2026 Golden Globes Recap: Historic Wins and Glaring Omissions
The 83rd Golden Globes delivered a night of triumph and disappointment that underscored the ongoing struggle for recognition of Black artistry in Hollywood's most prestigious spaces.
Wagner Moura Makes History
Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian actor to win Best Actor in a Drama for The Secret Agent, a political thriller set during Brazil's 1977 military dictatorship. In his acceptance speech, Moura spoke about the film being "about memory, or the lack of memory, and generational trauma," adding that "if trauma can be passed along generations, values can too. So this is to the ones who are sticking with their values in difficult moments." The film also took home Best Non-English Language Film.
Teyana Taylor's Groundbreaking Win
Teyana Taylor opened the ceremony with a stunning upset, claiming Best Supporting Actress for One Battle After Another over frontrunner Amy Madigan. In her speech, she delivered a powerful message: "To my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight—our softness is not a liability." Her film dominated the night with four awards total, including Best Musical/Comedy, Best Director, and Best Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson.
Sinners: The Night's Most Glaring Snub
Ryan Coogler's Sinners entered the night as the presumed drama frontrunner with seven nominations but left with only two wins—and the disappointment speaks volumes about how the industry continues to overlook Black excellence. The film won Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson, though notably, Göransson's win wasn't even televised, relegated to a commercial break.
The losses cut deep: Michael B. Jordan lost Best Actor to Moura, Coogler lost both Best Director and Best Screenplay to Paul Thomas Anderson, and the film lost Best Drama to Hamnet. Many industry insiders had predicted Coogler would take the screenplay prize, making the snub particularly stinging. With 121 nominations and 108 wins across various award bodies, Sinners has proven its merit—yet the Globes chose to look elsewhere in the categories that matter most.
The Broader Pattern
This continues a troubling pattern at the Golden Globes. Despite being a critical and commercial success—a rare original vampire thriller that became one of 2025's biggest hits—Sinners couldn't secure recognition in major creative categories. The parallels to Barbie's treatment are impossible to ignore, though as fans noted online, "Sinners is a wayyy better film than Barbie, which makes it even worse."
The ceremony's structure, splitting between drama and comedy/musical categories, allows the Globes to appear inclusive while still marginalizing certain voices. One Battle After Another's sweep feels earned, but Sinners' shutout in major categories suggests voters couldn't see past their preconceived notions about what "prestige" looks like.
With Oscar nominations announced January 22nd, the question now is whether Sinners will get the Academy recognition it deserves—or if this is just the beginning of another awards season where Black art gets applauded for its commercial success but denied its artistic due.
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