Golden Globes 2026 Review

January 19, 2026

By Bessy ADUT

Golden Globes 2026 Highlight a Season of Literary Adaptation, Global Cinema, and Platform-Driven Television

The 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a clear snapshot of an industry steadying itself through recalibration rather than reinvention. This year’s ceremony leaned into consolidation, affirming established creative priorities while signaling where Hollywood’s cultural and commercial confidence currently resides. From prestige literary adaptations to expansive genre filmmaking and platform-anchored television, the winners reflected a business intent on balance.

Hamnet Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley - Hamnet

At the center of the night’s film honors was Hamnet, with Jessie Buckley winning Best Actress in a Drama for her quietly devastating performance.

“Having written about this film in my review, it was profoundly moving to see a film I so admired for its emotional precision receive recognition. Seeing Buckley honored felt particularly gratifying because her performance captured exactly what I loved about Hamnet — its deep humanity and quiet intensity.”

Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel stood apart not through spectacle, but through restraint, portraying grief and memory with a subtlety that lingers long after the credits roll.

“Hamnet reminds us that cinema’s most profound achievements often reside in silence, in the unseen moments of grief and connection that refuse easy answers.”
(From my review in Şalom)

One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another won awards in many categories, including Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor.

“I wrote about this film as a true cinematic rebellion, and it was thrilling to see the Globes recognize the boldness, the sharp satirical voice, and the sheer energy of the performances. Seeing its vision celebrated across so many categories felt like a personal affirmation of the film’s risk-taking and creative rigor.”

“One Battle After Another is a cinematic rebellion, a film that refuses narrative obedience, using momentum, satire and character agency to challenge the comfort of convention rather than reinforce it.”
(From my review in Şalom)

One Battle After Another - Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another

That rebellious energy translated directly into awards momentum. Taylor’s win, and her subsequent call for greater space for underrepresented voices, echoed the film’s core argument, that its power lies not only in stylistic bravado, but in its insistence on agency, political, emotional, and cinematic.

Performance categories reflected a broadening of the awards field. Wagner Moura’s Best Actor in a Drama win for The Secret Agent, which also claimed Best Non-English Language Motion Picture, reinforced the growing awards season presence of international cinema beyond the traditional Anglophone lane. Timothée Chalamet’s victory for Marty Supreme reaffirmed his standing as a reliable crossover awards contender, while Rose Byrne’s comedic turn in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You signaled continued recognition for nuanced, performance-driven comedy.

The Secret Agent

Supporting categories favored seasoned talent and measured work. Stellan Skarsgård’s Best Supporting Actor win for Sentimental Value reflected the Globes’ appreciation for ensemble contribution, while KPop Demon Hunters’ sweep of the animated feature and original song categories highlighted the organization’s embrace of globalized pop aesthetics and youth-driven storytelling. Sinners, recognized for Original Score and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, embodied the Globes’ dual mandate, rewarding creative ambition aligned with audience reach.

Television awards echoed similar patterns. The Pitt secured Best Drama Series, reinforcing HBO Max’s dominance in prestige serialized storytelling. The Studio claimed Best Musical or Comedy Series, continuing the trend of industry-savvy satire resonating with voters. Netflix’s Adolescence emerged as a limited series powerhouse, collecting Best Limited Series alongside multiple acting wins, further proof that tightly constructed, performance-forward limited series remain a central pillar of the streaming ecosystem.

Acting honors across television favored a mix of legacy performers and sustained critical favorites. Wins for Noah Wyle, Rhea Seehorn, Seth Rogen, and Jean Smart reflected the industry’s continued trust in established talent capable of anchoring both character complexity and audience familiarity.

What unified the night’s winners was a thematic throughline of legacy, literary, mythic, cultural, and industrial. While no direct adaptation of Salomé appeared among the nominees, its archetypal concerns, power, desire, consequence and agency, resonated across the honored work. Many of this year’s winning titles drew strength from foundational narratives, suggesting a creative environment seeking durability amid ongoing market volatility.

The Golden Globes did not attempt to redefine awards season in 2026. Instead, they clarified it. Prestige remains rooted in emotional specificity. Literary adaptations continue to provide critical legitimacy. International cinema holds an expanding influence. And television, increasingly shaped by platform strategy, still rewards strong writing and performance above all else.

Good Hang with AmyPoehler (Podcast)

I didn’t have a chance to watch all the movies and TV shows yet, but they are on my watchlist. I had the honor to attend a Film Tools event in October, and I met the cinematographer of The Pitt, which was exciting to see win. I am happy the two films I reviewed and vouched for won awards. I am also happy that there is a new category added for Podcast, it was time!

Winners & Nominees

(Full list based on Şalom coverage)

Hamnet

Film Awards

Best Motion Picture, Drama: Hamnet
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Best Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Best Actor in a Drama: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Best Actress in a Drama: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Best Supporting Actor: Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actress: Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Best Non-English Language Motion Picture: The Secret Agent
Best Original Score: Sinners
Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
Best Original Song: KPop Demon Hunters

Television Awards

Best Drama Series: The Pitt
Best Musical or Comedy Series: The Studio
Best Limited Series: Adolescence
Best Actor in a Drama Series: Noah Wyle
Best Actress in a Drama Series: Rhea Seehorn
Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen
Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart

6 January

Stranger Things: A Reflection

In this personal reflection, writer and creator Bessy Adut explores why Stranger Things became more than a nostalgic hit. Blending cultural critique with lived experience, she examines the series´ emotional intelligence, its vision of collective courage, and the values of unity and empathy that continue to resonate beyond the screen.

Golden Globes 2026 Review

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