Golden Globes 2023: Fabelmans and Banshees of Inisherin scoop top awards

Bags of popcorn on a tray

After a year-long hiatus due to controversy over diversity, the 80th annual Golden Globes awards ceremony has just taken place in Los Angeles. The Fabelmans and The Banshees of Inisherin won big.

The Banshees of Inisherin took home three major awards: best comedy film, best screenplay and best comedy actor for the film’s lead, Colin Farrell. The movie, set in 1923 Ireland, is all about two lifelong friends who go through a friendship breakup after one of them decides they no longer want to be friends.

The Fabelmans bagged the top spot for best drama film and best director (Stephen Spielberg). The plot is loosely based on Spielberg’s early years as a filmmaker and follows a young boy, Sammy Fabelman, who falls in love with movie-making.

Here are some other highlights of the Golden Globes:

Austin Butler won best drama film actor for Elvis

Austin Butler immaculately portrayed the king of rock ‘n’ roll in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. His preparation for the role included physical training and working with a dialect coach every day in order to move and sound like Elvis.

Cate Blanchett won best drama film actress for Tár

Cate Blanchett played disgraced conductor Lydia Tár in Todd Field’s movie, beating stiff competition such as Olivia Colman for Empire of Light and Ana de Armas for Blonde. Blanchett studied piano, conducting and filming ahead of her role.

Michelle Yeoh won best comedy film actress for Everything Everywhere All At Once

Asian actress Michelle Yeoh starred as a Chinese immigrant running a laundromat in this sci-fi comedy. She gave an emotional speech, reflecting on her forty years in the entertainment business and dedicated her award to fellow minority actors.

House of the Dragon won best TV drama series

Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, scooped this prestigious award after beating Netflix’s The Crown and Ozark. The series is set some 200 years before Game of Thrones and covers the reign of House Targaryen.

Abbott Elementary won best TV comedy series

Another big winner for TV, Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy about a group of passionate teachers (and a slightly tone-deaf principal) at an elementary school in Philadelphia.

Kevin Costner won best actor for a TV drama

Kevin Costner plays John Dutton, the patriarch of a powerful, complex family of ranchers in the popular TV drama/western Yellowstone. Already a Golden Globe winner, Costner couldn’t collect his award in person due to the devastating floods in California.

 

Click here to see the full list of Golden Globe 2023 winners and nominees. 

Love movies? We think you’ll enjoy our roundup of buzzworthy films from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival 2022. 

If you’re a budding Stephen Spielberg or Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones), check out our Knowledge bank for tons of filmmaking, media and entertainment resources.