By Yulia Tulegenova, Artist and Film critic
You have to hand it to the Golden Globes. For an awards body made up of a few hundred journalists who allegedly like a free lunch, they know how to throw a spanner in the works.
Last night’s ceremony wasn't just a glitzy dinner; it was a strategic missile strike on the Oscar race. Just when we thought we had the narrative figured out - Timothée Chalamet is a lock, Hamnet is unstoppable - the Globes came along and said, "Actually, hold my champagne."
They’ve set up five head-to-head battles that are going to make the next two months absolutely exhausting for publicists and thrilling for the rest of us. And honestly? Thank god. An Oscar race without friction is just a long walk to a foregone conclusion.
The Battle of the Mothers
Let’s start with Best Actress. For months, the smart money has been on Jessie Buckley. Her performance in Hamnet - playing Shakespeare’s grieving wife - is the kind of "serious acting" the Academy loves. It’s got corsets, it’s got tears, it’s got British prestige.
She won the Globe for Drama, as expected.
But then Rose Byrne won for Musical/Comedy.
And here is where it gets messy. Byrne’s film, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, is a comedy in the same way a panic attack is a cardio workout. It’s tense. It’s anxious. She plays a mother at the end of her tether.
Byrne now has the Globes, the Berlin Film Festival, and the New York critics behind her. She isn't just the "fun alternative." She’s a genuine threat. Buckley has the gravitas, but Byrne has the momentum. It’s the classic Oscar fight: Tradition vs. The Underdog.
The Ping-Pong Prince vs. The Brazilian Powerhouse
Then there’s Best Actor.
Timothée Chalamet has been strutting towards the podium since the autumn. His turn in Marty Supreme - playing an annoying ping-pong prodigy - is undeniable. He’s charming, he’s weird, he’s Chalamet. He won the Globe for Comedy, and everyone nodded.
But in the Drama category, something interesting happened. Wagner Moura won.
He beat Michael B. Jordan. He beat the odds. His performance in The Secret Agent is a beast - layered, political, intense.
Moura was snubbed by the SAG awards (now the Actor awards) last week. Usually, that’s the kiss of death. But this Globe win forces the Academy voters to look at him again. It says: "You missed this."
It sets up a fascinating clash. Chalamet is the Hollywood prince. Moura is the international disruptor. The Academy loves a coronation, but they also love discovering a "serious international actor."
The Supporting Chaos
The supporting categories are usually the most predictable. Not this year. The Globes blew them wide open.
Benicio del Toro was the favourite. Jacob Elordi was the challenger.
Then Stellan Skarsgård walked away with the prize for Sentimental Value.
It’s a Norwegian film. It’s Skarsgård doing what he does best - being craggy and profound. It’s a curveball.
And Best Supporting Actress? Amy Madigan was the frontrunner for Weapons. Everyone said so. Gold Derby said so.
Then Teyana Taylor won for One Battle After Another.
"RIP to Amy Madigan being the Oscar frontrunner," read one live blog. Brutal, but true. Taylor’s win is a vibe shift. It’s the Globes rewarding energy over legacy.
The Big Picture
Finally, the main event. Best Picture.
Paul Thomas Anderson is having a moment. One Battle After Another won Best Musical/Comedy, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Anderson’s speeches were perfect - short, humble, smart. He looks like a winner.
But Hamnet won Best Drama. And Steven Spielberg accepted the award.
Never bet against Spielberg in a tuxedo.
So we have a standoff. Anderson, the cool, auteur darling, versus Hamnet, the emotional, prestigious juggernaut.
The Globes are often dismissed as a drunken party. But this year, their timing was impeccable. Oscar voting starts today. The winners are fresh in the voters' minds. The speeches are still trending.
They haven't just predicted the Oscars; they’ve reshaped the battlefield.
Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride to March 15th (Oscar 2026).
