen’s Gambit won multiple awards, from Best Miniseries or TV Film to series star Anya Taylor-Joy’s first Golden Globe title as Best Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture. 

The opening monologue given by Poehler and Fey, from separate locations, talked about the close resemblance of shows and movies as they were all watched on our couches at home instead of movies being viewed at a movie theater. They also took a jab at recent controversy regarding the voting process of the Golden Globes.

Put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the Golden Globes have been a widely-acclaimed award show viewed by millions in America, dating back to 1944. Each year, a set of film critics ranks the top shows and movies of the year, most originating in America, with a mix of international titles. 

Racial controversy broke out about the award show after a Los Angeles Times report revealed that the HFPA’s voting committee has zero Black members. The HFPA was criticized for their lack of racial diversity. 

Winners of the night, such as actor Dan Levy,used their acceptance speeches to address the racial inequality within Hollywood. 

“In the spirit of inclusion, I hope that this time next year this ceremony reflects the true breadth and diversity of the film and television being made today because there is so much more to be celebrated,” Levy said. 

In spite of the HFPA and their lack of representation, the winners for the night were fairly diverse, with awards attributed to Andra Day, Daniel Kaluuya and the late Chadwick Boseman.

Boseman was awarded Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for the film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, with his wife, Taylor Simon Ledward, giving an emotional speech on his behalf, commemorating his work and what he would have said during his speech. 

“I don’t have his words, but we have to take all the moments to celebrate those we love,” Ledward said. “And hon, you keep ‘em coming.”

With $2 million raised for Feed America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, the award show was still able to capture the hearts of millions of viewers despite the setback of stars tuning in through a Zoom call.