The 2026 Golden Globes offered a spectacle that the internet simply couldn’t resist. From unfiltered reactions and biting comedy to unexpected victories, the evening was packed with moments that quickly became viral sensations.

Timothée Chalamet warmed hearts with his endearing nod to Kylie Jenner, while Amanda Seyfried’s expressive grimace morphed into a meme that viewers couldn’t stop sharing. The night swiftly turned into a collection of unforgettable highlights.

Held at the iconic Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, the event drew Hollywood’s elite, including stars like Jennifer Lopez and Emma Stone. Yet, as the ceremony unfolded, the spotlight gradually shifted from the awards themselves to the spontaneous reactions that peppered the night.

Nikki Glaser returned to host for the second consecutive year, and she reminded everyone why she was the perfect choice. With her trademark sharp wit and a fearlessness to broach topics others might avoid, Glaser kicked off the evening with a fiery monologue that danced on the edge between audacious and frantic.

Known for her razor-sharp delivery and willingness to go where other hosts won’t, Glaser opened the show with a blistering monologue that blurred the line between fearless and unhinged.

Before the awards were even handed out, she set the tone with political jabs, industry digs and jokes that drew a mix of gasps, groans and cheers from the A-list audience – making it clear no one was off-limits.

That became evident almost immediately.

Leonardo DiCaprio laughs through Nikki Glaser’s brutal age joke 

Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the first targets in host Nikki Glaser’s scorching opening monologue.

‘What a career you’ve had,’ Glaser began. ‘Countless iconic performances, you’ve worked with every great director, you’ve won three Golden Globes and an Oscar.’

Then came the line that broke the room.

‘And the most impressive thing is that you were able to accomplish all of that before your girlfriend turned 30.’

Gasps, laughter – and even DiCaprio himself chuckling – filled the room as Glaser quickly backtracked.

‘Leo, I’m sorry. That joke is cheap,’ she said, before immediately adding, ‘I tried not to, but we don’t know anything else about you, man. There’s nothing else. Open up!’

Nikki Glaser’s Epstein joke shocks the room – immediately 

Glaser wasted zero time pushing boundaries, dropping an Epstein files joke just seconds into the broadcast.

‘So many A-listers in this room,’ she said. ‘And by A-listers, I mean people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted.’

She later awarded the ‘Golden Globe for best editing’ to Donald Trump’s Justice Department – and then turned her fire on CBS News.

‘And the award for most editing goes to CBS News,’ she quipped. ‘America’s newest place to see BS news.’

Timothée Chalamet gives Kylie Jenner another very public shout-out

Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner made it impossible to ignore their romance as they packed on the PDA inside.

Though Jenner skipped the carpet and let Chalamet walk solo, she was front and center inside the Beverly Hilton as she stuck closely to her boyfriend throughout the night.

After winning Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Marty Supreme, Chalamet delivered a noticeably toned-down speech compared to his famously intense SAG Awards declaration last year.

‘My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up,’ he said. ‘Always be grateful for what you have. It’s allowed me to leave ceremonies in the past empty-handed with my head held high. I’d be lying if I said those moments didn’t make this moment that much sweeter.’

Then came the moment fans were waiting for.

‘For my parents, for my partner – I love you so much,’ he added, after sharing a quick celebratory kiss with Jenner at their table.

Amanda Seyfried’s grimace becomes the night’s most dissected reaction 

Amanda Seyfried unintentionally became a meme when cameras caught her reaction to losing Best Actress – Musical or Comedy to Rose Byrne.

In the viral clip, Seyfried briefly grimaced before forcing a smile, clapping and standing, a split-second moment that launched thousands of takes online.

Body language expert Judi James later explained to The Daily Mail that Seyfried’s reaction appeared more intentional than petulant.

‘There are two contrasting ways to react to losing out on an award when you know you’re on split-screen,’ James said. ‘The old-school way is to perform overkill body language responses of joy – screams and open-mouthed grins of fake delight.’

James added that a newer trend favors honesty over performance.

‘Celebs will often now show signs of comedy annoyance or anger at losing rather than pretend to be delighted,’ she said, calling Seyfried’s expression a ‘joking comedy grimace.’

Still, the actress’ tense demeanor didn’t go unnoticed – especially later, when she appeared to clap before a winner was announced and mouth what viewers interpreted as ‘she’s not even here’ when Michelle Williams’ name was called.

Glen Powell’s hair gets brutally roasted on social media

Glen Powell debuted longer, lighter hair and glasses with a blue velvet tuxedo – and the internet immediately split.

‘Hair stylist did him dirty,’ one viewer posted.

‘He’s so hot but the hair…’ another wrote.

‘Blonde Glen Powell nation we are so f***ing back,’ a fan countered.

One user even compared him to Bigfoot, joking: ‘My friend sent me a picture of Glen Powell she caught in the wild – my own personal Bigfoot.’

Amy Poehler beats ex-husband Will Arnett – and roasts everyone 

Amy Poehler claimed one of the night’s most deliciously awkward wins after taking home the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast – beating ex-husband Will Arnett’s wildly popular SmartLess.

Accepting the award for Good Hang, which triumphed after a months-long and controversial eligibility debate, Poehler was presented the trophy by Snoop Dogg – a moment she immediately clocked as surreal.

‘This is exactly how I pictured it,’ she joked. ‘Snoop giving me the award!’

She then turned her sights on her fellow nominees, adding with a grin:

‘I’m fans of all of you – except for NPR. Just a bunch of celebs phoning it in. So try harder!’

The win marked Poehler’s second Golden Globe victory, and social media immediately crowned the moment as ‘divorce-era excellence,’ with fans praising her ability to turn a potentially awkward scenario into a comedic victory lap.

Julia Roberts gets a standing ovation – and milks it 

Julia Roberts didn’t win her category, but she still owned the room.

As she walked onstage to present Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the audience rose to their feet.

‘Thank you,’ Roberts said – then pushed. ‘Everybody! Let’s go! In the back!’

She later joked, ‘I’m gonna be impossible for at least a week,’ before adding, ‘What a great night. What a beautiful night to be an artist.’

Owen Cooper makes Golden Globes history 

Owen Cooper delivered one of the most emotional moments of the night after becoming the youngest actor ever to win a Golden Globe for Supporting Actor.

The 16-year-old star took home the trophy for his breakout performance in Netflix’s Adolescence. 

The win capped a record-breaking awards season for Cooper, who was just 14 years old when the series was filmed.

‘I honestly don’t know what to say,’ Cooper said onstage, visibly overwhelmed. ‘I should probably be revising right now.’

The win also made him the second-youngest male Golden Globe winner of all time, behind Ricky Schroder, who won at age nine in 1980. 

Adolescence has since become a cultural phenomenon, averaging roughly 45 million views per month and sparking global conversations among parents and educators.

Viewers flooded social media with praise, calling Cooper ‘terrifyingly good,’ ‘the future of television,’ and ‘proof that awards seasons still matter.’

Macaulay Culkin gets a hero’s welcome at the Golden Globes

Macaulay Culkin was met with thunderous applause as he took the stage at the 2026 Golden Globes, marking his first appearance at the ceremony in 35 years.

The 45-year-old actor, who was last nominated in 1990 for Home Alone, looked genuinely touched by the crowd’s reaction as he stepped out to present the award for Best Screenplay.

‘Thank you,’ Culkin said with a grin, pausing as the applause continued. ‘I know it’s weird to see me outside the holiday season.’

Referencing his iconic role, he added, ‘Shockingly, I do exist all year round,’ earning laughs from the audience and viewers at home.

Wanda Sykes trolls Ricky Gervais as she accepts his award

Wanda Sykes turned an acceptance moment into a pointed piece of commentary after accepting a Golden Globe on behalf of absent winner Ricky Gervais.

Gervais, who won Best Comedy Special for his Netflix stand-up Morality, was not in attendance – giving Sykes the perfect opening to deliver a line that instantly went viral.

‘I love you for not being here,’ she said earlier in the segment. ‘I love you, Ricky, but if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf, and you are going to thank God and the trans community.’

The remark referenced backlash Gervais faced over jokes mocking trans people in his 2022 Netflix special SuperNature. 

When accepting the trophy, Sykes followed through on the promise, thanking ‘God and the trans community’ while holding the award.

Hailee Steinfeld shows off her blossoming baby bump

Hailee Steinfeld delivered one of the night’s most heartwarming red carpet moments as she proudly showcased her growing baby bump on the red carpet.

The 29-year-old actress, who announced last month that she is expecting her first child with NFL star Josh Allen, cradled her stomach as she posed in a flowing peach gown adorned with shimmering silver embellishments and a dramatic train.

With her brunette hair styled in soft curls and minimal jewelry accenting the look, Steinfeld radiated confidence and calm as she joined fellow stars including Selena Gomez and Jennifer Garner on the carpet.

Zoë Kravitz jokes about weed and shrooms 

Zoë Kravitz delivered one of the night’s funniest moments while presenting an award alongside Dave Franco, casually leaning into her reputation for playing effortlessly cool characters.

‘Sometimes Seth Rogen just asks you to play a version of yourself that makes everyone think you have a serious drug problem,’ Kravitz joked, drawing immediate laughter.

Then she doubled down.

‘And for the record,’ she continued, ‘you guys can stop offering us shrooms everywhere we go. I’m Zoë Kravitz, I have my own shrooms.’

Franco quickly jumped in with the perfect counter as he joked: ‘I am not Zoë Kravitz and I will absolutely take your shrooms.’

The exchange became an instant viral clip, with fans praising Kravitz’s dry delivery and effortless timing.

Leonardo DiCaprio becomes new king of memes 

DiCaprio may have just dethroned Ben Affleck as the king of memes after his hilarious displays during the three-hour ceremony went viral on social media.

The Oscar winner, who was seated next to his mother Irmelin Indenbirken, 82, and co-star Sean Penn, unexpectedly became the life of the party after getting caught making sassy expressions at other celebrities and the cameras

In a now-viral clip, DiCaprio was seen putting on an extremely animated display while interacting with someone at another table during a commercial break.

The notoriously private star pointed at his own eyes before playfully pointing at the offscreen person, letting them know he was ‘watching’ them before excitedly waving his fingers around and clapping.

Fans admitted that they ‘loved’ seeing this rare side of DiCaprio, who often hides himself behind N95 masks when in public.

‘I am literally howling… this is the most animated i’ve ever seen him in my entire life,’ penned one X user.

‘[DiCaprio] usually gives us absolutely nothing, so seeing him this hyped is actually a historic moment.’

Another added: ‘Obsessed with this. sass x 1000.’

Nikki Glaser’s cringe singing is stopped cold by Fran Drescher

Nikki Glaser leaned fully into chaos during a mid-show sketch that many viewers labeled the most uncomfortable moment of the night.

The Golden Globes host performed a Marty Supreme-inspired parody of the song Golden from Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters, awkwardly using a ping-pong paddle as a microphone while singing, ‘They asked me to host the Golden Globes. They said, “Do your thing, just please don’t sing.”‘

Still, Glaser pressed on, until she was abruptly interrupted by Fran Drescher, who stormed the stage to shut the bit down.

‘Stop, please. Stop. For the love of god, stop,’ Drescher said. ‘Sweetie, you know I love you, but you have to stop singing, your voice is so annoying!’

The moment quickly exploded online, with reactions ranging from amused to outright hostile.

‘Nikki Glaser humiliation ritual complete,’ one viewer posted on X.

‘Why is Nikki Glaser like this?’ one person asked, while another complained, ‘Having to listen to Nikki Glaser sing instead of seeing Ludwig Göransson win best original score… Golden Globes, you are nothing.’ 

Teyana Taylor flashes diamond thong on stage 

Teyana Taylor ensured all eyes were on her at the 2026 Golden Globes as she made a bold fashion statement in a dress that exposed her diamond-encrusted thong.

The One Battle After Another actress, who was nominated for Best Supporting Female Actor in a Motion Picture, dazzled in a custom Schiaparelli gown featuring a cleavage-baring cutout, a glamorous scarf detail and a dramatic flowing train. 

As she made her way to the podium to accept her award, Taylor gave a playful turn to show off the back of the look.

‘Wait till you see my party in the back,’ she told the audience, drawing laughter and cheers. She then turned her attention to her children watching from home. ‘I almost didn’t even write a speech,’ she said. ‘Oh my babies, my babies are upstairs watching. Y’all better be off them damn phones and watching me right now.’

Taylor went on to deliver one of the night’s most powerful speeches, addressing fellow ‘brown sisters and little brown girls’ watching at home.

‘Our softness is not a liability. Our death is not that,’ she said. ‘It’s not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.’

Nikki Glaser closes the night with a tear-jerking tribute to Rob Reiner

Nikki Glaser brought the room to a standstill during the final moments of the 2026 Golden Globes, closing out a night of savage jokes with a deeply emotional tribute to late filmmaker Rob Reiner.

As the ceremony wound down, Glaser reappeared onstage wearing a black Spinal Tap baseball cap – a pointed nod to Reiner’s 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap – before addressing the audience with uncharacteristic solemnity.

The brief remark landed with unexpected weight, honoring Reiner, who was killed in December alongside his wife Michele Singer Reiner.