82nd Golden Globe Awards: LGBTQ+ Stars Shine on the Red Carpet Despite Limited Wins
The year 2025 has just begun, and so has award season—a.k.a. our favorite season after Pride Month! Last night, the 82nd Golden Globe Awards kicked things off in style, honoring the best in television and film from the past year. While we saw plenty of LGBTQ+ stars lighting up the red carpet and even scoring nominations, the night didn’t shine as brightly for the community as we’d hoped. With only two individual wins for LGBTQ+ artists, it’s safe to say luck wasn’t exactly on the rainbow’s side.
Let’s talk about that fabulous red carpet, though! LGBTQ+ stars showed up and showed out, celebrating nominations for their incredible achievements or the projects they were part of. Jodie Foster, Colman Domingo, Nava Mau, Andrew Scott, Cynthia Erivo (with her partner Lena Waithe), Jessica Gunning, Angelina Jolie, Emma D’Arcy, Richard Gadd, Cooper Koch, Karla Sofía Gascón, Miley Cyrus, Hannah Einbinder, Ayo Edebiri, and Auliʻi Cravalho all graced the event. And if that wasn’t enough star power, music legends Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile teamed up to present an award, making it a truly iconic evening.
But now, on to the winners. For their individual achievements at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Jodie Foster took home the award for Best Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series for her role in True Detective: Night Country, while Jessica Gunning won Best Supporting Actress – TV for her standout performance as Martha in Netflix’s Baby Reindeer. Speaking of Baby Reindeer (created by LGBTQ+ trailblazer Richard Gadd), it also snagged the award for Best Television Series – Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Motion Picture.
Hacks claimed victories in the TV categories for Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical and Best TV Actress – Comedy or Musical (Jean Smart). In the realm of film, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers won Best Original Score. And then there was Emilia Pérez, the night’s big winner and a film that has sparked plenty of conversation. The controversial movie swept the awards with wins for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language, Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Zoë Saldaña), and Best Original Song (“El Mal”).
One of the most powerful moments of the night came during the acceptance speech for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. French writer and director Jacques Audiard handed the microphone to trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who seized the opportunity to say: “I chose these colors—the Buddhist colors—tonight because I have a message for you: The light always wins over darkness. I have a lot of things to say to you because you can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up, but you can never take away our soul, our existence, our identity. And I want to say to you, raise your voice…and say, ‘I am who I am, not who you want.’” Regardless of individual opinions about Emilia Pérez and its cast, Karla’s message—which addresses the struggles faced by the trans community—is both powerful and necessary, especially in light of the current state of the world.
While we’d have loved to see more LGBTQ+ wins last night at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, we’re keeping our spirits high because award season is just getting started. We’ll be here cheering on our LGBTQ+ stars every step of the way. #TeamRainbow
You can check the full list of winners of the 82nd Golden Globe Awards here. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Photo by Frazer Harrison via Getty Images
