Top Highlights from the 2017 Golden Globe Awards

Credit: Paul Drinkwater / NBC

The 2017 awards season officially kicked off with last night’s 74th Annual Golden Globes. Emceed by first-time host Jimmy Fallon, the ceremony began with a lively song-and-dance opener inspired by La La Land, featuring appearances from Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Evan Rachel Wood, the kids from Stranger Things, Ryan Reynolds, and  Fallon’s partner-in-crime, Justin Timberlake. With the evening’s soundtrack DJ-ed by Questlove of The Roots, the awards show promised to deliver a cool, contemporary vibe to reflect the diverse make-up of the room full of stars. Here’s a recap of some of the many memorable moments from the 2017 Golden Globes that celebrated the best in film and television in 2016.

The critically-acclaimed and engrossing television miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story earned the recognition of Best Television Limited Series, along with a Best Actress win for Sarah Paulson, who portrays head prosecutor Marcia Clark. The cast of BBC One and AMC’s espionage drama The Night Manager picked up a handful of acting awards in the limited television series category, including Olivia Colman for Best Supporting Actress, Hugh Laurie for Best Supporting Actor, and Tom Hiddleston for Best Actor.

Credit: Paul Drinkwater / NBC

Billy Bob Thornton, the lead in David E. Kelley’s latest legal drama Goliath, gained a Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama for his role. Netflix’s The Crown was bestowed with two honors for Best Television Series, Drama and for Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama for Claire Foy‘s portrayal of the reigning royal, Queen Elizabeth II. During her first-ever attendance at the Golden Globes, Tracee Ellis Ross scored a win for her first-ever nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy for Black-ish, and dedicated her award to the women, women of color, and colorful people whose stories are not always considered worthy or valuable. Atlanta, the comedy-drama about the Atlanta rap scene, was awarded the Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy. Creator and star Donald Glover also took the Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy.

In the world of film, Disney’s adorable and socially conscious feature Zootopia took home the award for Best Animated Film. France’s Elle experienced ‘joie de vivre’ with their two wins for Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language and Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for Isabelle Huppert. In the surprise victory of this year’s ceremony, Aaron Taylor-Johnson was granted the first award of the night for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Nocturnal Animals. The riveting Viola Davis received praise for her dramatic turn in Fences with a Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture award. Casey Affleck continues to ride high on positive reviews for his emotional role in Manchester By The Sea, scoring the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama. The groundbreaking film Midnight won the top award of the Golden Globes with its Best Motion Picture, Drama win.

Paul Drinkwater / NBC

Earning 7 awards total in all of its seven nominated categories, the night’s biggest winner, including Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, La La Land set a new record for most wins by a single film. The modern-day movie musical bursting with color, creativity, and hope received recognition for its spectacular sounds (Best Original Score by Justin Hurwitz and Best Original Song for “City of Stars”), for its direction and writing by Damien Chazelle (Best Director and Best Screenplay), and for its leading man Ryan Gosling (for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy) and its leading lady Emma Stone (for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy). As the joyful and hopeful La La Land was celebrated throughout the night, the film creators’ wish for audiences to dream more urgently, to live more fervently, and to love more deeply rang loud and clear.

The moment everyone will be talking about the day after is Meryl Streep‘s mic-drop worthy Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech. In an evening filled with many indirect references to the incoming administration of the president-elect, it was the 30 time Golden Globe nominee with eight Globe wins who delivered a powerful politically charged speech with the night’s most resonating message. Building off of Hugh Laurie’s remark on the most vilified segments in America—Hollywood, the foreigners, and the press, Streep spoke of the birth origins of her fellow actors to illustrate how Hollywood is crawling with outsiders, of the freedom of the press and her support of journalists in their role to hold people in positions of power accountable for their actions, and of the responsibility of her fellow artists to inspire empathy in their audiences by allowing them to enter the lives of people different from them. In closing, Streep quoted an important piece of wisdom given to her by her late friend, Carrie Fisher, which is to “take your broken heart, and make it into art.”

What were your favorite Golden Globes moments? Let us know in the comments!