The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony, hosted by the fearless Nikki Glaser, did exactly what the Globes do best: it threw the Oscar race into a state of total chaos. While the night celebrated the brilliance of historical dramas like Hamnet and the high-octane wit of One Battle After Another, the real story lies in the “jaw-dropping” moments that no one—not even the pundits—saw coming.
Whether it was a beloved horror epic being shut out of the major categories or a surprise Best Actor win that shifted the betting odds for the Academy Awards, the 2026 ceremony was anything but predictable.
The Biggest Shock of the Night: ‘Sinners’ vs. The Globe
If there was one movie everyone expected to dominate the Drama categories, it was Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. A box office juggernaut and a critical darling, the Michael B. Jordan-led vampire epic went into the night with seven nominations.
The Snub: Despite being the frontrunner for Best Motion Picture (Drama), Sinners lost the top prize to Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet. Even more surprising was Ryan Coogler losing Best Director to Paul Thomas Anderson. The Silver Lining: The film didn’t go home empty-handed, securing wins for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson). However, for a film that many believed would sweep, being relegated to technical and achievement awards felt like a cold shoulder from the HFPA.
Best Actor Upset: Timothée Chalamet’s Winning Streak
One of the most talked-about categories was Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The room was packed with heavyweights: Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), George Clooney (Jay Kelly), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia).
The Surprise: Timothée Chalamet took home the gold for his role as a brash ping-pong star in Marty Supreme. While Chalamet is a darling of the awards circuit, beating out DiCaprio in a Paul Thomas Anderson film is a statement win that puts him at the very top of the Oscar leaderboard.
The Winners and Losers: 2026 Golden Globes at a Glance
| Category | Winner | Notable Snub / Surprise |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture – Drama | Hamnet | Snub: Sinners |
| Best Picture – Comedy | One Battle After Another | Snub: Wicked: For Good |
| Best Actor – Drama | Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) | Surprise: Beat Michael B. Jordan & Dwayne Johnson |
| Best Actor – Comedy | Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) | Surprise: Beat Leonardo DiCaprio |
| Best Actress – Drama | Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) | Expected: Frontrunner status maintained |
| Best TV Series – Drama | The Pitt | Snub: Severance (Season 2) |
| Best Limited Series | Adolescence | Surprise: Owen Cooper’s historic “Sweep” |
Television Shocks: ‘The Pitt’ Rises, ‘Severance’ Falls
The TV side of the evening was equally volatile. Apple TV+’s Severance returned for its highly anticipated second season with four nominations, yet it walked away with zero trophies.
1. The Rise of ‘The Pitt’
R. Scott Gemmill’s medical drama The Pitt was the night’s big TV winner, taking home Best Television Series – Drama. Noah Wyle also secured a win for Best Actor, proving that traditional, character-driven dramas still have a massive grip on voters, even against high-concept sci-fi competitors.
2. Rhea Seehorn Finally Gets Her Flowers
In a moment that had social media cheering, Rhea Seehorn won Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama for Pluribus. After years of being overlooked for her work in Better Call Saul, this win felt like a career-achievement moment as much as a recognition of her current brilliance.
3. The ‘Adolescence’ Sweep
The British psychological thriller Adolescence was the “little engine that could.” Not only did it win Best Limited Series, but its young star, Owen Cooper, made history by becoming the youngest person to sweep the Golden Globes, Emmys, and Critics Choice Awards in a single cycle.
Supporting Snubs: Where were Ariana and Cynthia?
While Wicked: For Good was a box office phenomenon, it struggled to translate that into hardware.
- The Snub: Neither Cynthia Erivo nor Ariana Grande managed to snag a supporting win. Instead, Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) took home the trophy in a highly competitive field.
- The Surprise: Teyana Taylor’s emotional speech, where she reminded young girls that “our softness is not a liability,” became the viral moment of the night.
Expert Tips: What This Means for the Oscars
The Golden Globes are often seen as a precursor to the Academy Awards. Based on last night’s results, here are three things to watch:
- The Chloé Zhao Factor: Hamnet is now the definitive Best Picture frontrunner.
- Moura’s Momentum: Wagner Moura’s win for the Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent suggests that the Academy’s international voting bloc could propel him to an Oscar nomination.
- The Horror Ceiling: Despite its success, Sinners might struggle in the “Big Five” categories at the Oscars if the Globes’ preference for traditional drama holds steady.
“Our softness is not a liability, our depth is not too much… we belong in every room we walk into.” — Teyana Taylor, Best Supporting Actress Winner
The 2026 Golden Globes reminded us why we love (and sometimes hate) awards season. It’s a night where a ping-pong drama can beat a DiCaprio thriller and where a historical drama about Shakespeare’s son can outshine a vampire epic. As we head toward the Oscars on March 15, the race is wider than ever.
