‘Emilia Pérez’ wins top honors at 2025 Golden Globes

Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, a musical about a drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, won top honors at the Golden Globes on Monday, 6 January, 9 a.m. (Philippine time).

The narco-musical, starring Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, leads the film category with wins on Best Picture Musical/Comedy, Best Picture (Non-English Language), Best Supporting Female Actor (Motion Picture) for Saldaña and Best Song (Motion Picture) for “El Mal.”

“The light always wins over darkness,” Gascón, the first openly trans actor nominated for the Globes’ lead actress prize, said. “You can maybe put us in jail, you can beat us up. But you can never take away our soul.”

Saldaña, meanwhile, was tearful during her speech as she opened up about having dyslexia. She said, “I tend to forget when I’m really anxious, and I’m filled with adrenaline, but my heart is full of gratitude.”

She then thanked her cast members, saying she was “blessed to be sharing this moment.”

Audiard, who accepted the award for Best Picture, dedicated the win to trans people, urging them “to keep their heads held high and continue to fight.” He added, “if there were more sisters in the world it might be a better place,” paying homage to “a woman as powerful and passionate as Karla Sofía Gascón.”

Camille, the half of the songwriting duo behind “El Mal,” took time to highlight the roles of Saldaña and Gascón. She said, “Songs are butterflies and we need butterflies even if it’s to denounce corruption in the world. ‘El Mal’ wouldn’t be what it is without your performance. You just should shake the house, and shake our souls. Salud.”

The Brutalist, on the other hand, was handed the Best Motion Picture (Drama). It also took home Best Director for Brady Corbet and Best Actor for Adrien Brody.

 “I was told this film was undistributable. I was told no one would come out and see it. I was told the film wouldn’t work. And I don’t resent that. But I want to use this as an opportunity to lift up filmmakers. … Films don’t exist without the filmmakers. Please, let’s support them. Let’s prop them up,” Corbet said.

Brody, meanwhile, praised his immigrant mother and grandmother for their sacrifice. “I hope this work stands to lift you up and give you a voice,” he said.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Movies

Best motion picture, drama

•The Brutalist

Best motion picture, musical or comedy

•Emilia Pérez

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, drama

•Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, drama

•Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy

•Demi Moore, The Substance

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy

•Sebastian Stan, A Different Man

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role, movie

•Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role, movie

•Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

•Wicked

Best motion picture, non-English

•Emilia Pérez

Best motion picture, animated

•Flow

Best director

•Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Best screenplay

•Peter Straughan, Conclave

Best original score

•Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Challengers”

Best original song

•“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez music/lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard

Television

Best television series, drama

• Shōgun

Best television series, comedy or musical

• Hacks

Best performance by a female actor, TV series, drama

• Anna Sawai, Shōgun

Best performance by a male actor, TV series, drama

• Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun

Best performance by a female actor TV series, musical or comedy

• Jean Smart, Hacks

Best performance by a male actor, TV series, musical or comedy

• Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best limited series, anthology series or movie made for television

• Baby Reindeer

Best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie made for television

• Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie made for television

• Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role, TV

• Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role, TV

• Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun

Best performance in stand-up comedy on TV

• Ali Wong, Ali Wong: Single Lady