2025 Golden Globe Winners: Film
The 2025 Golden Globes, held on January 5th, was a night filled with cinematic triumphs and significant industry moments—celebrating some of the best in film through standout performances, strong scripts, and impeccable direction. That being said, here are the big winners of the night.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Brutalist took home the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Directed by Brady Corbet, the film is a sweeping epic about the postwar immigrant experience and the trauma of the Holocaust. Adrien Brody, who starred as a war-scarred architect, won Best Actor in a Drama for his powerful performance.
Best Actor – Drama
Industry veteran Adrien Brody nabbed the highly-coveted win for Best Actor in a Drama for his powerful performance in The Brutalist. His portrayal of a war-scarred architect emigrating to America was deeply moving and garnered widespread acclaim.
Best Actress – Drama
Fernanda Torres won the Best Actress in a Drama award for her role in I'm Still Here. In the film, she portrays Eunice Paiva, a mother who reinvents herself as a human rights lawyer and activist after her husband "disappeared" during the Brazilian dictatorship in the 1970s.
Best Director
Brady Corbet was honored with the Best Director award for The Brutalist. While the film struggled to earn its already-modest budget back—its success with critics and evident attention during award season reiterates that creativity comes first.
Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his outstanding performance in A Real Pain. Culkin's portrayal of Benji, a wayward and charismatic Jewish man on a Holocaust tour in Poland with his cousin (played by Jesse Eisenberg, who also directed the film), added significant depth to the narrative.
Best Supporting Actress
Zoe Saldaña won the award for Best Supporting Actress – Drama for her popular role in the decorated film Emilia Pérez. Which, generally comes as no surprise after her performance was widely praised, showcasing her incredible talent and versatility.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Emilia Pérez emerged as the big winner in the Musical or Comedy category. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film is a genre-busting musical drama about a Mexican drug cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery. The film won four Golden Globes, including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Non-English Language Film, and Best Original Song for "El Mal".
Best Actor – Musical or Comedy
Sebastian Stan won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in A Different Man, where Stan portrays Edward Lemuel, a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis who undergoes facial reconstruction surgery and assumes a new identity. His performance was widely acclaimed for its depth and emotional complexity. Stan used his acceptance speech to advocate for greater representation and acceptance of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry
Best Actress – Musical or Comedy
One of the most talked-about moments of the night was Demi Moore's win for Best Actress – Drama for her role in The Substance. Moore, who had been out of the spotlight for some time, delivered a powerful acceptance speech, reflecting on her journey and the challenges she faced in the industry. Her win has also put her in the running for an Oscar nomination.
Best Animated Feature
Despite some intense competition, Flow won the award for Best Animated Feature. Flow is a visually stunning and wordless animated film following a black cat named Aqualine as she navigates a post-apocalyptic world devastated by a catastrophic flood. Along her journey, Aqualine teams up with a diverse group of animals— regularly emphasizing themes of environmental fragility and the power of friendship.
