Golden Globes 2020: Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood scoops up three awards

Another Golden Globe awards have come and gone. This year, Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood took home the most awards for the night with three, and Sam Mendes's World War I movie, 1917 took home some of the night's most prestigious awards including Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Director. 

Martin Scorsese's The Irishman was snubbed despite receiving tons of love and Renée Zellweger won Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for Judy. This year the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards were hosted by Ricky Gervais for the fifth time. 

Here's a recap of the night's most talked-about moments.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais takes aim at Hollywood

Ricky Gervais joked that he wouldn’t be holding back this year, since it was the last time he’d be hosting the Golden Globes, after having been at the helm four times previously- he was true to his word. Gervais took aim at the likes of Felicity Huffman, Leonardi DiCaprio and even Dame Judi Dench. However, perhaps his most extreme commentary was directed toward the audience at large.

"If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech," he said. "You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than [17-year-old environmentalist], Greta Thunberg. So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your god, and f--k off."

Michelle Williams

A few stars got political anyway

While the majority of speeches focused solely on the honour of winning, a few stars used their time on stage to speak to issues that matter to them. Patricia Arquette, who won best supporting actress for the limited series or TV movie, The Act, highlighted the United States’ heightening tension with Iran, as well as Australian wildfires, pleading with viewers to give the next generation a “better world.”

"We have to vote in 2020 and we have to beg and plead for everyone we know to vote in 2020," she said.

Michelle Williams, the winner of the best actress in a limited series or TV movie horror, for Chernobyl, spoke about women’s reproductive rights. Williams said that she’s tried to live a life “that I craved with my own hand, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without employing a woman’s right to choose.”    

"I know my choices might look different than yours, but thank god for whoever you pray to that we live in a country founded on the principle that I am free to live by my faith and you are free to live by yours," she added.

Despite, Russell Crowe skipping the ceremony to remain at home in Australia, he sent in a statement about the importance of preserving the environment. "Make no mistake: The tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change based," he wrote. "We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is. That way we all have a future."

Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Hanks won over audiences at home

Two of Hollywood’s most popular personalities, Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Hanks, picked up the Carol Burnett Award and the Cecil b. DeMille Award, respectively, making for two of the nights most heart-warming moments.

Saturday Night Live comedian Kate McKinnon introduced DeGeneres, highlighting that she made her feel more comfortable about coming out as gay. "In 1997, when Ellen’s sitcom was at the height of its popularity, I was in my mother’s basement lifting weights in front of the mirror and thinking, ‘Am I … gay?’ And I was," McKinnon said. "And I still am. But that’s a very scary thing to suddenly know about yourself. It’s sort of like doing 23 and Me and discovering that you have alien DNA. And the only thing that made it less scary was seeing Ellen on TV."

Touched, DeGeneres said that having that that type of impact on others was the most gratifying part of her job. "The real power of television for me is not that people watch my show, but people watch my show and then they're inspired to go out and do the same thing in their own lives," she said.

Meanwhile, Hanks grew emotional when accepting his award, tearfully acknowledging his wife, actress Rita Wilson, and stating that his five children are "braver and stronger and wiser than their old man." "I can't tell you how much your love means to me," he said.

Brad Pitt

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wins big

Quentin Tarantino's love letter to Los Angeles Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had the most successful night of any film or television show, winning three of the five awards for which it was nominated: best screenplay for Tarantino, best supporting comedic actor for Brad Pitt, and best comedic film. Pitt earned a standing ovation and went to make jokes that had the audience in stitches.

Other films that won more than one Golden Globe were 1917, Joker, and Rocketman; television shows that earned two were Chernobyl, Fleabag, and Succession.

Awkwafina

Awkwafina makes history

Awkwafina, that stared in The Farewell, became the first actress of Asian descent to ever win best actress in a musical or comedy, a fact she called pretty mind-blowing. "It feels incredible," she said backstage.