Golden Globes History: Race and Gender Across the Years
The Light Leaks is dedicated to sharing information, inspiring, and supporting women and nonbinary filmmakers. So we thought it would be great to take a critical look at how the Golden Globes has amplified (or not) the voices of women and BIPOC communities. Since it’s inception in 1944, this ceremony, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the people who vote) has had to reckon with the deep and direct influence it has on Hollywood. The gate keeping of whose work gets made, funded, and distributed, is partly because of the format of mainstream media and award shows. It’s a fun time to get dressed up and watch who wins, but it’s very important to think about how these systems affect us and lead the film industry.
Keep reading to learn more about the history of the Golden Globes, some categories to watch in 2021, and get inspired to make some history yourself one day!
Research by: Mercedes Gonzales-Bazan
2020/2021:
Historic Nominations
First Asian woman nominated for Best Director: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
She’s also nominated for Best Screenplay Motion Picture, if she wins she would be the first Asian screenwriter winner ever.
POST SHOW EDIT: Chloe is now the 2nd woman to ever win Best Director at the Golden Globes! And the first Asian American.
Most women ever nominated for Best Director: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland, Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman (also nominated for Best Screenplay Motion Picture), Regina King, One Night in Miami
First Muslim actor to be nominated for portraying a Muslim - Tahar Rahmin
Historic Wins… If they Happen
First Latina to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Anya Taylor-Joy- Emma
Second Latino to win Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) - Lin Manuel Miranda
First Black acting posthumous winner for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Chadwick Boseman
Second Black woman to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Viola Davis, Andra Day POST SHOW EDIT: WINNER Andra Day
First Asian Actor to win Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Dev Patel
Golden Globes of the Past (all prior to 2020/2021 ceremony)
Prior to 2020, only 5 women had been nominated for Best Director and only 1 has ever won.
Nominees:
Barba Streisand,Yentl 1983 - winner!
Jane Campion, The Piano 1993 - nominee
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation 2003 - nominee
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker 2010 and Zero Dark Thirty 2013 - nominee
Ava Duverney, Selma 2014 - nominee
There have been 15 Best Motion Pictures (musical comedy / drama) with female directors.
Penny Marshall, Big 1988 - nominee (comedy musical)
Nora Ephron, Sleepless in Seattle 1993 - nominee (comedy musical); Julie & Julia 2009 - nominee (comedy musical)
Sharon Maguire, Bridget Jones’s Diary 2001 - winner (comedy musical)
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation 2003 - nominee (comedy musical)
Gurinder Chadha, Bend It Like Beckham 2003 - nominee (comedy musical)
Susan Stroman, The Producers 2005 - nominee (comedy musical)
Julie Taymor, Across the Universe 2007 - nominee (comedy musical)
Phyllida Lloyd, Mamma Mia! 2008 - nominee (comedy musical)
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker 2009 - nominee (drama); Zero Dark Thirty 2012 - nominee (drama)
Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated 2009 - nominee (comedy musical)
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right 2012 - winner (comedy musical)
Ava Duverney, Selma 2014 - nominee (drama)
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird 2017 - winner (comedy musical)
There have been 7 women who won Best Screenplay Motion Picture!
Helen Deutsch, Lily 1954 - first woman to win in this category
Bridget Boland, Anne of the Thousand Days 1970
Naomi Foner, Running on Empty 1989
Callie Khouri, Thelma & Louise 1992
Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility 1996
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation 2004
Diana Ossana (with Larry McMurty), Brokeback Mountain 2006
Best actress in a Motion Picture Drama Facts
In 1961 Nancy Kwan was the first Asian woman in this category nominated for her role in The World of Suzie Wong
In 1962 Claudia McNeil was the first Black woman nominated for A Raisin in the Sun.
In 1986 Whoopi Goldberg was the first Black woman to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for The Color Purple
Best actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Facts
In 1956, the first Asian actress nominated in this category was Machiko Kyō in The Teahouse of the August Moon
In 1960, the first Black woman to be nominated in this category was Dorothy Dandridge for her performance in Porgy and Bess.
In 1994, the first Black woman to win in this category was Angela Bassett for her role in What’s Love Got to Do with It.
In 2020, Awkwafina became the first Asian-American woman to win Best Actress, in musical or comedy for her role in The Farewell
Best Cinematography
In 2017, the first woman nominated for was Rachel Morrison for Mudblood
Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture facts
In 1957, Miyoshi Umeki was the first Asian nominated actress in this category for her role in Sayonara.
In 1961, Rita Moreno was the first Latina for West Side Story
Best Actress - TV Motion Picture
In 1972, Denise Nicholas became the first Black woman to be nominated in this category for her role in Room 222.
In 1987 Marlee Matlin won best actress for Children of a Lesser God, she signed her acceptance and is one of the first hearing-impaired performers to win a golden globe.
In 1995, Irene Bedard became the first Indigenous woman to be nominated in this category for Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee.
In 1998, Alfre Woodward became the first Black woman to win for Miss Evers’ Boys.
Best Actress TV - drama
In 1969, Diahann Carroll became the first Black woman to win in this category for Julia.
Best Actress in TV series - comedy musical
In 1970, Diahann Caroll became the first Black woman nominated in this category for Julia.
In 1983, Debbie Allen became the first Black woman to win in this category for her role in Fame, nominated again in 1984
In 1983, Rita Moreno became the first Latina nominated in this category for her role in Nine to Five
Best Supporting Actress in TV
In 1971, Miyoshi Umeki became the first Asian actress nominated in this category for The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.
Cecil B DeMille Award: First given in 1952 to recognize outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment
In 1962, Judy Garland became the first woman to win.
In 2018, Oprah Winfrey became the first Black woman to be honored.
16 women have been honored in the award’s history, including this year’s honoree Jane Fonda
Other Facts about Race and Gender at the Golden Globes:
At the 75th Annual Golden Globes a number of actresses and actors attended dressed in black to support the Time’s Up movement. The movement, launched at the start of the year by women and men from the entertainment industry, aims to combat sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond.
Meryl Streep holds the record for the most nominations (32 total as of 2020) in motion picture performances, with 9 total wins (including honorary awards, 7 without)
Barba Streisand also holds 9 total wins.
Angela Lansbury and Shirley MacLaine have six awards each.
Carol Burnett, Laura Dern, Jessica Lange and Rosalind Russell with five wins.
Carol Burnett holds the most nominations (13) for television categories
In 1989, there was a 3-way tie for best actress in a drama Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist), Jodie Foster (The Accused) and Shirley MacLaine (Madame Sousatzka)
Jodie Foster is the first lesbian woman to be awarded Best Leading Actress twice
The following actors won two awards in a single year: Kate Winslet in 2009 (best actress – drama for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader); Helen Mirren in 2007 (best actress – drama for The Queen and best actress in a miniseries or television movie for Elizabeth I); Joan Plowright in 1993 (best supporting actress for Enchanted April and best supporting actress in a miniseries or television movie for Stalin) and Sigourney Weaver in 1989 (best actress – drama for Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey and best supporting actress for Working Girl).