Top Highlights and Low Points from the 2026 Golden Globes

From the “Heated Rivalry” cast performing on stage to the less impressive commentators, here are the best and worst moments from the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.

Every awards ceremony brings along certain elements: stunning attire, extended acceptance speeches, uncomfortable moments, and some instances that could bring you to tears. The2026 Golden Globeswas no different, providing an evening that Hollywood will never forget and that viewers will… well, likely forget. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some standout moments worth honoring! We’re here to take you through everything — the things we’ll keep in mind, and the ones we’re already trying to erase from our memory. (You can check out thefull list of Golden Globe winners here.)

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BEST: Nikki Glaser’s monologue

Nikki Glaser has a talent for delivering humor. She has demonstrated this on multiple occasions, including as the standout of last year’sGolden Globes host. This year, Glaser’s opening monologue featured several excellent one-liners, whether she was presenting the Justice Department with the “best editing” award or askingGeorge Clooneyto diagnose the watery Nespresso. She even succeeded in doing the unimaginable — deliver aLeonardo DiCaprioa joke that wasn’t focused on the age of his girlfriends. Sorry, a Leonardo DiCaprio joke that wasn’t ONLY about the age of his girlfriends. To be fair, her punchline did begin there, but she soon clarified that it was because “we don’t know anything else about you, man,” besides the fact that his favorite food — as mentioned in his 1991Teen Beat interview — “pasta, pasta, and more pasta.”

Anyone who manages to get in aTeen Beat reference is executing it correctly.

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BEST: Teyana Taylor’s remarkable address

This blurb could really just read: Teyana Taylorwon!!! But believe it or not, it’s even better. Not only did Taylor win her first Golden Globe for her performance inOne Battle After Anotherbut she gave one of the most outstanding speeches of the evening, beginning with her humorously noting the extremely low sparkle bow at the back of her dress and then quickly shifting to addressing her children, “Y’all better be off those damn phones and watching me right now.”

Without any humor, she concluded with an uplifting message, stating, “To my brown sisters and young brown girls watching tonight, our gentleness is not a weakness. Our complexity is not excessive. Our light doesn’t require approval to glow. We are entitled to be in every space we enter. Our voices are significant and our aspirations deserve a place.”

Have you gotten your tissues yet?

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WORST: The nominee announcements

Trying something new is one thing, but being foolish is another. If there’s one aspect of award shows that doesn’t really need to change, it’s the simple tradition of displaying the nominees’ faces as their names are called. However, this year, for some unknown reason, the Globes chose to shrink the nominees’ images so they could… place a location pin indicating where they’re seated in the room??? Why should we care where they’re sitting compared to the stage? It’s pointless, looks ridiculous, and often lags. No thanks.

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BEST: Where is our Smartless movie?!

To put it plainly: TheSmartlesshosts display remarkable chemistry. For many yearsSean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will ArnettThey’ve provided countless hours of funny conversation on their podcast, but watching them perform at the Globes has only increased our affection for them.

Yes, it was just a lighthearted moment about how some individuals dislike Bateman, but it was still amusing. Especially when Hayes mentioned he lovedOzark, to which Bateman replied, “What was it about?” Hayes’ answer was, “It was about three seasons too long.”

When will we see these three leading in a comedy?

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WORST: The announcers

In short: The live commentators at this year’s event just… didn’t function well. The Globes assignedEntertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier and VarietyThe senior culture & events editor Marc Malkin offered commentary during the extended pauses when a winner embraces their loved ones and then walks to the stage. However, if Malkin wasn’t struggling with his words, he was offering fascinating insights, such as noting that winner Timothée Chalamet recently expressed gratitude to girlfriend Kylie Jenner at the Critics Choice Awards: “Will he thank Kylie Jenner again tonight? We’re about to find out!”

Sure, we might have preferred it not to be there.

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BEST: Noah Wyle sends his wife a birthday greeting

Yes, Noah Wylewon the Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series award for his outstanding performance inThe Pitt. And indeed, he did it alongside othersER alum George Clooney in the room. And YES, he gave an outstanding acceptance speech, in which he expressed gratitude to all medical professionals. However, one moment stands out, and that is when, at the end of Wyle’s speech, he not only mentioned that it is his wife’s birthday, but also told her, “I hope you have a great time at your party.”

Did he just succeed in turning the entire Golden Globes into a celebration for his wife’s birthday? That’s a great husband if we’ve ever seen one.

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BEST: Rose Byrne addresses her bearded dragon

Rose Byrnedidn’t anticipate winning for her contributions inIf I Had Feet, I’d Kick You, so when she took the stage, she wasn’t quite ready — a situation that can result in either disorder or excellence. In Byrne’s instance, it was excellence. She not only acknowledged her parents for purchasing Paramount+ so they could watch the show from Australia, but she also concluded by sharing that her husband, Bobby Cannavale, had missed the show togo to a lizard fair in New Jerseybecause “we’re getting a bearded dragon.” Stars… they’re exactly like us.

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WORST: A less-than-golden musical instance

As a host, it’s uncommon for every element to succeed. Although we appreciated Glaser’s opening monologue, not all of her preparations were successful. We’re referring to that awkward musical segment. The concept appeared straightforward: She intended to perform a song about how the Globes didn’t want her to sing, set to the tune of “Golden” fromKPop Demon Hunters. However, due to some minor wardrobe problems and then more significant microphone issues — and the biggest problem being that it just didn’t quite resonate — the song was a failure. But hey, at leastFran Drescherwas there to inform Glaser, “Your voice is extremely irritating.” Get it?

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BEST: Things get…heated

If we’re being truthful, theHeated RivalryThe stars were destined to be on our “best moment” list regardless of their actions or words. However, there’s no need to worry, as they did more than just attend to deserve this recognition (although their appearance alone was sufficient!).

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie stepped onto the stage.to display and instantly winked at the nudity in their popular series when Williams attempted to ease Storrie’s anxiety by advising him to “imagine everyone in the audience…you know.”

Storrie replied, “I’m not sure if that’s effective since everyone has seen us…you understand.”

Then again, no one in the room has seenHeated Rivalry. But as Storrie said, “Their trainers have and their moms have and their daughters have.” AND WE LOVE IT!

P.S. The strange UFC segment before they took the stage deserves an honorable mention for the worst.

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BEST: Wanda Sykes accepts in place of Ricky Gervais

Wanda Sykesdidn’t hold back as she revealed the contenders for Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television, especially when it came toRicky Gervais.

Prior to revealing the winner, she quipped, “Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here,” then continued, “No, I love you, Ricky, because if you win, I’ll have the chance to accept the award for you, and you’ll be thanking God and the transgender community.”

And what happened when Gervais won?Sykes proceeded with the task Sykes carried out the section Sykes moved forward with the part Sykes handled the portion Sykes continued with the segment Sykes executed the part Sykes worked through the section Sykes tackled the bit Sykes went ahead with the part Sykes completed the segment, expressing gratitude to God and the transgender community on his behalf.

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BEST: Rhea Seehorn wins!

For years, Better Call Saul fans watched as Rhea Seehornwas overlooked despite her remarkable performance as Kim Wexler in the popular series. She missed out on two Emmys while being part of the show, and additionally, was never even recognized with a Golden Globe nomination. However, that has now changed. Thanks toPluribus, which Saul writer Vince Gilligan wrote with Seehorn in mind, the actress has won a well-earned Golden Globe for her performance as Carol Sturka, a bestselling author and one of the remaining humans on Earth. While things may be chaotic for Carol, they are definitely improving for Seehorn!

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BEST: Jessie Buckley expresses gratitude to a crew member for preparing soup

You can never predict what to expect from a victory speech, a truth thatHamnet star Jessie Buckley shone when she received her award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama.

After acknowledging the “400 extras” on theChloé Zhaofilm location, Buckley turned her attention to a particular crew member, specifically a grip from Poland. Buckley remembered how she discovered him behind his truck one day cutting up potatoes, onions, and meat to prepare a soup in the cast-iron pot he had brought from his homeland.

The soup began appearing on set. It was tasty,” Buckley remarked, then thanked him “for bringing your pot to the set.

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BEST: “Take them down, Batman”

There’s nothing quite like aOceans Eleven reunion at any award ceremony! As George Clooney was preparing to present the final award of the night for Best Picture – Drama, he was joined by his former co-starDon Cheadle, who questioned the actor, “Did you win?” Naturally, Clooney — who was up for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy — didn’t take home the prize that night, but as he pointed out to Cheadle, he has won before and no, it wasn’tthat long ago.

To support his argument, Cheadle then questioned best actor winner Timothée Chalamet about his age—spoiler: he is 30—at which point he remarked to Clooney, “He was 3 the last time you won.”

When Clooney tried to wrap up the discussion by stating he was just going to handle the nominations, Cheadle smacked him on the back and said, “Take ’em down, Batman.”

We’d say we’d like to see a new film featuring these two, but it sounds like we’realready getting it.

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BEST: Nikki Glaser’s heartfelt homage to Rob Reiner

As the 83rd annual Golden Globes came to a close, host Nikki Glasergave a subtle nod to the late Rob Reiner, one month following his and his wife, Michele’s,found deadat their home in Brentwood, California.

In the last moments of the show, the comedian wore a “Spinal Tap” hat, the name of the fictional band featured in Reiner’s famous 1984 mockumentary.This Is Spinal Tap.

This one went to 11,” noted Glaser, alluding to a famous quote from the movie. “Thanks for an incredible evening, and I hope we managed to cross the boundary between smart and silly. A great Chalamet to everyone! Goodnight!

Read the original story onEntertainment Weekly