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Golden Globes 2019: LGBT stories win big as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ beats ‘A Star is Born’ to Best Picture

Queer stories have set out their stall as awards season 2019 gets underway.

By Will Stroude

Words: Will Stroude

LGBT stories won big at the Golden Globes on Sunday night (6 January) as Hollywood’s A-list turned out for one of the entertainment industry’s biggest nights of the year in Los Angeles.

Some of the best queer TV and film of the last 12 months was rewarded as Bohemian RhapsodyThe FavouriteAmerican Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace and A Very English Scandal picked up awards.

Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody caused one of the biggest upsets of the night as it was named Best Motion Picture (Drama) over widely-tipped front-runner A Star Is Born.

The film’s lead Rami Malek was also recognised for his portrayal of the late Queen frontman Mercury as he picked up the Best Actor award in the film drama category, in another unexpected win for the picture.

American Crime Story’s Darren Criss picked up the equivalent award in the TV category for his protrayal of gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan, as the Ryan Murphy series was named Best Limited TV Series.

Former Moonlight star Mahershala Ali was also among the night’s big winners, taking home the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as African-American classical pianist Dr. Don Shirley in Green Book.

Olivia Colman’s Oscar race hopes got a timely boost after the national treasure picked up the Best Actress award in the musical or comedy category for her critically-acclaimed turn as Queen Anne in The Favourite.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Ben Whishaw took home his first Golden Globe for his role in BBC Two drama A Very English Scandal, which recounted the ’70s Jeremy Thorpe affair.

Penned by Queer as Folk writer Russell T Davies, the three-part series followed 1979 trial of British MP and Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who was charged with attempting to murder his former lover Norman Scott (played by Whishaw) in order to keep their affair a secret.

Accepting this award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Whishaw paid tribute to Scott, who is now in his late seventies and resides in Devon.

“There’s one person I really, really want to dedicate this award to and it’s the man I had the privilege to portray in this show, Norman Scott, who took on the establishment with courage and defiance that I find completely inspiring,” Whishaw told the audience.

“He is a true queer hero and icon.”

Despite a strong showing for LGBT stories at the Golden Globes 2019, some queer nominees did miss out on the night.

Troye Sivan and Sigur Rós singer Jónsi, who’d been nominated in the for ‘Best Original Song’ for their track ‘Revelation’ from gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased, lost out to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born.

There was also disappointment for Ryan Murhpy’s sensational ’80s ballroom drama Pose, which was beaten to the Best TV Drama Series prize by FX spy thriller The Americans.

Pose’s Billy Porter also missed out in the Best Actor in a TV Series category, as Bodyguard’s Richard Madden took home the prize.

Check out the full list of winners from the Golden Globes 2019 below:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

“Black Panther”
“BlackKklansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody” – WINNER!
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“A Star Is Born”

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

“Crazy Rich Asians”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book” – WINNER!
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Vice”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Glenn Close (“The Wife”) – WINNER!
Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”)
Nicole Kidman (“Destroyer”)
Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)
Rosamund Pike (“A Private War”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”)
Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”)
Lucas Hedges (“Boy Erased”)
Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) – WINNER!
John David Washington (“BlackKklansman”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”)
Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) – WINNER!
Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”)
Charlize Theron (“Tully”)
Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians”)

Best Director

Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”)
Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”) – WINNER
Peter Farrelly (“Green Book”)
Spike Lee (“BlackKklansman”)
Adam McKay (“Vice”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Christian Bale (“Vice”) – WINNER!
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Mary Poppins Returns”)
Vigo Mortensen (“Green Book”)
Robert Redford (“The Old Man and the Gun”)
John C. Reilly (“Stan and Ollie”)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams (“Vice”)
Claire Foy (“First Man”)
Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) – WINNER!
Emma Stone (“The Favourite”)
Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) – WINNER!
Timothee Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”)
Adam Driver (“BlackKklansman”)
Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)
Sam Rockwell (“Vice”)

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture

Marco Beltrami (“A Quiet Place”)
Alexandre Desplat (“Isle of Dogs”)
Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther”)
Justin Hurwitz (“First Man”) – WINNER!
Marc Shaiman (“Mary Poppins Returns”)

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
“All the Stars” (“Black Panther”)
“Girl in the Movies” (“Dumplin'”)
“Requiem for a Private War” (“A Private War”)
“Revelation” (“Boy Erased”)
“Shallow” (“A Star Is Born”) – WINNER!

Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture

Barry Jenkins (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)
Adam McKay (“Vice”)
Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”)
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (“The Favourite”)
Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie (“Green Book”) – WINNER!

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
“Capernaum”
“Girl”
“Never Look Away”
“Roma” – WINNER!
“Shoplifters”

Best Animated Film
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Ralph Breaks the Internet”
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” – WINNER!

Best TV series – Drama

“The Americans” – WINNER!
“Bodyguard”
“Homecoming”
“Killing Eve”
“Pose”

Best performance by Actress in a TV series – Drama

Caitriona Balfe (“Outlander”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”) – WINNER!
Julia Roberts (“Homecoming”)
Keri Russell (“The Americans”)

Best performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Drama

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Stephan James (“Homecoming”)
Richard Madden (“Bodyguard”) – WINNER!
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”)

Best TV series – Musical or Comedy

“Barry”
“The Good Place”
“Kidding”
“The Kominsky Method” – WINNER!
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV series – Musical or Comedy

Sasha Baron Cohen (“Who Is America?”)
Jim Carrey (“Kidding”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”) *WINNER
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series – Musical or Comedy

Kristen Bell (“The Good Place”)
Candice Bergen (“Murphy Brown”)
Alison Brie (“GLOW”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) – WINNER!
Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”)

Best Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

“The Alienist”
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” – WINNER!
“Dirty John”
“Escape at Dannemora”
“Sharp Objects”
“A Very English Scandal”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”)
Daniel Bruhl (“The Alienist”)
Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) – WINNER!
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”)
Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Amy Adams (“Sharp Objects”)
Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora”) – WINNER!
Connie Britton (“Dirty John”)
Laura Dern (“The Tale”)
Regina King (“Seven Seconds”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)
Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”) – WINNER!
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’)
Patricia Clarkson (“Sharp Objects”) – WINNER!
Penélope Cruz (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)
Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)