Golden Globes 2019: Olivia Colman fuels Oscars buzz after Best Actress win for The Favourite

Actor charmed the audience with her humble acceptance speech, where she paid tribute to director Yorgos Lanthimos and her co-stars

Golden Globes 2019: Olivia Colman wins Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Olivia Colman made a triumphant return to the Golden Globes – a year after winning a TV award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Night Manager.

Scooping the prize for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at this year's ceremony for her starring role in The Favourite, the British actor charmed the audience with her humble, and entertaining, acceptance speech.

“Cor blimey, thank you so much. I'm not going to cry because my entire table will point and laugh at me as I've been crying all evening," she began.

Paying tribute to director Yorgos Lanthimos and her co-stars, she added: “Yorgos, thank you the most muchly and ma b*****s, Emma and Rachel, thank you, every second of working with you was such a joy and I was so sad that it finished.

“I would like to tell you how much this film meant to me but I can't think of it because I'm too excited," she continued. “I went on a private jet and I ate constantly through the film and it was brilliant and I promise I will keep on enjoying this, because it's amazing.”

Colman's win will undoubtedly fuel speculation that she is one of the strongest contenders at this year's Academy Awards, with many picking her as a favourite (pun intended) for the Best Actress award.

Meanwhile, Bohemian Rhapsody won the Best Motion Picture – Drama award as lead actor Rami Malek also picked up a trophy for his performance. The Queen biopic’s wins came as A Star is Born lost in four of the five categories it had been nominated in – despite being one of the most hotly tipped films this awards season.

Bohemian Rhapsody, in which Malek plays Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, defeated BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther, If Beale Street Could Talk, and A Star is Born in the Best Motion Picture – Drama category.

Malek, meanwhile, had been nominated alongside John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), and Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

A Star is Born only won one award during the ceremony, when Shallow was crowned Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

Lady Gaga had been nominated for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama award, which ultimately went to Glenn Close for her role in The Wife.

In addition to his nomination for Best Actor in a Drama, Cooper was up for the Best Director – Motion Picture title. Alfonso Cuarón won the award for his film Roma, which also earned him the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in a Foreign Language.

Colman, Malek and Bohemian Rhapsody’s victories were part of a series of British wins throughout the night.

Richard Madden scored another one of the high profile wins of the evening when he picked up the Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama award for his performance in Bodyguard.

The BBC thriller, which previously became the most watched show on iPlayer with 41.3 million requests, earned the Scottish actor his first Golden Globe.

Ben Wishaw also scored an award for his performance in A Very British Scandal, picking up the trophy for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Christian Bale, meanwhile, earned the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy trophy for his role as Dick Cheney in Vice.

The British actor shocked many viewers when he spoke in his natural accent while giving his acceptance speech, as many were convinced Bale – a native of Pembrokeshire, Wales – was actually American.

The 76th Golden Globes were hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

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Key Points

• Lady Gaga thrilled as song 'Shallow' wins Best Song – but Mark Ronson is accused of stealing her spotlight
• See the winners in full, from The Favourite to Bohemian Rhapsody
• Rami Malek thanks Freddie Mercury after winning award for Bohemian Rhapsody role

[6 January 2019 13:17 · j.shepherd]

Hello and welcome to The Independent's Golden Globes live-blog, bringing you all the latest from the prestigious awards ceremony. For the next few hours, we will be posting our predictions for the night along with any news coming out of Hollywood. 

[6 January 2019 13:41 · j.shepherd]

First off, our predictions for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

The nominees are: Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, If Beale Streat Could Talk and A Star Is Born.

Will Win: A Star is Born

Should Win: If Beale Street Could Talk

Our critic says: A Star is Born may have its rougher, rawer edges, thanks to the intuitive style of Bradley Cooper – making his directorial debut – but the remake is also true to the tone of its three cinematic predecessors. In its telling of the love story between a rising star and her alcoholic mentor, it’s packed with all the big emotions and big drama of a true Hollywood fable – exactly the kind of film HFPA voters adore.

If Beale Street Could Talk, meanwhile, may not have acquired the same buzz as Barry Jenkins’s directorial debut, Moonlight, but it’d be refreshing to see an awards body recognise how quickly Jenkins is becoming a major force in modern cinema. 

[6 January 2019 14:27 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Nominees: Glenn Close, The Wife, Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born, Nicole Kidman, Destroyer, Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Rosamund Pike, A Private War

Will Win: Lady Gaga, A Star is Born

Should Win: Lady Gaga, A Star is Born

Although Lady Gaga’s performance as Ally, the nightclub singer turned pop phenomenon, has been praised as revelatory by some, HFPA voters were already wise to her talents: she picked up the award for Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie back in 2016 for her deliciously theatrical turn as The Countess on American Horror Story.

So there’s surely no doubt that the HFPA will reward her for this undoubtedly mightier performance, which delivers both vulnerability and dignity, making Ally a more grounded version of the classic Hollywood heroine. 

[6 January 2019 14:54 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Nominees: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born, Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate, Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased, Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody, John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

Will Win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Should Win: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

Our critic says: Rami Malek’s turn as Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody may have been praised as a spot-on impression by critics, but the film itself got a mixed reception. It was assumed the film wasn’t good enough to compete on the awards circuit, even before taking into account the sexual assault allegations faced by its director, Bryan Singer.

However, HFPA voters can’t seem to resist a film like this, and Bohemian Rhapsody has ended up with several nominations, making it very likely Malek will win in this category. However, as good as Malek’s performance is, he’s not given much material to make his Mercury shine, especially compared to Cooper’s layered performance as tortured country singer Jackson Maine.

[6 January 2019 15:26 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees: Crazy Rich Asians, The Favourite, Green Book, Mary Poppins Returns, Vice

Will Win: Green Book

Should Win: The Favourite 

Our critic says: Green Book is officially this year’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: a film with a significant groundswell of support, but also facing significant criticism for its depiction of race. A buddy comedy about the unexpected friendship between famous pianist Dr Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his driver (Viggo Mortensen), the picture has been praised for delivering a much-needed dose of optimism.

But it has also been accused of oversimplifying issues of race, and implying that racism is now a thing of the past. Still, the HFPA picked Three Billboards over The Shape of Water for Best Drama in 2018, suggesting the controversy may have little effect on Green Book’s chances here. That means ignoring, however, the brilliance of Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, a viciously funny (and, when it needs to be, moving) comedy that rewrites the rules for period films.

[6 January 2019 15:56 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees: Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns, Olivia Colman, The Favourite, Charlize Theron, Tully, Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade, Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Will Win: Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Should Win: Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Olivia Colman is a national treasure and her work as Queen Anne in The Favourite, toying with the two courtiers vying for her affections (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz), could very well be her best performance yet. The film’s script – which is also likely to win Best Screenplay at the Globes – is an actor’s dream and a formidable showcase for all three of its stars, thanks to its heady mix of absurdism, grandeur, and tragedy.

She’s surely (yes) the favourite here, and may even have what it takes to beat Gaga to Best Actress at the Academy Awards, although it will be a tight race. 

[6 January 2019 16:28 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees: Christian Bale, Vice, Line Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns, Viggo Mortensen, Green Book, Robert Redford, The Old Man and the Gun, John C Reilly, Stan & Ollie

Will Win: Christian Bale, Vice

Should Win: Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun

Our critic says: Awards bodies love a physical transformation, which makes Christian Bale’s unrecognisable turn as Dick Cheney in Vice, a biopic about the former vice president directed by The Big Short’s Adam McKay, a strong favourite in this category. Bale is well-known as a method-acting devotee and he certainly gets to go all in as Cheney, from the prosthetics to the mannerisms to the sense of ruthless ambition.

Yet it’s such a safe choice for the Golden Globes, especially when compared to Robert Redford’s subtler work in The Old Man & the Gun, supposedly his final performance and a charming, elegant curtain call for the screen legend. 

[6 January 2019 16:58 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Nominees: Amy Adams, Vice, Claire Foy, First Man, Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk, Emma Stone, The Favourite, Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Will Win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Should Win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Our critic says: Although Stone and Weisz, both nominated for their performances in The Favourite, are strong contenders here, no one in this category quite dominated the screen like Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk, playing a mother determined to fight for her daughter’s right to a life of love and freedom. It’s a performance where so much of the emotion is held beneath the surface, with many of King’s best moments playing out without dialogue.

[6 January 2019 17:27 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Nominees: Mahershala Ali, Green Book, Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy, Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman, Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Sam Rockwell, Vice

Will Win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Should Win: Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Our critic says: Green Book’s strength lies in its two central performances and, if the film itself wins on the night, it seems inevitable that one of its stars will also be rewarded. Mahershala Ali benefits from a less competitive category than his co-star Viggo Mortensen, who is nominated as lead actor. He also gives the more memorable performance, despite having less screen time, playing a man determined to maintain his dignity in a world that’s structured to strip him of it.

However, even his work can’t top Richard E Grant’s fragile but sparkling turn as raconteur and petty criminal Jack Hock in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, a biopic about literary forger Lee Israel.

[6 January 2019 17:56 · j.shepherd]

Our predictions for Best Television Series - Drama

Nominees: The Americans, Bodyguard, Homecoming, Killing Eve, Pose

Will Win: Killing Eve

Should win: Killing Eve

Our critic says: Freed from the behemoth that is Game of Thrones, which didn’t have any new episodes in 2018, the Golden Globes has the opportunity to award new and original work. Although Pose was boundary-breaking in its transgender representation, and a thrilling new addition to Ryan Murphy’s television empire, no other show better fits that category than Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Killing Eve, which reinterpreted the spy genre in a masterful, unexpected way.