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Every year since 1944, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has brought together the movie industry's best and brightest stars at the Golden Globes to honour their accomplishments over the past year.
Marking the onset of awards season, the event is eagerly watched by movie lovers and fashion fans alike because, while the night is all about celebrating the best in the business, the dresses often take centre stage.
Over the years, the glamorous gowns have often received just as much attention as the films themselves, with everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Viola Davis to Angelina Jolie and Lupita Nyong'o earning a special place in fashion history.
The Golden Globes not only provides an indicator as to who might be taking home the most awards over the next couple of months, but also which stars look set to dominate the season’s best dressed lists.
In more recent years, awards season has been dominated by the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, with the Golden Globes prompting fashion and activism to collide on its red carpet in 2018.
Show all 20 1 /20The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time The blackout dresses – 2018 In 2018, almost every guest at the Golden Globes attended the ceremony wearing all-black ensembles in protest of sexual misconduct in the film industry. The sartorial statement was a combined effort among Hollywood’s most famous faces with everyone including Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman taking part. (Back L-R) Activist Tarana Burke, actor Michelle Williams, actor America Ferrera, actor Jessica Chastain, actor Amy Poehler, actor Meryl Streep, actor Kerry Washington (front, L-R) actor Natalie Portman, activist Ai-jen Poo, and activist Saru Jayaraman.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Lady Gaga – 2019 In January 2019, the "Bad Romance" singer accepted the award for Best Original Song for A Star Is Born at the Golden Globes wearing a custom periwinkle blue dress designed by Valentino Couture which featured off-the-shoulder sleeves and a billowing train. At the time, fans speculated that the dress was a tribute to Judy Garland who wore a similar outfit in the 1954 version of A Star is Born . However, when presented with the image of Garland wearing the dress, Gaga revealed that the resemblance was unintentional.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Beyonce Knowles – 2007 Beyonce attended the 2007 Golden Globes wearing an Elie Saab dress fashioned from thousands of gold sequins. The glamorous gown featured an extreme plunging neckline and floor-length skirt that had a central thigh-high split. The singer said chose the dress because she was attending the event for the film Dreamgirls and wanted to “go all out”.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Marilyn Monroe – 1962 In 1962 Monroe attended the 19th Golden Globes with Mexican screenwriter Jose Bolanos. To accept a special award as World Film Favourite from presenter Rock Hudson, the actor wore a sparkling sequinned dress in deep emerald green designed by Norman Norell. The Globe was Monroe’s first, and last, and was later sold at auction for $250,000.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Lupita Nyong'o – 2014 2014 marked Lupita Nyong'o’s first ever appearance on the Golden Globes red carpet. For the occasion, the 12 Years A Slave actor wore a bold red gown by Ralph Lauren that featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and caped back. The star completed the look with Fred Leighton jewels and red pointy-toed heels.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Julianne Moore – 2015 In 2015, Julianne Moore continued her red-carpet winning streak in a custom couture Givenchy gown. The floor-length dress featured a silver sequinned bodice and floor-sweeping skirt that was decorated with violet feathers.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Sandra Oh – 2019 Sandra Oh, the Korean-Canadian star of BBC spy thriller Killing Eve , was selected to co-host the Golden Globes in 2019 and and there was no shortage of show-stopping outfits. Oh arrived on the red carpet in a white floor-length Versace gown with exaggerated shoulders. Oh's stylist, Elizabeth Saltzman, later revealed that she made a conscious effort to dress the Golden Globe nominee in all-female designers, including Stella McCartney.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Halle Berry – 2002 Halle Berry has been gracing red carpets since the late 1980s but the actor proved she still had a few sartorial tricks up her sleeve at the 2002 Golden Globes. The actor turned heads on the red carpet wearing what is typically considered to be the hardest colour to pull off: chocolate brown. The dress featured sheer embroidered panelling on the midriff and shoulders while the bodice and skirt created a striking silhouette.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Ruth Negga – 2017 The Louis Vuitton gown worn by Ruth Negga at the 2017 Golden Globes took a group of female seamstresses 120 hours to create. The metallic sequined column dress featured front zipper detailing, gold buckles and an embellished bodice.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Kate Moss – 1995 Supermodel Kate Moss attended the Golden Globes in 1995 Kate Moss alongside then-boyfriend Johnny Depp. The actor had the high-neck sequin dress made for Moss’s 21st birthday, and it was a replica of a gown worn by Julie Christie in Shampoo .
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Angelina Jolie – 2011 Angelina Jolie earned the nickname the “green goddess” when she arrived at the 2011 Golden Globes in an Atelier Versace gown. The emerald green dress, which was covered entirely in Swarovski crystals, featured strong padded shoulders, a cinched waist and long sleeves.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Viola Davis – 2017 Michael Kors has become a firm favourite for Viola Davis on the red carpet, so the American fashion designer felt like a natural choice for the actor’s Golden Globes ensemble in 2017. The star chose a pailette-covered one-shoulder Michael Kors Collection gown in a bright canary yellow colour that that landed her on every best-dressed list.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Nicole Kidman – 2005 Nicole Kidman attended the 2005 Golden Globes wearing a bodycon dress designed by. Gucci. The cobalt blue gown featured a fishtail-style skirt that accentuated her silhouette and was given a quirky touch with the addition of a single peacock feather strap.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Elizabeth Taylor – 1958 Elizabeth Taylor dressed like royalty while attending the Golden Globes in 1958. Though she wasn't nominated for an award that year, Taylor stole the show by wearing a floral gown, matching earrings, and a jewel tiara. She attended the event with Mike Todd, a film producer and her third husband.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time 2010 – Diane Kruger The 2010 Golden Globes might have been plagued by bad weather but Diane Kruger’s bubblegum pink gown certainly helped to brighten the proceedings. The floor-length dress, which was designed by Christian Lacroix, featured a square neckline decorated with gradating pink ruffles and a small white bow at the waist.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Jennifer Lawrence – 2016 Fashion fans wait with bated breath to see what Jennifer Lawrence will wear on the Golden Globes red carpet every year, and in 2016 they were not disappointed. For the occasion, the actor a red, column gown designed by Dior that featured cut-out panels on each side. Lawrence accessorised the look with a sparkly necklace from Chopard that boasted 156.77 carats of diamonds set in 18kt white gold.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Scarlett Johansson – 2006 At just 21-years-old, Scarlett Johansson attended the 2006 Golden Globes wearing one of the most talked about dresses of the night. The actor, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama Match Point , chose a scarlet red dress designed by Valentino which featured a plunging scoop neckline and a statement ruffle that ran along a side slit.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Kate Bosworth – 2016 Kate Bosworth wore a pink disco ball Dolce & Gabbana gown to the 2016 Golden Globes. The strapless sequin dress featured a contrasting bejewelled waistline and was paired with a set of statement drop diamond earrings.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Anne Hathaway – 2011 Anne Hathaway returned to old-Hollywood glamour at the 2011 Golden Globes wearing a dramatic rose gold Armani Privé gown from the designer’s autumn/winter 2010 collection. The floor-length dress was fully embellished with paillettes and Swarovski crystals and was accessorised with vintage Van Cleef & Arpels earrings.
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The most iconic Golden Globes dresses of all time Jennifer Aniston – 2004 For the Golden Globes in 2004, Jennifer Aniston wore a vintage black Valentino gown with a thin strap that buckled across a plunging neckline. The look was one of the first examples of the signature red carpet look the actor went on to sport during future awards seasons. In 2010, she chose a similar gown by the same designer which featured a thigh-high split and one-shoulder.
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The coordinated protest, referred to as the “blackout”, was an effort by Hollywood’s most famous and accomplished women, including Meryl Streep , Emma Watson and Tracee Ellis Ross , to make a bold statement against sexual harassment in their industry by choosing to wear all-black ensembles .
While colour made a full return in 2019, stars continued to show their allegiance to the campaign by wearing black and white bracelets and ribbons that read “Time’s Up x2” to mark its second year.
In honour of the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which take place on 5 January, The Independent has taken a look at some of the most remarkable gowns and dresses that have hit the awards season opener over the years.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the most memorable Golden Globe dresses of all time.
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