The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills commenced with an awkward red carpet moment before descending into controversy over a newly introduced category. The night intended to celebrate the best in film and television was quickly punctuated by a cringe-worthy blunder and a significant political snub.
Red Carpet Blunder: 'My Name Isn't Megan'
As A-list celebrities descended on the Beverly Hilton in California for one of Hollywood's most prominent nights, the red carpet got off to a clumsy start. Photographers mistakenly called out to acclaimed Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey (pronounced 'Lay-Vay') by the wrong name. Shouting 'Megan!' at the star as she posed in a striking orange gown, the error prompted a polite but visibly awkward correction. 'My name isn't Megan,' Laufey replied with a laugh, gracefully navigating the photographer's mistake on Sunday night.
New Best Podcast Category Ignites Immediate Controversy
While the eyes of the industry were on cinematic achievements, the Golden Globes' new Best Podcast award became an unexpected flashpoint. Announced in May 2024, this inaugural category for the 83-year-old awards was meant to recognise audio excellence. However, the list of nominees has sparked a fierce debate over alleged political bias.
The Globes committee failed to nominate any prominent conservative podcasters, despite several dominating global charts. Notable snubs include:
- Megyn Kelly
- Joe Rogan, whose 'The Joe Rogan Experience' has been Spotify's top global podcast for six years.
- Tucker Carlson
- Candace Owens
- Ben Shapiro
Despite Rogan initially making a 25-person shortlist, the final nominations leaned towards shows hosted by liberal or mainstream figures. The nominees are 'Call Her Daddy' with Alex Cooper, 'Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard', 'Good Hang With Amy Poehler', 'The Mel Robbins Podcast', NPR's 'Up First', and 'Smartless' hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes.
Awards Season Kicks Off Amidst Mixed Reactions
Hosted for a second time by comedian Nikki Glaser, the ceremony marks the official start of the annual awards season. The event, which began at 8pm ET/5pm PT, saw other early red carpet highlights including Love Island's Maura Higgins in a black gown and CBS host Gayle King in pale pink.
Yet, the controversy surrounding the podcast category threatens to overshadow the intended celebrations. The omission of chart-topping conservative voices raises immediate questions about the selection criteria and diversity of thought for the Golden Globes' latest venture, setting a contentious tone for the 2025 awards season.
