The film Hamnet clinched the Best Picture, Drama accolade at the Golden Globes held on Sunday night, 2026.

Director Chloé Zhao appeared genuinely astonished as she joined the stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, along with producer Steven Spielberg, on stage to receive the prestigious award. Spielberg initiated the acceptance speech, but swiftly redirected the spotlight onto Zhao.

“I truly believed there was only one director capable of bringing this narrative to life,” Spielberg remarked, acknowledging Zhao’s exceptional work.

Taking her turn at the microphone, Zhao began by paying tribute to some of the film’s crew members who experienced personal losses during the production of the movie, expressing that they were in her thoughts. She then recounted a poignant insight shared by Paul Mescal earlier that day.

“Paul mentioned that working on Hamnet made him understand that the essence of being an artist lies in embracing vulnerability, allowing ourselves to be genuinely seen for who we are, rather than who we think we should be,” Zhao shared. “It involves offering our whole selves to the world—even those parts we might find shameful, fearsome, or flawed—so that those we reach can also learn to fully embrace themselves.”

Zhao then called out her fellow nominee, Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners, specifically. “I’m looking at you. So many of you have become so strong and tender at the same time. And you’ve shared so much of yourselves with the world.”

Zhao concluded, “Let’s keep allowing ourselves to be seen.”

Four years ago, the Chinese-born filmmaker took home the Oscar for Best Director for her 2021 drama, Nomadland. Hamnet, co-written by Zaho and Maggie O’Farrell, as adapted from O’Farrell’s 2020 novel of the same name. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal star as Agnes and William Shakespeare, who struggle to go on after the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet (played by Jacobi Jupe). Eventually, Shakespeare transformed his pain into his most celebrated work of all time, Hamlet.

Other big movie awards of the night include Jessie Buckley’s win for Best Actress in a Drama for Hamnet, Wagner Moura’s win for Best Actor in a Drama for The Secret Agent, and One Battle After Another for Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy.

Of the films nominated for Best Drama, you can stream Sinners on HBO Max, and Frankenstein on Netflix. The other nominees—Hamnet, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and It Was Just An Accident—are not yet available on streaming or on demand.

It was a strange year for the movie categories at the Golden Globes, with quite a few dramas—like One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, and Blue Moon—snagging nominations in the “Comedy or Musical” category, despite those movies not being traditional comedies (or musicals). Meanwhile, musicals like Wicked: For Good, and broad comedies like The Naked Gun, were snubbed.

But hey, no one has ever accused the Golden Globes of making sense. If you missed the broadcast, you can watch the 2026 Golden Globes show streaming on Paramount+.

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