Golden Globes undeterred by COVID-19; Chadwick Boseman honored
Chadwick Boseman, center, visited Direct Relief in Goleta in 2015 to meet with Thomas Tighe, president and CEO of Direct Relief and Madina Rahman, the deputy minister of health in Sierra Leone. The late Mr. Boseman was honored Sunday night with the Golden Globe for best motion picture performance in the drama category.
Sunday’s Golden Globes boasted a number of notable winners who, instead of receiving their awards on stage, gave their acceptance speeches over Zoom in true pandemic fashion.
The awards, which included one for an actor with a Goleta connection, the late Chadwick Boseman, remained the talk of the town Monday in Santa Barbara.
TV shows shined during the awards show after nearly a year of movie theater closures. Streaming services dominated nominations this year, with Netflix leading the pack at 42 nominations, while Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon also received notable nods.
Netflix movies and series garnered 10 Golden Globes at this year’s awards, with “The Crown” winning best drama series and “The Queen’s Gambit” taking home the award for best limited series.
Hannah Turner, a tourist from Chicago, told the News-Press that she was overall impressed by the Golden Globes on Sunday, but was disappointed to hear the news about a lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Perhaps the most memorable award of the night went to Mr. Boseman, who is best known for his role as King T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” The actor, who died last summer from colon cancer, was honored with the Golden Globe for best motion picture performance in the drama category for his role as Levee Green in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Mr. Boseman died just three months before the movie was released.
During the Ebola epidemic in 2015, Mr. Boseman visited Direct Relief’s headquarters in Goleta to discuss response efforts with Madina Rahman, the deputy minister of health in Sierra Leone, and Direct Relief President Thomas Tighe.
“He could not have been more gracious, empathetic, curious and supporting,” Mr. Tighe told the News-Press after the actor’s death last summer.
On behalf of Mr. Boseman, his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, delivered a tear-filled acceptance speech.
“He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you, ‘You can,” Ms. Ledward said through tears.
Ms. Ledward’s heartfelt words paid tribute to her husband, who was adored by millions around the world. This moment struck a chord with many viewers Sunday night, as the widow wiped tears from her eyes while expressing thanks.
“I think what (Ms. Ledward) said was really powerful stuff, and it was emotional and extremely heartfelt,” Daniel Lahr, founder of the Central Coast Film Society, told the News-Press Monday. “She was speaking on behalf of her husband, who was loved and adored by millions of people, and I think that love and gratitude was really coming through in a genuine sense.”
Other notable award winners included Emma Corrin, who took home the award for best actress in a TV series for her portrayal of Princess Diana in “The Crown.” Ms. Corrin’s co-stars — Josh O’Connor, who plays Prince Charles, and Gillian Anderson of “X Files” fame, who plays Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — also secured awards for best actor and best supporting actress.
Anya Taylor-Joy, 24, won her first Golden Globe for best actress in a limited TV series for her role in “The Queen’s Gambit.” The young actress was also up for another award for the best actress in a motion picture movie or comedy for her role in “Emma.”
“I thought (Anya) absolutely killed it,” Hannah Drobits, a Los Angeles acting student visiting Santa Barbara, told the News-Press Monday on State Street. “As a young actor, seeing somebody who is the same age as me doing something like that is totally inspiring.”
In the film categories, “Nomadland” took home the Globe for best motion picture drama, while “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” won best motion picture in the comedy and musical division. Disney’s “Soul” was also recognized as the best animated motion picture.
During the night, award recipients along with this year’s hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, highlighted the recent news that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association did not have any black voters. The two hosts, reporting from opposite coasts, discussed the controversy in the show’s opening monologue.
“Everyone is upset with the HFPA and their choices,” Ms. Poehler said. “Look, a lot of flashy garbage got nominated, but that happens. That is their thing. But a number of black actors and black-led projects were overlooked.”
Viewers of the awards show also expressed discontentment with the HFPA’s lack of diversity.
“I do have to say, it was disappointing to know that everyone from the Hollywood Foreign Press was white,” Hannah Turner, a tourist from Chicago, told the News-Press Monday on State Street. “That is really disappointing to me.”
Despite the lack of representation within the HFPA, Mr. Lahr of the Film Society said he believed that this year’s awards winners represented diverse backgrounds.
“The Hollywood Foreign Press was being called out for a lack of diversity, but I don’t think that was present in the recipients of the awards because there were a lot of backgrounds represented.”
email: mhirneisen@newspress.com
