Kicking off the 2026 awards season, the Golden Globes took place on January 11, live from Los Angeles. Hosted again by Nikki Glaser, the ceremony presented various awards for contributions to the entertainment industry.
Attractions of the awards
One major attraction of Hollywood events like the Golden Globes is fashion. Brands like Chanel, Gucci, and YSL adorned the red carpet. Jennifer Lawrence, Elle Fanning, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others wore outfits that trended on social media.
“The outfits definitely bring people to watch them because they want to see what everybody’s wearing. [Personally, I see things that] I would never ever ever dream of,” said Amador alum and Golden Globes viewer Desiree Burns.
This year marked the introduction of a new category to the Golden Globes: podcasting. The first recipient of this award was Amy Poehler for her podcast “Good Hang with Amy Poehler,” a conversation-style podcast. Other contenders included Call Her Daddy, Smartless, and the Mel Robbins Podcast.
“I’m going to watch, especially if there’s something that I want to see or a presenter I want to see, it doesn’t really change my mind,” said Burns.
Criticisms and controversy
The process of selecting winners was once overseen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. After allegations of bias, the system expanded by adding 103 non-member voters, focusing on fairness and ethics. The revised process includes a group of 300 international entertainment journalists and two rounds of voting.
“I think they do get a lot of good contenders in there. I’d say it’s a mix… [But] I think there’s a lot of industry favoritism sometimes towards certain well-known actors and actresses,” said Mia Cortese (‘28).
The 2026 Golden Globes were no exception from facing criticism and backlash on social media. One concern was the promotion of Polymarket gambling through advertisements. Polymarket is a “financial trading platform” criticized by many experts as a way to promote gambling. It was banned in the U.S. in 2022 and reintroduced in 2025. The Golden Globes displayed a Polymarket prediction poll, raising concerns among fans.
“I don’t think that [gambling] should be promoted in a public setting. [If] people want to play individually with their friends at a party, that’s fine, but I don’t think it should be widely promoted,” said Allie Schumacher (‘28).
Politics and punchlines
Celebrities used the platform to convey opinions on contested topics. Celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Jean Smart, and Ariana Grande sported pins with phrases like “ICE Out” and “Be Good” to show solidarity with those affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I think it’s good to a certain extent as long as it doesn’t make the people who are watching it uncomfortable if it gets too politicized,” said Schumacher.
In addition to backlash about the platform and the attendees, some viewers found Glaser‘s jokes controversial. In her opening monologue, Glaser referenced the Epstein files as a punchline. Similarly, she poked fun at the news channel streaming the Golden Globes.
“And the award for most editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News: America’s newest place to see BS news,” said Glaser.
Declining viewers
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) has not yet released the official 2026 viewership numbers. Still, viewership has declined by about 200,000 people over recent years. Previously, the Golden Globes were an eagerly awaited event, with a peak of 24.3 million viewers in 1998.
“I would probably watch it if it were a 30-minute video rather than a five-hour-long award show. It’s easier to just go on social media and see all the important highlights rather than watching,” said Schumacher.
Overall, younger generations find that the shows drag on longer than needed, and this contributes to declining viewership, a trend over recent years. This brings up the question of the future of awards shows: will they adapt to a new audience or slowly become a thing of the past?
