Look, the 82nd Golden Globes was a total fever dream. Usually, these shows feel like a three-hour commercial for projects you've already seen, but the winners of the Golden Globes 2025 actually felt... fresh? Sorta. If you followed the whispers at the Beverly Hilton on January 5, 2025, you knew things were going to get weird the moment Nikki Glaser walked out in a Pope’s hat.
Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is thinking the Globes are just a "mini-Oscar." They aren't. They’re the messy, drunken aunt of the awards circuit, and this year, she was in rare form.
The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez: A Tale of Two Sweeps
If you haven't seen The Brutalist, you're basically missing out on the film that dominated the "serious" side of the night. It took home Best Motion Picture – Drama. Adrien Brody won Best Actor in a Drama for his role as László Tóth. People were crying. Brody’s speech about his parents was a genuine highlight in a night filled with teleprompter glitches.
Then you have Emilia Pérez.
It’s a queer musical about a Mexican cartel leader. Yeah, you read that right. It didn't just win; it steamrolled. It grabbed Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Non-English Language Film, and even Best Original Song for “El Mal.” Zoe Saldaña snagged a supporting actress win, too. It’s the kind of movie that shouldn't work on paper but somehow killed it with the voters.
Film Winners You Should Actually Care About
- Demi Moore's Comeback: She won Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for The Substance. At 62, she’s proving that "aging out" is a myth. Her speech was incredible—she mentioned a producer once calling her a "popcorn actress." Guess who’s laughing now?
- Fernanda Torres: This was the upset of the night. She won Best Actress in a Drama for I’m Still Here, beating out heavy hitters like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman. She’s the first Brazilian actress to win in an acting category. Huge.
- Sebastian Stan: He won Best Actor (Musical/Comedy) for A Different Man. Most people expected Glen Powell to take it for Hit Man, but Stan’s prosthetics-heavy performance won out.
- Kieran Culkin: He’s still on a roll. He grabbed Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain.
Shōgun and the TV Takeover
TV was a bit more predictable, but no less intense. Shōgun did exactly what everyone thought it would—it won everything. Best Drama Series? Check. Hiroyuki Sanada for Best Actor? Check. Anna Sawai for Best Actress? Check. Even Tadanobu Asano got some love with a supporting win.
It was a clean sweep. Total dominance.
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But then there's Hacks. Jean Smart is basically the queen of television at this point. She won Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and the show itself took home the top prize for its category. It beat The Bear, which felt like a bit of a snub to some, though Jeremy Allen White did manage to keep his winning streak alive for Best Actor.
The Limited Series Drama
Baby Reindeer was the show everyone was talking about at the water cooler, and it translated to gold. It won Best Limited Series, and Jessica Gunning took home the supporting actress trophy. However, the lead actor race saw a bit of a curveball. Colin Farrell won for The Penguin, beating out Richard Gadd. Farrell even gave a shout-out to the craft services team.
Classy move.
Why the 2025 Results Actually Matter
We tend to look at these trophies as just shiny paperweights, but for the winners of the Golden Globes 2025, this is about momentum. The "Globes Bounce" is real. When a movie like The Brutalist or a performer like Fernanda Torres wins here, it forces the Academy to pay attention.
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There's a lot of nuance in how these votes go down. The voting body has changed—it's more international now, which explains why a Brazilian film or a French-produced Mexican musical can actually win big.
It’s not just the "Hollywood Foreign Press" club anymore.
What to Watch Next
If you want to stay ahead of the curve before the Oscars, you've got a watchlist to tackle. Don't just stick to the blockbusters.
- Watch The Brutalist: It’s long, but it’s the definitive "prestige" film of the year.
- Stream Emilia Pérez: It’s on Netflix, and it’s unlike anything you’ve seen.
- Catch up on Hacks: If you’ve been sleeping on the Jean Smart / Hannah Einbinder dynamic, fix that immediately.
- Follow the non-English categories: These are no longer "side" awards; they are the main event.
The 2025 awards season is just getting started, but the winners of the Golden Globes 2025 have already set a very high bar for whatever comes next.