Ryan Murphy wins Carol Burnett Television Achievement Award at Golden Globes
Last night at the Golden Globe awards, Ryan Murphy won the Carol Burnett Television Achievement Award. It’s an honorary Golden Globe award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for outstanding contributions to television on, or off the screen. At 57 years old, Ryan Murphy is the youngest honoree to date. Honorees are selected based on their body of work and the lasting impacts those works have had on audiences and the industry.
When Murphy took the stage to accept his award, he began by saying that last year, the Golden Globes were not televised due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, “the show did go on.” He gives a shoutout to MJ Rodriguez, who stared in his smash hit sensation Pose, and made sure the audience knew that when she won her award last year, she made history as the first-ever trans actress to win a Golden Globe.
Because there was no televised production, Rodriguez did not get the public recognition Golden Globe winners usually get, so in nothing short of a gracious move, Murphy asked her to stand, and asked everyone to give her the standing ovation that she so very deserved.
It was a heartwarming moment. However, Ryan Murphy’s attempts to share this award and share his moment on the stage with other queer folks in the industry did not stop with MJ Rodriguez.
He highlights the work of Billy Porter, who presented him with the award. He lists off all of Porter’s accolades, which are plentiful and incredibly impressive, as well as Porter’s bold fashion statements that have changed the game for queer people everywhere.
He talks about Niecy Nash, who was told by the industry not to marry her partner otherwise she would never work again. Murphy confirms she charged ahead and did it anyway and is sitting in the room tonight as a Golden Globe nominee.
He calls on Matt Bomer, and recalls his story. Industry folks told Bomer that he shouldn’t come out, that people wouldn’t believe him as an actor, and that he should lie about his sexuality for the sake of his career. Matt Bomer didn’t do that. He came out, did things his way, and has gone on to win many accolades, including a Golden Globe of his own.
Ryan Murphy then shines a light on Jeremy Pope. Like most others mentioned in Murphy’s speech last night, Pope was also told to hide who he was for the sake of his career. However, also like Bomer, Pope chose to heed these warnings and has since been nominated for a Tony Award twice, an Emmy Award, and was sitting in the room last night also nominated for a Golden Globe.
All these people worked with Ryan Murphy in some capacity but the point of his speech was clear: representation matters, and right now, it matters more than ever. Murphy has dedicated his career in Hollywood to advancing queer issues and providing space and opportunity for queer artists, and this award was most deserved. He brought a whole cadre of queer excellence with him to the Golden Globes last night, and this is what we call passing on the torch, fam!
Congratulations Ryan Murphy.
You can watch Ryan’s full speech in the tweet below:
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