While Hollywood's elite celebrated their victories on stage at the 2024 Golden Globes, a minor emergency unfolded just feet away, and a major broadcasting decision left audiences furious. The prestigious ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles was marked by both a brief backstage fire and significant viewer backlash.
Backstage Blaze Quickly Contained
Amid the glitz of the awards, a sudden scare occurred in the press room. According to footage and reports from journalist Chris Gardner on X (formerly Twitter), a member of the catering team accidentally knocked over a lit sterno – a canned fuel used for heating food. This caused the carpet to catch fire 'for a brief moment' as smoke began to rise.
Thankfully, the situation was brought under control almost immediately. Gardner confirmed the flames were 'put out quickly' and there were no reports of injuries. The incident served as an unexpected disruption behind the scenes of the otherwise smoothly run televised event.
Viewer Fury Over 'Best Score' Snub
Perhaps more incendiary than the small fire was the production choice that ignited widespread anger among viewers. The Golden Globes organisers chose to announce the winner for Best Original Score, Motion Picture while the broadcast was off-air, showing commercial advertisements instead.
A clip of composer Ludwig Göransson accepting the award for his work on Oppenheimer was later shared on X, where it rapidly went viral for all the wrong reasons. The caption, 'The Golden Globes just presented Best Score during the commercial break,' summed up the collective frustration.
The online reaction was swift and severe. One user called the move 'Freaking gross,' while another lamented, 'I wanted to see it. Sad they didn’t broadcast it.' Many questioned the ceremony's priorities, noting time was found for host Nikki Glaser's song skits and a podcast award, but not for a core cinematic category.
'The amount of disrespect for the artists who poured their blood, sweat and tears is unfathomable,' wrote one incensed viewer. Another raged, 'This makes me livid actually. Best Podcast airs in full with clips and everything but Best Score is sacrificed for more Big Pharma ad time.'
A Ceremony of Sharp Jokes and Unexpected Drama
The evening's controversies overshadowed host Nikki Glaser's opening monologue, which itself drew attention for its pointed humour. Glaser took aim at former President Donald Trump's Justice Department, suggesting it deserved an award for 'best editing' in relation to the heavily-redacted Epstein files.
She also directed a jab at actor Leonardo DiCaprio, making a quip about his well-documented preference for younger romantic partners. However, these moments were ultimately eclipsed by the dual dramas of the backstage fire and the significant award show snub, leaving a memorable, if somewhat chaotic, mark on the 2024 Golden Globes.
