Diversity at the 2023 Golden Globes

By Jana Monji, AsAmNews Arts & Culture Writer

For its 80th Golden Globe Awards ceremony held Tuesday night at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hill, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association took tenuous steps toward escaping the shadow of scandal following an LA Time’s exposé that indicated it had no African American members or African members who were Black. The diversity quotas have been changed and this year,  an African American show producer was in place, Stephen Hill, and Hill reached out to Emmy Award-winning comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who is both African American and gay, to host the show. That led to some awkward moments but this awards ceremony featured some Asian firsts. 

Michelle Yeoh became the first Malaysian-born actress to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) and the second actress of Asian descent to win. Chinese American Awkwafina had previously won for the 2019 film, The Farewell. Ke Huy Quan became the first Vietnam-born winner of the Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Golden Globe. He was also the second person of Asian descent to win in this category. The Cambodian American Dr. Haing S. Nor had won a for his portrayal of Dith Pran in the 1984 The Killing Fields.  Kala Bhairava, M.M. Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj won  Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu from RRR (an acronym for “Roudram Ranam Rudhiram” or “Rise Roar Revolt.”) This was the first Asian song to win this category. 

While Quan’s win gave hope for short Asian and Asian American men as action heroes given the right script, Yeoh addressed problems of both being pegged a minority and being an older woman in her acceptance speech.

Quan noted, “When I started my career as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,  I felt so very lucky to have been chosen. As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it. If that was just luck. Through so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. That no matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid.”

Yeoh said, “It’s been an amazing journey, an incredible fight to be here today but I think it’s been worth it.” She spoke about being a minority and how opportunities became scarce as she got older. Yeoh just turned 60 last year. 

Keeravani was humble and stunned, but the film RRR does speak to oppression and kicking up one’s heels in dance and dangerous acts of rebellion. 

With these three wins (11 percent) the percentage for Asian American wins was above the national average population of the Asian population (5.9 percent), but below the Los Angeles County population demographics (of 15 percent). 

• Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical
• Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
• M.M. Keeravani, Rajul Sipligunj and Kala Bhairava for Naatu Naatu from RRR for Best Original Song

The representation of African Americans or Blacks amongst the 27 categories has not been the problem in recent years and this year, with five wins, African American/Black winners were overrepresented  (at 18 percent) for both the nation’s average demographics (of 13 percent)  and Los Angeles County (nine percent). 

• Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
• Abbott Elementary, TV Series (Comedy or Musical)
• Zendaya (Euphoria), TV Actress (Drama)
• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), TV Actress (Comedy or Musical)
• Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary), Supporting Actor in TV Series

Jewish representation was also high with 4 wins for about 15 percent when in the national population they are 1.9 percent, but in Los Angeles County, they are 5.9 percent. 

• The Fabelmans for Best Motion Picture (Drama)
• Steven Spielberg for Best Motion Picture Director
• Justin Hurwitz for Best Original Score for Babylon (Paramount Pictures)
• Julie Garner (Ozark) for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series

Underrepresented were women in categories that were not specifically for women (e.g. director, POV characters in nominated shows, writers, etc.) and Hispanic/Latino of either gender. Although Hispanic/Latino are the biggest ethnic group both nationally (at 19 percent) and in LA County (49 percent), they only accounted for two wins. 

• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Argentina, 1985

Del Toro’s version of Pinocchio doesn’t take place in a Spanish-speaking country. It is set in Italy.  But it does carry his name and he did direct the film. 

The concern over being labeled “foreign” as in the “Foreign Language” film category when the Korean American film Minari was entered (and won) in that category has been resolved by renaming that category: Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language). There were two entries from Asian countries: South Korea’s Decision to Leave and India’s RRR, but both lost to Argentina’s film. 

Change is possible, even in established organizations like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Backstage, Yeoh noted, “Whatever that glass ceiling was, we just ninja kicked it out. You know we shattered it and we have to keep it that way.” So rise, roar and keep the revolution going. 

Full list of Golden Globe Winners:

Best Motion Picture (Drama)

• Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century Studios)
• Elvis (Warner Bros.)
• The Fabelmans (Universal Pictures)
• Tár (Focus Features)
• Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)

Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)

• Babylon (Paramount Pictures)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)
• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
• Triangle of Sadness (Neon)

Director (Motion Picture)

• James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water)
• Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
• Baz Luhrmann (Elvis)
• Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans)

Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama)

• Austin Butler (Elvis)

• Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
• Hugh Jackman (The Son)
• Bill Nighy (Living)
• Jeremy Pope (The Inspection)

Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)

• Ana de Armas (Blonde)
• Cate Blanchett (Tár)
• Olivia Colman (Empire of Light)
• Viola Davis (The Woman King)
• Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans)

Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)

• Diego Calva (Babylon)
• Daniel Craig (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)
• Adam Driver (White Noise)
• Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Ralph Fiennes (The Menu)

Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)

• Lesley Manville (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris)
• Margot Robbie (Babylon)
• Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu)
• Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande)
• Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

• Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Brad Pitt (Babylon)
• Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
• Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse)

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

• Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

• Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin)
• Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
• Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness)
• Carey Mulligan (She Said)

Screenplay

• The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures) — Martin McDonagh
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) — Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
• The Fabelmans (Universal Pictures) — Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg
• Tár (Focus Features) — Todd Field
• Women Talking (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Sarah Polley

Original Score

• The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures) — Carter Burwell
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
• Women Talking (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
• Babylon (Paramount Pictures) — Justin Hurwitz
• The Fabelmans (Universal Pictures) — John Williams

Original Song

• Carolina from Where the Crawdads Sing (Sony Pictures) — Taylor Swift
• Ciao Papa from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat, Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro
• Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures) — Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice
• Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios) — Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler
• Naatu Naatu from RRR (Variance Films) — Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj

Motion Picture (Animated)

• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix)

• Inu-Oh (GKIDS)
• Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (A24)
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (DreamWorks Animation)
• Turning Red (Pixar)

Motion Picture (Non-English Language)

• All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)
• Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
• Close (Belgium)
• Decision to Leave (South Korea) 
• RRR (India)

Television Categories

TV Series (Drama)

• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• The Crown (Netflix)
• House of the Dragon (HBO)
• Ozark (Netflix)
• Severance (Apple TV+)

TV Series (Comedy or Musical)

• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• The Bear (FX)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Wednesday (Netflix)

 Limited Series or TV Movie

• Black Bird (Apple TV+)
• Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
• The Dropout (Hulu)
• Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
• The White Lotus (HBO)

TV Actor (Drama)

• Jeff Bridges (The Old Man)
• Kevin Costner (Yellowstone)
• Diego Luna (Andor)
• Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
• Adam Scott (Severance)

TV Actress (Drama)

• Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon)
• Laura Linney (Ozark)
• Imelda Staunton (The Crown)
• Hilary Swank (Alaska Daily)
• Zendaya (Euphoria)

TV Actor (Comedy or Musical)

• Donald Glover (Atlanta)
• Bill Hader (Barry)
• Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)
• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

TV Actress (Comedy or Musical)

• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
• Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)
• Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)
• Jenna Ortega (Wednesday)
• Jean Smart (Hacks)

TV Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

• Taron Egerton (Black Bird)
• Colin Firth (The Staircase)
• Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven)
• Evan Peters (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)
• Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy)

TV Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

• Jessica Chastain (George and Tammy)
• Julia Garner (Inventing Anna)
• Lily James (Pam & Tommy)
• Julia Roberts (Gaslit)
• Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout)

Supporting Actor in a TV Series (Drama/Comedy)

• John Lithgow (The Old Man)
• Jonathan Pryce (The Crown)
• John Turturro (Severance)
• Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary)
• Henry Winkler (Barry)

Supporting Actress in a TV Series (Drama/Comedy)

• Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown)
• Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
• Julia Garner (Ozark)
• Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

• F. Murray Abraham (The White Lotus)
• Domhnall Gleeson (The Patient)
• Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird)

• Richard Jenkins (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)
• Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

• Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)
• Claire Danes (Fleishman Is in Trouble)
• Daisy Edgar-Jones (Under the Banner of Heaven)
• Niecy Nash-Betts (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)
• Aubrey Plaza (The White Lotus)

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