Los Angeles, CA — History was made during the 77th Golden Globe awards.
Actress and artist, Awkwafina was awarded a Golden Globe for lead actress in a movie comedy/musical for her performance in Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell”. However, the win was just not run of the mill. The actress becomes the first woman of Asian descent to win the award.
She beat out the likes of Ana de Armas, for her performance in “Knives Out”, Cate Blanchett in her role in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”, Beanie Feldstein in “Booksmart” and Emma Thompson, who was the lead actress in “Late Night”.
The news of this historic feat humbled the 31-year-old actress. Yet, it also makes her hopeful for the future for not only herself but other Asian actresses.
“I actually just heard that fact, and it was pretty mind-blowing,” Awkwafina said. “It feels incredible, but I think there’s also this other feeling that you want there to be more. I hope this is just the beginning.”
This was Awkwafina’s debut being a lead actress in a film. She co-stared in her hilarious breakout role as Peik Lin Goh in last year’s smash hit “Crazy Rich Asians”. In “The Farewell”, she plays a Chinese-American immigrant, who is struggling with her cultural identity while trying to protect her grandmother, played by Zhao Shuzhen, from a grim diagnosis.
“The Farewell” was also nominated for best foreign film. However, the award would go to Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite.”
Awkwafina goes down as one of six women of Asian descent to be nominated in the lead actress in a musical or comedy category. In addition, joins a tight list of thespians of Asian pedigree who have won Golden Globe awards since the shows inception.
Sandra Oh is the only performer of Asian descent to have won the prestigious award twice.
Here’s Awkwafina’s heartfelt acceptance speech in it’s entirety.
“This is great. Thank you. If anything, if I fall upon hard times, we can sell this, so that’s good. First of all, thank you so much to the Hollywood Foreign Press. I’ve never been to the Golden Globes, so I’m here now, and it’s this and it’s great. I’d like to thank everyone at A24, Peter Saraf, Dani Melia, Big Beach and Andrew Miano. I’d like to thank the woman who plays my grandma in “The Farewell,” Zhao Shuzhen. … Thank you, and most importantly, to Lulu Wang, our incredible director. You gave me this chance, the chance of a lifetime, and you taught me so much. And just filming this story, being with you, was incredible. I’d like to dedicate this to my dad, Wally. I told you I’d get a job, Dad. And to my grandma, my best friend, the woman who raised me. And to my mother, Tia, who I always hoped was watching from somewhere above, and I hope that she’s watching now. Thank you all, thank you.”
– Awkwafina’s acceptance speech during the Golden Globes Award ceremony
All Award Winners during 2020 Golden Globes
Television:
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama
Brian Cox (“Succession”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Russell Crowe (“The Loudest Voice”)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Chernobyl”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Patricia Arquette (“The Act”)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Stellan Skarsgård (“Chernobyl”)
Best Television Series — Drama
“Succession”
Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy
“Fleabag”
Movies:
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
“One Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Best Motion Picture — Drama
“1917”
Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language
“Parasite”
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (“Rocketman”)
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Brad Pitt (“One Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Best Motion Picture — Animated
“Missing Link”
Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina (“The Farewell”)
Best Director — Motion Picture
Sam Mendes (“1917”)
