Comedian Nikki Glaser kicked off what she called “Ozempic’s biggest night,” the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, with a promise: “I’m not here to roast you.”
But Glaser, a comedian whose breakthrough came with a withering roast of Tom Brady, toured the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, picking many targets in an opening monologue who had worked extensively in comedy. clubs in advance.
Glaser, hosting the Globes two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration, reserved perhaps her sharpest line for the entire room of Hollywood stars.
“You can really do anything…except tell the country who to vote for,” Glaser said. “But it’s okay, you’ll get them next time… if there is one. I’m afraid.”
He then turned to “Wicked” star Ariana Grande and asked, “Ariana, hold my finger.”
Glaser congratulated Timothée Chalamet, nominated for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” for having “the most beautiful eyelashes on his upper lip.”
While Glaser may not have reached Tina Fey and Amy Poehler levels of laughter, the monologue was very much a winner and a dramatic improvement over last year’s host, Jo Koy. Glaser assured the crowd that, win or lose, “the goal of making art is to start a tequila brand so popular that you never have to make art again.”
The first winner of the night was Zoe Saldaña for best supporting actress. Saldaña won for her performance in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” the trans musical that earned 10 nominations, followed by Brady Corbet’s postwar epic “The Brutalist,” with seven, and Edward’s papal thriller “Conclave.” Berger, with six. . Among the best-nominated series are “The Bear,” “Shogun” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
After a difficult few years and the dissolution of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes have seemingly stabilized. The question heading into Sunday was: But will they still be able to put on a good show?
Last year’s comeback edition, hosted by Koy, was widely criticized, but it delivered what counted: Ratings rebounded to around 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. CBS, which stepped in after NBC dumped the Globes, signed on for five more years.
The Globes are now owned by Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, which acquired the awards show from the now-defunct Hollywood Foreign Press Association. After diversity and ethics scandals, the HFPA sold the Globes and disbanded. However, more than a dozen former HFPA members are seeking to have the sale to Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions rescinded.
Either way, the Globes’ main reason for existence, from the studios’ perspective, is to serve as a major marketing event for their awards contenders. The Academy Awards on March 2 are still almost two months away.
But unlike last year, where “Oppenheimer” swept the race and the billion-dollar-grossing “Barbie” fueled the race, this year’s top contenders are more artsy and no clear favorite has yet emerged.
The Globes will take place about two weeks before Trump’s inauguration. So far in Hollywood’s awards season, most nominees have tried to stay out of the political fray, with the main exception being “The Apprentice,” the drama about young Trump starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Both actors were nominated for Globes, and Stan earned a second nomination for his performance in “A Different Man.”
