Tuesday night marked the return of the Golden Globes broadcast after stars and publicists alike boycotted the event last year after controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's lack of diversity. The backlash last year prompted NBC to sidestep the show altogether, but this year, it's back, and the 2023 awards included some truly unforgettable moments.
The event kicked off by addressing the elephant in the room.
Host Jerrod Carmichael hit the controversy with the press association head-on in his opening monologue, joking about the real reason the organization brought the Black comedian on stage for the night.
"This show, the Golden Globe awards, did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — which, I won't say they were a racist organization,but they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died," he joked. "So do with that information what you will."
Austin Butler took home an award for his portrayal of Elvis.
People weren't too surprised to see Austin take home the statuette — he did dedicate years of his life to getting into character as the King of Rock and Roll for Elvis — but they were shocked to hear him fall into the signature accent while accepting his award.
"Is Austin Butler going to sound like Elvis forever or …" one person tweeted.
Eddy Murphy addressed that 'other' awards show.
Comedian Eddy Murphy was on stage to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award when he cracked a joke about the 2022 Academy Awards moment that had people buzzing for months after the show ended.
"I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind. It's very simple. It's three things," he explained.
"Just do these three things: Pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f—ing mouth."
Jennifer Coolidge nabbed her first Golden Globe.
The White Lotus star gave a touching speech as she took home the Best Actress award for her role in Mike White's HBO series. Jennifer thanked everyone who has kept her working in Hollywood over the years before delivering a tribute to the director, making him cry in the process.
"I just want to say: Mike White, you gave me hope, even though this is the end because you did kill me off, but it doesn't matter because you really changed my life in a million different ways — my neighbors aren't being mean to me, things like that — and none of those people, I was never invited to one party on my hill and now everyone's inviting me!" she said in her speech.
Quinta Brunson was all of us when she realized Brad Pitt was sitting in the audience.
And lastly, Quinta proved that even though she received the high honor of winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series, nothing can top getting some face time with one of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood.
The Abbott Elementary star stopped in the middle of her speech to say hello to Brad, who was sitting directly in front of her podium.
Given all the highlights from Tuesday's show, we have a hunch the Golden Globes are back for good!
