Searchlight Pictures’ Nomadland and Disney and Pixar’s Soul were among the big winners of the 2021 Golden Globe® Awards, earning two awards apiece from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association during last night’s telecast. Additionally, Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter Andra Day received the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama for her title role in the Hulu Original The United States vs. Billie Holiday, bringing The Walt Disney Company’s total for this year to five.
Nomadland took top honors in the drama category, earning the Golden Globe for Best Picture—Drama, as well as an award for its director, Chloé Zhao, who became the second woman to ever receive the win in the category and the first woman of color. The film, which opened in theaters and began streaming exclusively on Hulu on February 19, stars Frances McDormand as 61-year-old Fern, who packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. In accepting the film’s prize for Best Picture, Zhao said, “Nomadland, at its core for me, is a pilgrimage through grief and healing. So for everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, this is for you. We don’t say ‘goodbye,’ we say ‘see you down the road.’”
Soul, which ponders the question, “What is it that makes you… you?” was named Best Picture—Animated. “Little did we know, making a film about jazz, that jazz would teach us so much about life—like we can’t always control what happens in the world, but like a good jazz musician, we can try to turn that into something beautiful,” said Pete Docter, Soul director and Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, during the telecast. The film’s producer, Dana Murray, emphasized, “Every one of our collaborators made this film better at every turn, even when we were split apart by a pandemic.” And co-director Kemp Powers shared, “Being able to tell a universal tale that explored the meaning of life through the prism of a Black man’s experiences was a special honor. And though the details are specific, I really believe our story is universal. So many friends and strangers from all walks of life wrote to tell us how this film resonated with them and how grateful they were to be reminded that seemingly simple everyday moments of life are often the most important.” The film, which is available exclusively on Disney+, also received the Golden Globe for its original score from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, marking the first two wins for the streaming service, which launched in 2019.
In accepting her award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Andra Day paid tribute to the woman at the heart of the inspiring film The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which is streaming now on Hulu. Day expressed her gratitude to “the amazing, transformative, dynamic Billie Holiday, who just transformed me with this role and with her presence and with her spirit.”
A full list of winners may be found at GoldenGlobes.com.
Congratulations to all of Disney’s Golden Globe winners:
Nomadland (Searchlight)
Best Picture—Drama
Best Director—Motion Picture: Chloé Zhao
Soul (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+/Disney Music Group)
Best Picture—Animated
Best Score Motion Picture: Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Andra Day