Honestly, if you remember anything about the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards, it’s probably the sheer, overwhelming dominance of a certain primary-colored musical. It feels like a lifetime ago, but January 8, 2017, was a night where the Beverly Hilton basically became a satellite office for the La La Land production team.
The night started with a massive technical glitch. Jimmy Fallon, taking his first crack at hosting the ceremony, stood there as the teleprompter died right at the start of his monologue.
"I can think of something," he joked, visibly scrambling. He even asked the cameras to "cut to Justin Timberlake, please." It was one of those rare, unscripted moments that remind you these high-stakes shows are held together by literal cables—specifically, a cable under the main camera platform that had failed.
Why the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards Still Matters
The 2017 ceremony wasn't just another awards show; it was a cultural flashpoint. We were sitting right on the edge of a major shift in American politics, and the room was tense. You could feel it in the jokes and definitely in the acceptance speeches.
La La Land made absolute history. It didn't just win; it swept. Seven nominations, seven wins. That broke a record that had stood since the late '70s. Damien Chazelle took Director and Screenplay, while Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone grabbed the lead acting trophies for Comedy/Musical. It was a statistical anomaly that hasn't been repeated since.
But the night had a soul beyond the jazz hands. Moonlight—a film that felt like the polar opposite of a big-budget musical—took home Best Motion Picture – Drama. It was a win that signaled the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was actually paying attention to smaller, more intimate stories.
The Speech Everyone Remembers
Meryl Streep. If you mention this specific year to anyone, they’ll bring up Meryl Streep’s Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance. It was six minutes of quiet, searing intensity.
She didn't name the President-elect, but she didn't have to. When she talked about the "person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country" mocking a disabled reporter, the room went dead silent. You could see the "misty-eyed" reactions from Kerry Washington and Viola Davis in the crowd. It was a polarizing moment that basically broke the internet the next morning.
"Take your broken heart, make it into art." — Meryl Streep, quoting Carrie Fisher.
Streep’s voice was hoarse, which actually made the whole thing feel more authentic. It wasn't a polished PR stunt; it felt like a plea.
Surprises and Snubs
Not everything went according to the script. Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s win for Nocturnal Animals caught a lot of people off guard. Most experts had their money on Mahershala Ali for Moonlight.
Then you had the TV side of things. The Night Manager had a huge night, with Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman all winning. Hiddleston’s speech about South Sudan ended up being a bit controversial—some people thought it was a bit "white savior-y," while others defended his intent.
Donald Glover’s Atlanta winning Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy felt like a breath of fresh air. His speech was charmingly overwhelmed, and seeing that cast celebrate was a highlight for anyone tired of the same old procedural dramas winning everything.
The Viral Moments You Forgot
Remember the "Hidden Fences" flub? Both Michael Keaton and Jenna Bush accidentally combined the titles of Hidden Figures and Fences during the night. It was awkward. Really awkward.
And then there was the kiss. While Ryan Gosling was walking up to accept his award, Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield were caught in the background having a full-on smooch. It was the kind of chaotic energy the Golden Globes are known for.
Key Winners from the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards
The list is long, but these are the heavy hitters that defined the 2016-2017 season:
- Best Motion Picture, Drama: Moonlight
- Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: La La Land
- Best Actor, Drama: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
- Best Actress, Drama: Isabelle Huppert, Elle
- Best TV Series, Drama: The Crown
- Best TV Series, Comedy: Atlanta
Isabelle Huppert’s win was a genuine shocker for many, beating out Natalie Portman’s highly-praised performance in Jackie. It showed the HFPA’s penchant for international cinema, giving the French actress a major boost.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
If you’re looking to revisit the best of this era, don't just stick to the winners. While the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards celebrated the big names, some of the most enduring "losses" are worth your time.
- Watch the "snubs": Arrival (Amy Adams) and 20th Century Women (Annette Bening) are arguably better today than some of the films that beat them.
- Observe the "Double Feature": Watch La La Land and Moonlight back-to-back. They represent the two distinct poles of Hollywood’s identity—the dream and the reality.
- Study the Speeches: If you’re a writer or a public speaker, analyze Viola Davis’s introduction for Meryl Streep. It’s a masterclass in how to honor someone without sounding like a Wikipedia entry.
The 2017 Globes were a weird, glitzy, politically-charged mess. It was the last year before the "Time’s Up" movement changed the red carpet forever, making it a strange time capsule of a Hollywood that was about to undergo a massive transformation.
To dive deeper into this era of film, track the trajectory of the winners. Many of the actors who won that night—like Sarah Paulson and Donald Glover—used that momentum to pivot into the massive projects they are leading today.