The 83rd Annual Golden Globes just wrapped, and while the champagne was flowing at the Beverly Hilton, the real drama was happening on stage. From a “revolutionary” sweep by Paul Thomas Anderson to a shocking upset in the Drama category, 2026 proved that the “new” Globes are just as unpredictable as ever. Here are the winner.
Here is your DailyNewsEdit breakdown of the night’s big winners, the brutal snubs, and the theories currently setting the internet on fire.
The Winner’s Circle: The Night of PTA and Chloé Zhao
The biggest story of the night was the dominance of “One Battle After Another.” Paul Thomas Anderson made history by sweeping Best Film (Comedy), Best Director, and Best Screenplay—only the second filmmaker ever to do so.
Top Film Winners:
- Best Motion Picture – Drama: Hamnet (Upset Winner)
- Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: One Battle After Another
- Best Actor (Drama): Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
- Best Actress (Drama): Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
- Best Actor (Comedy): Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Best Actress (Comedy): Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Top TV Winners:
- Best TV Drama: The Pitt
- Best TV Comedy: The Studio
- Best Limited Series: Adolescence
- Best Actor (TV Drama): Noah Wyle, The Pitt
The Snubs: Who Got Left in the Cold?
While the Globes celebrated many, some of the year’s biggest titans went home empty-handed, fueling the “favoritism” fire.
- Leonardo DiCaprio: Despite leading the most-nominated film (One Battle After Another), he lost the Comedy Actor prize to Timothée Chalamet.
- “Sinners”: Widely considered the frontrunner for Best Drama, Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-era vampire thriller lost the top prize to Hamnet, settling instead for Original Score and a Box Office Achievement award.
- Jennifer Lawrence: Her raw performance in Die My Love was tipped for an upset but lost to Jessie Buckley in the night’s most competitive female category.
- “Wicked: For Good”: The massive musical sequel was entirely shut out of the Best Film (Comedy/Musical) category, a move critics called a “glaring omission”.
The Theories: Favoritism or a New Era?
With the Golden Globes now under new management (Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries), the selection process is under more scrutiny than ever.
1. The “PTA Halo” Theory Some industry insiders suggest the Globes were desperate to finally “crown” Paul Thomas Anderson. After decades of being a critical darling but an awards-season bridesmaid, his four-trophy sweep felt to some like a “legacy win” rather than a reflection of this specific year’s merit.
2. International Bias vs. Inclusion Critics point out that while the voting body is now composed of 334 international journalists, there is still a perceived “Hollywood-centric” bias. The snubbing of non-English language stars in top categories (despite the win for The Secret Agent) has led to accusations that the Globes are still “gatekeeping” the biggest awards for English-language productions.
3. The “Marketing over Merit” Accusation The win for One Battle After Another in Comedy—where it faced almost no actual “musicals”—has critics arguing that the Globes’ category system is rigged to allow big-budget films to win easy trophies.
Oscar predictions
The 2026 Golden Globes proved that while the organizers have changed, the drama remains the same. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet winning over Sinners is the kind of “Globe-style” shocker that keeps the Oscars on their toes, but it also leaves us asking: did the best film win, or just the one with the best campaign?
