The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills was meant to celebrate the year's finest in film and television. However, the event was equally defined by a series of off-script moments, from Sean Penn blatantly flouting the venue's strict no-smoking policy to Amanda Seyfried's visibly pained reactions to losing out on awards.
Stars Ignoring the Rules
According to reports from a Vanity Fair live blog, veteran actor Sean Penn, 65, was seen lighting a cigarette inside the theatre itself. A director reportedly witnessed Penn "just light up inside the theater, right at his table," directly contravening the smoke-free rules of The Beverly Hilton. This follows Penn's chain-smoking during a news conference at the 2024 Marrakech International Film Festival. Representatives for Penn have not yet commented on the incident.
Meanwhile, nominee Amanda Seyfried found herself under scrutiny for her demeanour after losing in two categories. The 40-year-old, nominated for The Testament of Ann Lee, was seen grimacing when Rose Byrne won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. Seyfried was later nominated for Long Bright River but lost to Michelle Williams. Social media users were quick to comment, with one noting her "preemptively clapping because she probably didn't think she'd win."
Chalamet Soars as DiCaprio's Film Triumphs
On the awards front, the night established a new Oscars frontrunner. Timothée Chalamet's win for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for 'Marty Supreme' has propelled him ahead of Leonardo DiCaprio as the betting favourite for the Best Actor Oscar, according to prediction market Kalshi. Chalamet's acceptance speech was notably brief, offering a muted acknowledgement to his "partner," Kylie Jenner, compared to a more public declaration at the Critics Choice Awards.
However, DiCaprio's film 'One Battle After Another' had the last laugh, winning the night's top prize of Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. The Paul Thomas Anderson-directed project led the tally with four awards, including Best Director and Screenplay for Anderson, and a Best Supporting Actress win for Teyana Taylor.
The dramatic category was won by Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley, who also took home Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. The film is now poised to be a formidable competitor in the upcoming Oscars race.
Television Triumphs and Tepid Tributes
In television, Netflix's limited series Adolescence swept its categories. Its 16-year-old star, Owen Cooper, became one of the youngest Golden Globe winners ever, taking Best Supporting Actor in a TV role. Co-stars Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty also won, and the series claimed Best Limited Series.
Other winners included Noah Wyle and The Pitt for Best Drama Series, and Seth Rogen and The Studio for Best Comedy Series. Not all moments landed well, however. A memorial for the late filmmaker Rob Reiner, which involved host Nikki Glaser wearing a Spinal Tap baseball cap and saying the ceremony "went to 11," was criticised online as "the most tepid Rob Reiner tribute imaginable."
The evening concluded with reports of several A-list guests, including Selena Gomez and Kristen Bell, leaving the ceremony early before all major awards had been handed out, adding to the sense of a night where behind-the-scenes behaviour rivalled the on-stage achievements for attention.
