6 must-know moments from the 2020 Golden Globes show

With Ricky Gervais at the helm for his fifth and final time, Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel near Hollywood began with plenty of hard hits for Hollywood’s heavyweights, but the evening offered more than just cutting cracks about "Cats."

Highs included moving moments when those who graced the stage – like Tom Hanks and Kate McKinnon – spoke from the heart. Some of the night’s victors, passionate about putting a focus on current affairs, used their time in the spotlight to persuade the audience to vote and take more personal accountability.

The event also brought exes Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston together (or at least in the same room) to the delight of the gawking eyes of Twitter.

If you missed the broadcast, or just want to relive the biggest moments, here are the ones that will likely be on everyone’s lips.

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Ricky Gervais' censored monologue

Already vowing this would be his final appearance as host, the comedian presented an especially nonchalant attitude. "It's the last time. Who cares?" he told the crowd.

Some of his material was even too much for Gervais: "Dame Judi Dench defended ("Cats"), saying it was the role she was born to play because she – I can't do this next joke," he said, before going on to quip that the actress, like a cat, enjoyed licking herself.

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Jennifer Aniston smiled watching Brad Pitt accept a Globe

Aniston, who was nominated for her performance in "The Morning Show," got to witness her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, take home the award for his supporting actor role in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

"I wanted to bring my mom, but I couldn't because any women I stand next to, they say I'm dating them," Pitt joked, as Aniston looked on. "It'd just be awkward."

Acknowledging his "Hollywood" "partner in crime," Leonardo DiCaprio, Pitt referenced "Titanic" and the great debate of whether Rose and Jack could have both survived on the floating debris.

"I would've shared the raft," Pitt said.

Not a drill:Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt both walked the Golden Globes red carpet before his win

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Patricia Arquette, Michelle Williams and Joaquin Phoenix got political

Taking the stage to accept best actress in a supporting role in a TV series, limited series or movie, Arquette put the focus on current affairs. "In the history books, we will see a country on the brink of war, the United States of America, a president tweeting out a threat," she said.

Saturday, President Trump tweeted that "52 Iranian sites" had been "targeted" in the event that Iran strikes "any Americans or American assets."

Thinking of her children and their future kids, Arquette added: "We have to vote in 2020, and we have to beg and plead for everyone we know to vote in 2020."

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Williams, winner of best performance by an actress in a limited TV series or movie for "Fosse/Verdon," also encouraged people to turn out to the polls.

Williams expressed gratitude for her ability to exercise "a women's right to choose," which caused the room to erupt in applause.

"So, women 18 to 118, when it is time to vote, please do so in your own self-interest," she said. "It's what men have been doing for years … which is why the world looks so much like them."

"Let's make it look more like us," the star added.

Best-drama movie actor Phoenix asked his colleagues to do more.

"It's great to vote, but sometimes we have to take that responsibility on ourselves and make changes and sacrifices in our own lives and hope that we can do that," the "Joker" star said. "We don't have to take private jets to Palm Springs."

Joaquin Phoenix's head-turning acceptance speech:Best drama actor winner drops F-bombs, gets bleeped in head-turning acceptance speech

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Tom Hanks was moved by the love of his family

The Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient got overcome with emotion while accepting his honor for lifetime achievement.

"A man is …" he said, pausing to compose himself. "Sorry, a man is blessed with a family sitting down front like that, a wife (Rita Wilson) who is fantastic in every way, who's taught me what love is. Five kids who are braver and stronger and wiser than their old man is, and a loving group of people who have put (up) with me being away months and months and months at a time. Of course, I wouldn't be standing here if they didn't have to put up with that. I can't tell you how much your love means to me."

Kate McKinnon paid emotional tribute to Ellen DeGeneres

While honoring DeGeneres with the Carol Burnett Award, McKinnon got choked up about how the talk-show host influenced her.

The "Saturday Night Live" cast member described realizing she was gay as "very scary."

"The only thing that made it less scary was seeing Ellen on TV," McKinnon said.

"If I hadn't seen her on TV, I would've thought I could never be on TV – they don't let LGBTQ people on TV. And more than that, I would've gone on thinking that I was an alien and that I maybe didn't even have a right to be here. So, thank you, Ellen for giving me a shot," said McKinnon, seemingly holding back tears. "A shot at a good life."

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Phoebe Waller-Bridge gave a cheeky shout-out to Barack Obama

"Fleabag" received the trophy for best TV comedy, giving creator Waller-Bridge a chance to acknowledge a former president her character was quite attracted to.

"Personally, I'd like to also thank Obama for putting us on his list," she said, in reference to Obama's mention of the series' second season on his list of favorites for 2019. "As some of you may know, he's always been on mine. And if you don't get that joke, please watch Season 1 of 'Fleabag' really, really quickly."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden Globes 2020: 6 must-know moments from Sunday's awards show