Golden Globes 2026: The 11 Best And Worst Moments – TVLine

Nikki Glaser almost rapping in Korean? UFC fighters appearing on stage for no good reason? Stellan Skarsgård accepting an award to the tune of Usher’s biggest hit? Yep, we’re at the Golden Globes, baby!

That collection of odd and unexpected scenes actually happened during CBS’ broadcast of the 2026 Golden Globes on Sunday night, and all three of them appear in our below roundup of the evening’s best and worst moments.

Several other highlights and lowlights came out of the Beverly Hilton ballroom, including a rare bit of hilarious presenter banter (thank you, Jason Bateman & Co.!), a perfectly timed appearance from one Fran Drescher, and a recurring, nagging advertisement that we wanted to swat away like a mosquito.

And Glaser, who was hosting the Globes for the second year in a row, actually shows up on our list a whopping four times — but they’re all positive! Three-peat, anyone?

Keep scrolling for our take on the Golden Globes’ highs and lows, then drop your own in the comments!

Just as Scott couldn’t resist pulling Kip onto the ice in one of the most internet-breaking moments from “Heated Rivalry,” Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser couldn’t resist giving a shout-out to two of the HBO Max series’ stars — Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams — in the audience on Sunday. “Listen, I don’t want to get too serious, but stories like these don’t always get told,” Glaser said. “I hope the success of ‘Heated Rivalry’ proves that American audiences are ready for more shows about hockey.” — Andy Swift

Though this marks Nikki Glaser’s second time hosting the Globes, it’s her first since David Ellison took over Paramount and installed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News — a move that hasn’t exactly been met with universal confidence. Which made Glaser’s decision to take a swing at the news division on its own network — amid lingering controversy over a shelved “60 Minutes” segment — feel especially daring. And she didn’t tiptoe around it either. After riffing on “A-listers… who have been on a list that’s been heavily redacted,” she delivered the closer: “The Golden Globe for best editing goes to… the Justice Department. And the award for most editing goes to CBS News — America’s newest place to see BS news.” — Ryan Schwartz

There’s a thin line between genius and madness, and the same can be said for the Golden Globes’ decision to point out where the nominees are seated by dropping virtual pins on them as each award is announced throughout the night. For the viewers at home, it feels a little bit like “Find My Friends,” only with gorgeous people who will not know your name if you approach them on the street, so please don’t do that. (And yes, we know this feature was introduced at least year’s Globes, but it’s worth pointing it out again. It’s been a very busy year!) — A.S.

We have to admit, we haven’t seen “Sentimental Value,” the acclaimed Norwegian film that won Skarsgård the Globe for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role. (It’s on our list, we swear.) So maybe seeing it would explain why the Globes’ house DJ decided to play Usher’s classic club banger “Yeah!” as Skarsgård walked to the stage to collect his award. Does Skarsgård play a dapper gentleman with a taste for ’00s R&B? Actually, don’t tell us: We kind of like not knowing. — Dave Nemetz

Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman’s “SmartLess” podcast may not have won the Globes’ inaugural Best Podcast award on Sunday, but their terrific comedy bit while presenting Best Female Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series made them winners in our book. After noticing the Globes’ announcer’s lukewarm feelings toward him, Bateman took issue with the idea that he’s not everyone’s “thing” as an actor — and Hayes and Arnett did little to quell his concerns. Hayes offered that he loved Bateman in “Ozark,” but when Bateman asked him to recall what that Netflix drama was about, Hayes responded, “It was about three seasons too long.” It’s always refreshing when awards show banter doesn’t make us double over in pain, and these three pals got us laughing as much as any actress in the category they were presenting. — Rebecca Luther

It’s not that we think the Golden Globes are sacred or anything — after all, we’re watching in real time as celebrities get intoxicated — but it’s always an eyesore when sports betting graphics show up during major pop culture moments. Case in point: the annoying and unnecessary Polymarket chyrons that appeared before the Globes’ commercial breaks, which showed us the predicted frontrunners for upcoming categories. Just let us see who wins! Go away! — R.L.

We weren’t exactly sold on the Globes’ new podcast category, but host Nikki Glaser at least made it funny with a pre-taped sketch that parodied Nicole Kidman’s infamous AMC movie theater ads. Nikki sat in her car in a sparkly pantsuit to listen to her favorite podcasts… after scrolling through endless ads for Bombas socks first, of course. She indulged in “riveting conversations” like Amy Poehler and Gwyneth Paltrow discussing the best time to eat dinner, and she winced as “Call Her Daddy” interrupted an in-depth conversation with Jane Goodall to shill for Tinder. (Plus, podcast pioneer Marc Maron popped in to sell her on Squarespace.) We also appreciated when Best Podcast winner Poehler used her speech to take a shot at fellow nominees NPR. We love a juicy celebrity feud. — D.N.

It’s unclear why the Globes decided they needed not one but two color commentators for the ceremony. “Entertainment Tonight” host Kevin Frazier was paired with Variety’s Marc Malkin in the broadcast booth — and from the jump, they just didn’t gel. The problems started immediately: The pair didn’t introduce themselves up top, which made Malkin’s repeated references to his own red carpet interviews feel like an odd choice. But the low point came during Amy Poehler’s walk to the stage to accept Best Podcast, when the commentary veered into talk of her “ex,” Will Arnett, and his “SmartLess” podcast. (Had the “SmartLess” guys won, it’s hard to imagine the moment being framed around Poehler as Arnett’s ex-wife.) — R.S.

We’re of the mind that more award shows could use cameos from Fran Drescher, especially when they include direct references to “The Nanny,” so imagine our delight when the Golden Globes managed to check both of those boxes for us this year. The former SAG president appeared on stage to stop Nikki Glaser’s musical moment (“Your voice is so annoying!”) before introducing “Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin in the best way possible: “Please welcome a boy who famously had no nanny!” — A.S.

After the acceptance speech for Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language was cut short, the room went silent. Awkwardly so. That was followed by Marc Malkin piping up to explain that “our next presenters are so hot right now, they get mobbed everywhere they go — so we had to bring in some extra security… from the UFC.” We’d be lying if we said we knew these were actual UFC fighters, but that’s beside the point. They came out, posed, and walked off, without even “securing” the presenters — “Heated Rivalry” duo Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. It was all a transparent ploy to promote the launch of UFC on Paramount+ on Satur— actually, on second thought, we’re not giving it any more promotion. — R.S.

Wanda Sykes is a seasoned comedian herself, so of course, she had to slip in a few bits of her own while presenting the Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television. (Telling Bill Maher to “do less” truly was God’s work.) But the highlight came when Sykes noted that nominee Ricky Gervais wasn’t in attendance, so if he won, she would accept on the atheist provocateur’s behalf and “thank God and the trans community.” And even funnier: He did win! And she did thank God and the trans community for him! Hey, if you don’t like it, Ricky, maybe you should show up next time. — D.N.

Which Golden Globes moments impressed or irked you this year? Grade Sunday’s ceremony in our poll below, then hit the comments with all of your reactions!